Recently, we were approached by Dr. Paul Thomas, about bringing his program, Certification in  in (Functional) Neurology for Bodyworkers, which includes Massage Therapists and Acupuncturists, to the New York / New Jersey / Pennsylvania area, and having ITM be the host.

Being that we are frequently approached by different instructors and training organizations about using our facilities, we are very selective regarding who we say yes to, and scrutinize each offering closely for the value that it offers the current ITM students and our many graduates. We are very excited to bring this opportunity to the massage community at large, and want to tell everyone about this 1-year course, also known as ‘Know The Brain’. It will present functional neurology for practitioners covering several topics relevant for preparation to practice functional neurological interventions and prepare them to sit for the AMMA Diplomate in Neurology for Massage Therapists certification exam.

Upon further talking to Dr. Thomas, and reading the materials he presented to us (he also flew out from Colorado to demonstrate his techniques to our faculty), functional neurology appears to be more systemic assessment tool than technique. When clients fail to progress or do not respond to your treatment methods, it could be caused by a functional imbalance in their nervous system, and a full functional neurological assessment will allow you to focus your treatment for their specific needs, and fine-tune your chosen technique for that individual. You will learn anatomy, normal and abnormal neurological function, and the delicate intricacies of the system’s interconnectedness.. all within your scope of practice.

This program has two goals:

1) To train Massage Therapists and Acupuncturists on the brain’s effect on the body, and more precisely, how to select therapies or perform treatments that can target the brain within their scope of practice.

2) To increase the skill level of therapists so that they may identify, refer to, collaborate with, inform, and ultimately work on a team with licensed clinicians in the fields of neurology and psychology.

Hear Testimonials Here: Testimonials

The program is approved and certified by the American Medical Massage Association and the American Manual Medicine Association, and the instructor is Dr. Paul Thomas, who received his post doctorate degree in neurology from the Carrick Institute of Graduate Studies, and his Diplomate in Chiropractic Neurology from the American Chiropractic Neurology Board in January of 2005. After he received his Diplomate, Dr. Thomas managed multiple chiropractic offices with a functional neurology emphasis. He worked closely with children that have learning disabilities, clients with non-organic mental health issues, and traditional patients with musculoskeletal issues until 2009. Since then, Dr. Thomas now lectures and consults with doctors and therapists all over the country.

A few of Dr. Thomas achievements include working closely with body workers and psychologists on the physiology behind their treatments, and conducting in-office neurological exams for doctors. He is also the senior instructor for KnowTheBrain and Fix the Brain – organizations dedicated to teaching the assessment of applied neurology for body workers and psychologists.

There is plenty of information provided in the continuing education section of the ITM website, and Dr Thomas has more extensive information available at his program website: knowthebrain.com/. Lastly, there are 2 live webinars being offered, on December 15th, 2011, and January 3rd, 2012, so this is a great opportunity to hear more information, and also be able to ask questions. The schedule, and logins for the informational webinars are available at this website: www.knowthebrain.com/courses.html