Workshop Feedback
Jerry Hesch presented a course: "The Hesch Method: Integrating the Whole Body".
Wow--a really original and effective approach. He did some actual case demonstrations that really showed the importance of inter-linking these whole body patterns. Then his treatment approach was via the dense connective tissue (type 3 receptors).
Clear, simple instruction. Very available to learn.
I really recommend you check out his work. He will be presenting at the AAOMPT Annual Conference.
Peter Fabian, PT, CFP, BS
Director Strong Mind and Body PT
San Rafael, CA
Wow--a really original and effective approach. He did some actual case demonstrations that really showed the importance of inter-linking these whole body patterns. Then his treatment approach was via the dense connective tissue (type 3 receptors).
Clear, simple instruction. Very available to learn.
I really recommend you check out his work. He will be presenting at the AAOMPT Annual Conference.
Peter Fabian, PT, CFP, BS
Director Strong Mind and Body PT
San Rafael, CA
I have been to both to his basic intermediate and total body courses, and viewed his video on the advanced course for the pelvis, I can speak to the incredible insight he has shown into treatment that I have not seen or heard at any other courses I have been to. And without actually seeing these things work incredibly well on other PTs at the courses, and hearing their reactions, I never would have lent any credibility to it if I had just seen them on the printed page.
For example, a pelvic girdle misalignment pattern he called “windswept ischium”. I had never heard about this type phenomena elsewhere, certainly not in the evidence based book such as Current Concepts of for Orthopedic Physical Therapy edition 2, or Chad Cook’s evidence based Orthopedic Therapy text book ( which covers up to date research up to 2012). But the therapist who happened to be at my first course who had been in an MVA 14 years previously had it, as well as a posteriorly positioned femoral head on the right. Her lab partner, who was learning to assess her, found that her subject seemed just plain bizarre, and asked Jerry to come look at her with her. After he assessed her, he stopped the class and had us gather around. He said since we had a perfect example of this, even though this was info from his advanced class, he was going to show us this. (Her symptoms were chronic back and right knee pain since the accident.)
He had her walk for us, (one of the most inexplicable gait patterns I ever saw, very different), then he showed us how her right femur bowed anteriorly, how the back of her knee didn’t touch the table like the left side, how her knee cap was far less mobile, all of these things very obvious. He then had her flip prone, and palpated her ischium, and with doing so, we could see that her right ischium was definitely more lateral, her left definitely more medial, and she had a gross asymmetry in her hip rotation prone, one leg opposite the other in ER/IR ratios.
I was clueless on what all that meant, but then he did 3 techniques to correct her, taking 6 minutes. He had her get up to walk again, and her gait was perfectly normal, and she had NO pain (1st time in 14 years). The therapist herself was totally incredulous, as were all of us in the room. Within 1 week of coming back from the course, Mindy Buck referred an 18 year old to me who had been in an MVA, had been burned, mild head injury, and pelvic girdle problems. He had been discharged from pediatric rehab. In he walks with that same bizarre gait pattern I had seen at the course. So, I looked for this “windswept” thing. And there it was. So, I got out my book to see how to treat it, and I did. His gait normalized immediately as well, and his mom came in the next visit with him, demanding to know what I did, since he has been “normal’ ever since!.
Since then from him, I have learned other things that work incredibly well, that I have not seen or heard of elsewhere, such as:
With this type thinking, (using only a certain type of research-backed techniques) we should ignore anything James Cyriax taught, since he did not do actual research, and we should ignore the other 2 parts of the evidence based trilogy, which is practitioner experience and patient expectations, which are considered the other 2 parts of the 3 legged stool of evidence based practice.
If we go with only what we can learn from research articles, we will be missing out on a lot of things that work well that have not just been researched yet.
