Course Description:

We are experts in movement, in functional activities, strength, and flexibility. We learn how to diagnose pathology, treat impairments, and educate our patients on how to improve their function. We take courses on specific joint injuries, pain, muscle impairments, and bettering our diagnostic skills. We learn about the body and how to improve physical pain and function. But what about all the other aspects of health? How many classes are there about building connection? How do we address mental health? What about any of the other aspects of health that are so vital to health span other than just physical health? We all learn about the biopsychosocial model of health, and yet what we learn in school is still focused on the biomedical model.
As our medical system becomes more and more siloed, and providers become more and more specialized, things fall through the cracks. Everyone expects that someone else will “handle it” and we tend to avoid difficult conversations because it’s “hard to talk about.” If we truly want to improve the lives of our patients, we need to pay attention to more than just their diagnosis and treat the whole patient.
This course is meant to be an introduction to holistic therapy and functional medicine. Not to make us experts in all health fields, but to know enough to address, advocate, and provide information for our patients. It will provide the resources and knowledge to address the other areas of health that can fall through the cracks. These are topics that can make a big impact on overall health and quality of life that physical treatment cannot do alone.
This course is for external and internal clinicians. Please contact Aaron Lehr at alehr1@hfhs.org for any questions or concerns.