Webinar Dr. Prof. Hannu Luomajoki Motor Control of the Extremities – Which are Good Tests and How to Treat?

Motor Control of the Extremities – Valid Tests and Evidence-Based Treatment in Physiotherapy

Why Functional Assessment Outperforms Structural Diagnosis in Shoulder and Extremity Conditions

Structural findings on MRI or ultrasound rarely correlate with patient symptoms. In this webinar by Prof. Hannu Luomajoki (ZHAW Winterthur, PT OMT), you learn to select the right functional tests — including the scapular assist test, scapular retraction test, and single-leg squat alignment assessment — and use them to build targeted, individualized treatment plans. The evidence base is robust: multiple meta-analyses and guidelines (BMJ 2019, NEJM) demonstrate that physiotherapy is at least as effective as surgery for impingement, rotator cuff tears, meniscal lesions, and ACL injuries.

Evidence-Based Motor Control Training for the Shoulder: Scapula, Glenohumeral Joint, and Relative Flexibility

This training covers the concept of relative flexibility: what moves and what does not in shoulder pathology? You learn to differentiate glenohumeral mobility from scapular compensation, identify and treat glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD), and train scapular stabilizers (serratus anterior, upper and lower trapezius) with evidence-based dosing and structured progression.

Lower Extremity Motor Control: Tests and Exercises for Osteoarthritis, ACL Injury, and Tendinopathy

Valid and reliable lower extremity tests are covered: the Y-balance test, BESS (Balance Error Scoring System), step-up/step-down analysis, and video-based jump assessment. You learn to test active insufficiency of the iliopsoas and gluteus medius/maximus, correct alignment under single-leg load, and develop an exercise program based on the GLAD model (Good Life with Osteoarthritis in Denmark), applied worldwide in over 100,000 patients.

Validated Outcome Measures and Prognostic Factors in Musculoskeletal Extremity Conditions

You learn when and how to apply DASH, SPADI (upper extremity) and KOOS, HOOS, LEFS (lower extremity) as an integral part of your clinical reasoning process. Psychosocial prognostic factors — self-efficacy, return to work, patient expectations — are discussed as essential components of a comprehensive biopsychosocial treatment plan.

Accreditation and Target Audience

This webinar is accredited via Kwaliteitshuis Fysiotherapie (vakinhoudelijk, register Manuele Therapie / Manual Therapy) and Pro-Q-Kine and is suitable for physiotherapists, manual therapists, and sports physiotherapists seeking to deepen clinical reasoning for extremity complaints based on current scientific evidence.

Learning goals

After completing this training, the participant is able to:

critically evaluate and integrate scientific evidence on structural versus functional findings in shoulder, knee, and hip conditions into the clinical reasoning process, applying evidence-based argumentation to justify the physiotherapy treatment plan and demonstrate its value over surgical alternatives.

perform a structured functional assessment of shoulder motor control — including the scapular assist test, scapular retraction test, and analysis of relative flexibility between the glenohumeral and scapulothoracic regions — interpreting findings in relation to specific scapular stabilizer dysfunctions and translating them into an individualized treatment plan.

compose and systematically apply a valid and reliable motor control test battery for the lower extremity — including single-leg squat alignment assessment, Y-balance test, BESS, and step-up/step-down analysis — quantitatively interpreting results and applying them to monitor treatment progression and support clinical decision-making in complex patient populations.

develop and dose a specific, evidence-based exercise program for extremity motor control — addressing scapular stabilization, glenohumeral differentiation, hip abductor training, and alignment correction under load — tailored to individually assessed functional deficits and applying scientifically supported dosing parameters.

strategically apply validated outcome measures for the upper extremity (DASH, SPADI) and lower extremity (KOOS, HOOS, LEFS) as an integral part of the clinical reasoning and treatment process, using measurement outcomes for personalized care decisions, prognostic reasoning based on biopsychosocial factors, and systematic quality assessment of physiotherapy practice.