Barbara Carusillo, PT, OCS, COMT
IU Health, Indianapolis, IN
For example, a pelvic girdle misalignment pattern he called “windswept ischium”. I had never heard about this type phenomena elsewhere, certainly not in the evidence based book such as Current Concepts of for Orthopedic Physical Therapy edition 2, or Chad Cook’s evidence based Orthopedic Therapy text book ( which covers up to date research up to 2012). But the therapist who happened to be at my first course who had been in an MVA 14 years previously had it, as well as a posteriorly positioned femoral head on the right. Her lab partner, who was learning to assess her, found that her subject seemed just plain bizarre, and asked Jerry to come look at her with her. After he assessed her, he stopped the class and had us gather around. He said since we had a perfect example of this, even though this was info from his advanced class, he was going to show us this. (Her symptoms were chronic back and right knee pain since the accident.)
He had her walk for us, (one of the most inexplicable gait patterns I ever saw, very different), then he showed us how her right femur bowed anteriorly, how the back of her knee didn’t touch the table like the left side, how her knee cap was far less mobile, all of these things very obvious. He then had her flip prone, and palpated her ischium, and with doing so, we could see that her right ischium was definitely more lateral, her left definitely more medial, and she had a gross asymmetry in her hip rotation prone, one leg opposite the other in ER/IR ratios.
I was clueless on what all that meant, but then he did 3 techniques to correct her, taking 6 minutes. He had her get up to walk again, and her gait was perfectly normal, and she had NO pain (1st time in 14 years). The therapist herself was totally incredulous, as were all of us in the room. Within 1 week of coming back from the course, Mindy Buck referred an 18 year old to me who had been in an MVA, had been burned, mild head injury, and pelvic girdle problems. He had been discharged from pediatric rehab. In he walks with that same bizarre gait pattern I had seen at the course. So, I looked for this “windswept” thing. And there it was. So, I got out my book to see how to treat it, and I did. His gait normalized immediately as well, and his mom came in the next visit with him, demanding to know what I did, since he has been “normal’ ever since!.
Since then from him, I have learned other things that work incredibly well, that I have not seen or heard of elsewhere, such as:
- treating the posterior attachment of the 1st rib, not just the anterior.
- Use of spring tests to confirm what is going on in the pelvis
- Posteriorly displaced sacrums which make an amazing difference in folks once corrected
- How best to treat sacral torsions and what they do due to reflex neural connections to the sternum, upper cervical region
- A great sequence to treat supinatory fixated foot and ankles
- A great technique to help with forward shoulders with fixations at the joint
- Etc etc etc.
With this type thinking, (using only a certain type of research-backed techniques) we should ignore anything James Cyriax taught, since he did not do actual research, and we should ignore the other 2 parts of the evidence based trilogy, which is practitioner experience and patient expectations, which are considered the other 2 parts of the 3 legged stool of evidence based practice.
If we go with only what we can learn from research articles, we will be missing out on a lot of things that work well that have not just been researched yet.
Barbara Carusillo, PT, OCS, COMT
IU Health, Indianapolis, IN
Jerry was able to take one of the most complex and complicated regions of the human anatomy and simplify it. I now feel comfortable to access and treat the pelvis/SI without second guessing myself. And if I ever do, the workbook is an excellent resource.
Tiffany Reid, PTA,
Synergy PT & Wellness, OH
Tiffany Reid, PTA,
Synergy PT & Wellness, OH
I enjoyed the course and feel it will help me in the training room. It will give me a systematic way of looking at lumbar-pelvis-hip issues.
Will Sevening, AT
San Antonio Spurs
Will Sevening, AT
San Antonio Spurs
I attended your course in Jacksonville, Florida, several years ago, and it changed my practice. I now employ passive accessory motion testing as my primary indicator of pelvic joint dysfunction, along with SIJ provocation testing. I also use active motion testing, load transfer test, ASLR, and palpation for alignment and pain. I share your suspicion that the mobility of the SIJs and pubic symphysis can directly affect the function of the pelvic floor.
