Articles
Conference 2015 - Presenters
Zachary Comeaux DO
As an American trained DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), Zachary Comeaux is trained in the full scope of standard medical practice. He maintains certification in the specialties of Family Medicine as well as Neuromuscular Medicine. He has education and experience in a broad range of osteopathic approaches; from this base he publishes, works, and teaches at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as teaching national and international workshops. His major interests include integration of osteopathic technique, including the bioenergetic approach. Additionally, he has done research and scientific modeling to further validate the percussion vibrator uses by Robert Fulford, DO. These efforts have lead to the development of a compatible manual technique called Facilitated Oscillatory Release.
Personal mentors have included Anthony Chila DO (cranial and connective tissue), David Patriquin DO (articular and thrust), Fred Mitchell DO (muscle energy) and Robert Fulford DO (bioenergetic techniques). The latter has had a unique and useful approach to osteopathy which expands the scope both of examination and treatment. Fulford's approach blends osteopathic palpation and analysis with the intention of treating the energetic component of the body/person.
Zachary's conference presentation will develop the need for expanding the osteopathic paradigm in contemporary practice, bridging rather than competing between models. Workshopping will feature an exploration of the use of oscillation with optimal osteopathic intent. Rather than proselytizing to a new method, oscillation is presented as a means of amplifying effectiveness as each practitioner grows in expertise within preferred models.
Zachary is also running an optional pre-conference workshop which will focus on a practical method of enhancing professional subjective engagement with the difficult patient.
Dr Rosalba Courtney
Dr. Rosalba Courtney, PhD is an Osteopath who brings over 30 years of experience to patient care. She is known as an expertly skilled practitioner, with great hands, broad knowledge and unique problem solving abilities who also really cares about her patients.
Rosalba is also a researcher and writer with a passion for delving deeply into the art and science of medicine and health to explore and develop effective treatment strategies for health and wellbeing.
Dr. Courtney is one of the world's leading authorities on the use of breathing therapy and the role that dysfunctional breathing plays in health problems like asthma, sleep apnoea, muscular-skeletal disorders, stress related problems and children's health. She has completed a PhD on this subject. She conducts breathing assessments and has developed breathing therapy programs targeted to these specific conditions and types of patients.
Rosalba will be presenting on Integrating Osteopathy and Breathing Retraining for Asthma and COPD, with the workshop containing some practical techniques.
A pre-conference workshop is also being held, in which Dr Courtney will teach on Breathing Disorders in the Patient with Musculo-skeletal Pain and Postural Dysfunction - Evaluation and Treatment Tips.
Associate Professor Gary Fryer
Associate Professor Gary Fryer is the Discipline Group Leader of Osteopathic Medicine at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. Gary graduated in 1991 and has practiced osteopathy in Melbourne, Brisbane and rural Victoria, Australia. Gary has been extensively involved in osteopathic education and research, and has taught osteopathic principles and technique at Victoria University since 1997.
His research interests have been diverse and include the reliability of palpation, the physiological effects and mechanisms of manipulative treatment, and the EMG activity of deep paraspinal muscles related to palpation and treatment. After completing his PhD in 2007, Gary moved to Kirksville, Missouri, for a two-year period where, as Research Associate Professor, he conducted research with the A.T. Still Research Institute and taught osteopathic manipulative medicine at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has authored over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, several book chapters, and is frequently invited as a speaker to osteopathic conferences in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe.
Gary will discuss Integrating Osteopathic Techniques Based On Physiological-Psychosocial Models, as well as running a workshop.
Jason Haxton
Jason Haxton, M.A., D.O. (h.c.), Director of the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine since January 2001. Prior to joining the museum, Jason was an active museum volunteer for over ten years and donated several osteopathic related artifacts to the collection. Jason makes multiple international trips each year (Russia, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Brazil and the UK) to promote the principles of osteopathic medicine through exhibits and providing historic research materials for DO's worldwide at various osteopathic conferences. Jason also hosts faculty from international schools of osteopathy, and assists DO's who are required to do a two-year dissertation in clinical research.
With the help of Jason, many students will review Dr. Still's ideas and early writings as a foundation for their current work. He works with the museum to publish a minimum of 4 osteopathic books annually and has co-published a book on osteopathic history and treatment "The Osteopathic Medicine Advantage".
Museum website: www.atsu.edu/museum
Jason brings with him an exhibition from the museum:
Exhibition of Museum Artifacts for the First Time Ever in Wellington, New Zealand
A tribute to Dr. Still and his students that formed the origins of osteopathy…
The Museum of Osteopathic Medicine is pleased to present an exhibit and lectures in Wellington, New Zealand. On site will be material from its collection of artifacts that tell the unique story of osteopathic medicine. Artifacts on display will include personal belongings of Dr. A.T. Still, photographs, documents, books and items relating to the strong bond between New Zealand and American Osteopaths.
The exhibit is sponsored by Osteopaths New Zealand and is Free for attendees.
From generation to generation, osteopaths have added to the knowledge and grown the field of osteopathy. Come see the evolution of your profession.
Museum Director Jason Haxton will be the presenter and available to answer questions and to assist you with your osteopathic research.
You are invited to visit the exhibition every day of the Conference.
