Course Description:

The 4-Element Movement System Model is a newly developed, innovative framework to understand and manage movement dysfunction across a wide variety of patient conditions in different practice settings across the lifespan. The overall goal of this session is to 1) equip novice clinicians with the cognitive skills to guide visual assessment of movement that can be used to develop movement hypotheses that serve to identify more quantitative tests and measures within physical therapist examination, and 2) equip clinical instructors and educators with a framework to guide student clinical reasoning of movement dysfunction. The learner will develop skills to qualitatively observe movement using targets of control, amount, symmetry, speed, and symptoms. The learner will then apply these movement observations to the four essential elements to all movement: motion, force, energy and control. The 4-element model incorporates environmental contexts and personal factors, so its integration within the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the Patient/Client Management Model will be discussed. Finally, the learner will be provided examples to guide the use of the 4-element model within clinical education to enhance the ability of students and novice clinicians to complete complex reasoning using movement in physical therapy practice.