Cynthia E. Neville, PT, BCIA-PMDB
Recent Director of Women's Health Rehabilitation at the
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Cynthia E. Neville, PT, BCIA-PMDB
Recent Director of Women's Health Rehabilitation at the
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
I just wanted to say thank you for the course last weekend and what you did for me personally. I have not had a headache since last weekend, which is amazing. I usually live on advil. My headaches aren't disabling, but more of a sometimes near daily annoyance that I am so happy to be rid of. The rest of my body is feeling better too. I have been spending time reviewing all the coursework, and bought a used portable massage table so that I can practice on family and friends.
I worked on my 10 year old son and the results have been astounding! (He) has always had a lordotic posture and has always had difficulty running correctly. He could not correct his posture with verbal cues. He has never had any pain. He would run with an excessive heel strike, almost looking like he is leaping when running and exaggerating the pumping of his arms. He could not land on his mid foot or toes or with his foot directly under his hip, and could not get a good push off no matter what strategies we tried. On the treadmill, he would have difficulty picking up his feet and they would drag/slap during swing phase. I tried strengthening his gluts and calves (glut med and max are weak, gastroc/soleus lacks endurance and
poor balance going up on toes). Worked on stretching his hip flexors which were really only a little tight. Nothing really worked to improve his running or his posture, and I'm ashamed to admit I didn't really put it together till after your class.
I took another look at him and found that he fit in the 2nd most common pattern, plus lacked hip extension (only 0 degrees) and dorsiflexion in subtalar neutral. I think he had a posterior sacrum but I'm not confident enough yet to be sure. I did the manual treatments and started him on the HEP.
You can see in the attachment his posture before, and his posture on day 3- a remarkable change! His balance is much improved also-doing the nudge test to the sternum with his eyes closed, he was stumbling
all over and now can hold his balance easily. His running is already much better.
I am so glad I came to your class- Thanks so much! I will keep in touch-
Stacy S., PT West Bend, WI
I worked on my 10 year old son and the results have been astounding! (He) has always had a lordotic posture and has always had difficulty running correctly. He could not correct his posture with verbal cues. He has never had any pain. He would run with an excessive heel strike, almost looking like he is leaping when running and exaggerating the pumping of his arms. He could not land on his mid foot or toes or with his foot directly under his hip, and could not get a good push off no matter what strategies we tried. On the treadmill, he would have difficulty picking up his feet and they would drag/slap during swing phase. I tried strengthening his gluts and calves (glut med and max are weak, gastroc/soleus lacks endurance and
poor balance going up on toes). Worked on stretching his hip flexors which were really only a little tight. Nothing really worked to improve his running or his posture, and I'm ashamed to admit I didn't really put it together till after your class.
I took another look at him and found that he fit in the 2nd most common pattern, plus lacked hip extension (only 0 degrees) and dorsiflexion in subtalar neutral. I think he had a posterior sacrum but I'm not confident enough yet to be sure. I did the manual treatments and started him on the HEP.
You can see in the attachment his posture before, and his posture on day 3- a remarkable change! His balance is much improved also-doing the nudge test to the sternum with his eyes closed, he was stumbling
all over and now can hold his balance easily. His running is already much better.
I am so glad I came to your class- Thanks so much! I will keep in touch-
Stacy S., PT West Bend, WI
I just wanted to thank you again for the great course in Indianapolis, Indiana. You have a contagious excitement and I am now pumped to see some SIJ clients, instead of dreading them as I did before your course. I will relay my positive feedback to my director for we are still hoping to bring the course to Goshen.
Also, thanks for treating me. We saw the difference at the course, but I also saw a difference while playing disc golf the next day. In disc, there are huge transverse plane motions. I felt better power transfer from my left hip with less effort to get the distance required. I'm looking forward to applying the techniques, and I'm sure I will have a few questions, so plan on a few more e-mails. Please extend my thanks to Jerry Hesch for developing this work.