Kim Eland
Kim moved to NZ in 1995, having trained and practiced for some years as a Registered General Nurse, then Registered Midwife in the UK. After 4 years working on the NZ 'coalface', she took on an advisory role in ACC's Medical Misadventure Unit and went on to manage that team until the legislative change to Treatment Injury in 2005. Kim then piloted an ACC programme of provider (GP) audits and found herself following a clinical audit career path for the next few years, before joining the Health Procurement Support team in another newly developed role, centred around provider monitoring and performance management. Kim's latest role (Clinical Lead, Allied Health) incorporates a number of aspects from those previous roles, but has a stronger strategic focus on working with the sector and acknowledging the benefits that can come from a more combined approach to injury management. Her spare time is divided between family, climbing walls, the gym, the beach and the kitchen (where she can often be found making truffles and decorating 'unusual' cakes) – preferably all to a chilled musical soundtrack.
Clive Standen MA, DO
Clive Standen graduated with a Diploma in Osteopathy from the British School of Osteopathy in 1978, and completed an M.A. in Philosophy & Healthcare at the University of Wales in 1993. He has combined osteopathic practice with a career in higher education and management.
• He led the team that in 1989 developed and implemented the UK's first undergraduate degree in osteopathy, and was Principal and Chief executive of the British School of Osteopathy from 1990 to 1998.
• From 2001 - 2012 he worked at Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand; for 10 years he was Head of the Department of Osteopathy, and Director of Osteopathic and Health Services.
• Clive has lectured and examined in many different countries, and has been involved in developing and accrediting educational programmes in osteopathy in many of those countries.
• From 2008- 2010 Clive was Chair of the Board of Directors of the Osteopathic International Alliance the global osteopathic body representing more than 50 member organizations worldwide. He was Vice-Chair from 2010-2012.
• From 1999 – 2001 he was a Non-Executive Director at Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust in the United Kingdom.
• In August 2009, he was appointed to the Osteopathic Council of New Zealand for three years.
• He is on the Board of the Australasian Osteopathic Accreditation Committee.
Richard Carruthers DO
Richard has been practicing osteopathy for 33 years, after graduating in 1982. He has taught and lectured at many osteopathic post-grad courses in New Zealand and Australia, as well as Europe and Asia, and published over 35 osteopathic research papers. Richard was the editor of the Journal of the New Zealand Register of Osteopaths, and served on various professional osteopathic committees. He has been the NZQA appointed monitor for the Unitec Masters in Osteopathy course. In 2014 Richard also completed Hatha Yoga teacher training.
Tania Huddart
Tania Huddart is a Master Pilates Instructor, a Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) certified Pilates instructor, and the owner of Hearts and Bones Pilates® Centre. Tania started her Pilates training in the mid-1990s in London with the acclaimed Pilates instructor, Lesley Ackland
Tania completed her training through The PhysicalMind Institute in the USA, qualifying as a Pilates instructor in The Method® Pilates in 2000. Tania returned to New Zealand and established Hearts and Bones Pilates Centre in 2002. Tania was a member of the Health Team at the New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD) from 2003 – 2006 where she gave Pilates instruction to approximately 80 dancers. She has also developed a series of warm-up and cool-down exercises, together with physiotherapist Susan Simpson, for the American Jazz Dance Affiliation (AJDA). These exercises are now part of the syllabus and are examinable.
Tania first taught instructor training courses in 2003, when the Hearts and Bones Pilates Centre became the training studio for the PhysicalMind Institute in New Zealand.
In 2007, Tania launched Hearts and Bones Pilates Centre's own instructor training courses based on guidelines set out by the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA). In 2008, she became the first New Zealand Pilates instructor certified through the Pilates Method Alliance, the professional association and certifying agency for Pilates instructors.
Since 2007, Tania has designed and delivered Pilates workshops across New Zealand for Dance Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ). She has also given workshops for other dance groups and organisations such as the Teachers' Refresher Course Committee, Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), and the British Ballet Organisation (BBO). She has also delivered Pilates workshops in London, England (The Pilates Room, 2006) and in Brisbane, Australia (Body Integration Studio, 2008).
In 2012, Tania launched her online Pilates website - Always Pilates and organised the first Pilates conference – "Moving with Images" – in Wellington.
In 2014, she presented an international workshop suite for Pilates instructors called "Pilates exercise for real life: Moving with gravity". In 2014, Tania also qualified as a Healthy Foot Practitioner™ after completing training through the Restorative Exercise Institute. The training involved a thorough education of foot mechanics, how foot function affects whole-body health, and the role of footwear on foot health and foot pain. Tania's teaching lead to the development of Spring Movement equipment which was inspired by ideas and concepts from the work of Phillip Beach, Marie-Jose Blom, and Lesley Powell.
Tania is running one of our workshop groups on Saturday afternoon on connecting your hand to your neck and shoulder. Our hands are amazing. They have an exceptional exploratory capacity that fire the cognitive centres of the brain. You will explore a variety of functional exercises that will help to refine theh dialogue between the shoulder socket, humerus, radius, ulna, wrist and hand. You then incorporate trunk rotation and face exercises to relax your shoulders, ease your upper respiratory muscles and help you realign your upper body. No fancy equipment needed but a water bottle with a little water in it will be useful and adds to the fun.
Dr Graeme Benny
Dr Benny began his tertiary education at Massey University where he gained a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and microbiology, and a Master of Science (Hon) in biochemistry, before rounding off his academic achievements with a PhD in clinical biochemistry from Auckland University.
Graeme's working life has seen him employed in organisations as diverse as the former Auckland Area Health Board, an animal pharmaceuticals and therapeutics supplier, a US-based biotech company, Auckland District Health Board, the New Zealand Blood Service and the New Zealand Defence Force.Graeme was appointed Career Services (now Careers New Zealand) ChiefExecutive in November 2010 and took up his appointment as Director of Health Workforce New Zealand in February 2014.