Education

The following courses are currently being offered at Back Works. Scroll down for more details on each of these courses or click on the Registration Form Link.

NDTA™ Approved 5-Day Advanced Gait Course - Fri May 23, Sat May 24, Sun May 25, Sat June 7, Sun June 8, 2025 Registration Form
NDT Introductory Course in the Management of Adults with Stroke, Brain Injury and Other Neuromotor Disorders - Sat June 21 - Sun June 22, 2025 Registration Form
The Cranium: From a Manual Perspective with Doreen Killens - Fri Oct 24 - Sun Oct 26, 2025 - Registration Form

The following are some of the courses we offer - we can place you on a High Priority Notification List for any of these workshops. If we schedule the course, we'll notify you prior to general advertising. To be added to our Education Email List please email us at reception@backworksphysiotherapy.ca

Promoting Recovery at the Bedside: A Virtual NDT Workshop
Treating the Individual with Ataxia: A Virtual NDT Workshop
Challenges in Gait: An NDT Workshop in the Management of Adults with Stroke, Brain Injury and Other Neuro-motor Disorders
Developing Support and Reach in the UE: An NDT Workshop in the Management of UE Following Stroke or Brain Injury
Getting Ready to Stand and Walk: An NDT Workshop in the Management of Adults with Stroke, Brain Injury and Other Neuro-motor Disorders
Managing the Lower Functioning Individual: An NDT Workshop in the Management of Adults with Stroke, Brain Injury and Other Neuro-motor Disorders
Managing the “Pusher”: An NDT Perspective on Managing the Individual with Contraversive Pushing Tendencies Post-Stroke
An Intro to NDT: Where to Begin with the Lower Functioning Individual
NDT Introductory Course in the Management of Adults with Stroke, Brain Injury and Other Neuromotor Disorders - 2 day course
NDT Intermediate Level Workshop: Function in the Upright Posture Following Stroke or Brain Injury - 2 day course
NDT Intermediate Level Workshop: Management of the Upper Extremity Following Stroke or Brain Injury - 2 day course
NDTA™ Certificate Course in the Contemporary Practice of NDT for the Management of Adults with Stroke and Brain Injury
NDTA™ Advanced Gait Course - 5 day course
NDTA™ Advanced UE Course - 5 day course

NDT Introductory Courses in the Management of Adults with Stroke, Brain Injury and Other Neuromotor Disorders

Date: Sat June 21 - Sun June 22, 2025 Registration Form

Instructor: Karen Guha, PT, BScPT, C/NDT, CIDN, NDTA CI

Cost: $475.00 + HST ($536.75 CAD)

Course Description: This two-day introductory level course provides a unique opportunity for health care professionals to gain insight into

the basic principles of the NDT approach and how it is applied to clinical practice to promote recovery of function in individuals with neurological impairments. Current theoretical foundations and evidence supporting an NDT approach will be presented as well as specific and practical information about the management of the adult neurological patient. The overall objective of this course is to enable participants to bring information back to their facility and apply it toward promoting more functional movement and achieving functional outcomes with their patients.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course the participants will:

State the basic philosophy underlying the NDT approach to the treatment of adults with neurological dysfunction.
Demonstrate basic skill in analyzing movement, both normal and abnormal, during sitting and standing activities and some transitions
Identify major impairments interfering with normal movement and function in the adult with stroke, brain injury and other neuromotor disorders such as incomplete spinal cord injury.
Demonstrate basic handling skills to enhance patient’s functional movement as related to his/her functional goals.
Demonstrate an increased repertoire of evaluation and treatment strategies for the individual with stroke, brain injury and other neuromotor disorders.

Requirements: Participants must be a registered Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Therapy Assistant or Registered Kinesiologist

Location: Back Works Physiotherapy

2415 University Ave E Suite 101

Waterloo, ON N2K 0H5

For more information contact Back Works Spinal and Sports Rehabilitation at reception@backworksphysiotherapy.ca or (519) 746-8172

NDTA™ Approved 5-Day Advanced Gait Course

Dates: Fri May 23 - Sun May 25 and Sat June 7 - Sun June 8, 2025 Registration Form

Instructors

Karen Guha, PT, BSc PT, C/NDT, CIDN, NDTA™ Coordinator Instructor

Rose Lesso, MScPT, C/NDT, NDTA™ PT Instructor

Cost:

NDTA Member: $1400 + HST ($1582.00 CAD)
Non-NDTA Member: $1700 + HST ($1921.00 CAD)

Course Description
This an advanced course is designed for physical and occupational therapists who work with adult individuals’ post-stroke and/or brain injury. This course is developed for therapists who are interested in further developing their assessment and treatment skills to enhance the client/patient’s function in the upright posture. The interrelationship of the lower extremity with other body segments and systems is emphasized. Analysis of functional tasks, specifically the movement components that contribute to a person's independent performance of tasks in the upright posture will be addressed. Therapists will have an opportunity to revisit the biomechanical components of typical gait, discuss and analyze common deviations of gait in the above-mentioned patient populations and learn potential treatment strategies to diminish the impact of gait deviations on the client/patient’s ability to function while ambulating. The content will be covered through lectures, labs, group problem-solving, patient demonstration by instructors and participants will treat patients 4 of the course days.

Course Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course the participants will be able to:

Compare and contrast components of typical lower extremity biomechanics and gait to a client’s gait pattern
Analyze gait deviations and hypothesize how they will impact a client’s participation in functional activities including functional use of the UE in the upright posture
Analyze effective and ineffective posture and movement and problem solve the impact on a client’s functional abilities/limitations as it relates to gait and function in the upright posture
Create an impairment list that prioritizes significant impairments which interfere with the client’s function in an upright posture
Create a treatment plan that integrates appropriate treatment strategies, is goal-oriented and addresses the client’s primary impairments
Apply and perform handling skills appropriately, during treatment practicum, to support a client’s goals and optimize their function in an upright posture

Requirements: Participants must be a registered Physical Therapist or Occupational Therapist who has successfully completed an NDT/Bobath Certificate Course. Therapist must be registered to practice in Ontario or hold a courtesy registration from the College of Physiotherapists or Occupational Therapists of Ontario.

Location: Back Works Physiotherapy

2415 University Ave E Suite 101

Waterloo, ON N2K 0H5

For more information contact Back Works Spinal and Sports Rehabilitation at reception@backworksphysiotherapy.ca or (519) 746-8172

Manual Therapy for the Cranium, Level 1

Date: Fri Oct 24, 2025 - Sun Oct 26, 2025 Registration Form

Course Hours (21 hours)

Fri 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sat 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sun 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Instructor: Doreen Killens PT, FCAMPT, CGIMS

Doreen Killens is an orthopedic musculoskeletal physiotherapist (FCAMPT) with 43 years of clinical experience. For 25 years she was an instructor for the Canadian Orthopedic Manipulative Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, teaching manual therapy courses across Canada. In addition, she was an Examiner and former Chief Examiner for the same association. She is currently in private practice in Montreal and has a particular interest in the field of headaches and myofascial dysfunction. She is the developer of a physiotherapy approach to treatment of the myofascial body called Mobilization of the Myofascial System (MMS) (Upper Quadrant, Lower Quadrant and Advanced Integration). In addition, she teaches a two-level course system entitled Manual Therapy for the Cranium, courses she teaches across Canada and Europe, both in English and in French.

Cost: $1300.00 +HST ($1469.00 CAD)

Course Description: The objective of this 3-day course is to provide the participant with a solid basis in anatomy and physiology of the cranium and its related membranes for the diagnosis and treatment of problems in the cranio-sacral mechanism. By the end of the course, the participant will have a greater understanding of cranial function, and more in-depth skills for assessment and treatment of the Cranial Driver (Integrated Systems Model)

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the course the participants will be able to:

1. Understand the primary respiratory mechanism

2. Use cranial palpatory skills to form a differential diagnosis in the evaluation of the cranio-sacral system

3. Understand the possible dysfunctions within the cranio-sacral system and how they relate the Integrated Systems Model for Disability & Pain (ISM) (Diane Lee and LJ Lee)

4. Apply the principles of manual therapy to dysfunctions of the cranium

5. Work with approaches to a number of common ailments such as TMJ dysfunction, head and neck pain and central nervous system disorders

6. Apply a simple, effective 7 – step protocol into practice

7. Use this treatment approach in a safe manner

Requirements: Participants must be a Registered Physiotherapist.

Location: Back Works Physiotherapy

2415 University Ave E Suite 101

Waterloo, ON N2K 0H5

For more information contact Back Works Spinal and Sports Rehabilitation at reception@backworksphysiotherapy.ca or (519) 746-8172