Craig Enright PT,
Centers for Rehab,
Goshen General Hospital, Goshen, Indiana
Also, thanks for treating me. We saw the difference at the course, but I also saw a difference while playing disc golf the next day. In disc, there are huge transverse plane motions. I felt better power transfer from my left hip with less effort to get the distance required. I'm looking forward to applying the techniques, and I'm sure I will have a few questions, so plan on a few more e-mails. Please extend my thanks to Jerry Hesch for developing this work.
Craig Enright PT,
Centers for Rehab,
Goshen General Hospital, Goshen, Indiana
In my quest for answers to questions that I haven’t been able to find in 40 years of athletic training, including soft tissue courses, osteopathic knowledge and manual therapy techniques, the Hesch Method is like the ‘icing on the cake’ in its ability to bring my knowledge to a new level and answers to my questions. The Hesch Method has helped me to realize that the SIJ is the key to the kinetic chain, linking the distal and the proximal.
David Craig, Head Trainer,
Indiana Pacers
David Craig, Head Trainer,
Indiana Pacers
When I was a PT student, my clinical instructor used the Hesch Method to treat a client. The
client was very pleased to finally achieve pain relief, having previously sought care from several practitioners. So when I started working in outpatient Orthopedics, I took the basic/intermediate Hesch Workshop. I was pleased to achieve quick and lasting results, and I find the self-treatment very helpful. I appreciate that this work is not restrictive or dogmatic, and it is easily integrated with other PT approaches. Jerry Hesch is very available by phone and e-mail, which helped with learning the advanced material.
I completed an outcome study with 11 discharged clients, and 8 out of 11 reported benefit with the Hesch self-treatment. Most clients with pelvic girdle movement dysfunction are significantly improved within 3 visits and readily segue into strength and stabilization exercises. I have presented this approach several times to PT students at UNM, and it was enthusiastically received. It has been 5 years since I took the workshop, and I am grateful that I am very comfortable the lumbopelvic and hip girdle and easily achieving lasting change.
Bernadette Lynch, PT,
Albuquerque, New Mexico
client was very pleased to finally achieve pain relief, having previously sought care from several practitioners. So when I started working in outpatient Orthopedics, I took the basic/intermediate Hesch Workshop. I was pleased to achieve quick and lasting results, and I find the self-treatment very helpful. I appreciate that this work is not restrictive or dogmatic, and it is easily integrated with other PT approaches. Jerry Hesch is very available by phone and e-mail, which helped with learning the advanced material.
I completed an outcome study with 11 discharged clients, and 8 out of 11 reported benefit with the Hesch self-treatment. Most clients with pelvic girdle movement dysfunction are significantly improved within 3 visits and readily segue into strength and stabilization exercises. I have presented this approach several times to PT students at UNM, and it was enthusiastically received. It has been 5 years since I took the workshop, and I am grateful that I am very comfortable the lumbopelvic and hip girdle and easily achieving lasting change.
Bernadette Lynch, PT,
Albuquerque, New Mexico
This course made sense to me and was in line with my philosophy and pulled the loose ends of what I knew about treatment of the pelvis and low back into a concrete treatment protocol that I am excited to use."
Teresa Moerer, PT
Northern Iowa Therapy
Teresa Moerer, PT
Northern Iowa Therapy
I enjoyed the speaker's humor, anecdotes and over all extensive experience. His body of knowledge and technical explanation helped to make the procedures instinctively user-friendly.
Anonymous, Indianapolis, IN
Anonymous, Indianapolis, IN
I enjoyed the lab time. I guess I would like to see more lab time. The style of lab time was great - 1 person feeling it (model), 1 person doing it (clinician), 1 person watching it (observer). You learned at all three positions. I'm going to steal this approach for teaching my AT students.
Christina Merckx, ATC
Anderson University, IN
Christina Merckx, ATC
Anderson University, IN
I enjoyed the examples, the workbook, the great explanation on torsions! I also enjoyed the HEP for patients and the patient examples.
Anonymous, Indianapolis, IN
Anonymous, Indianapolis, IN