Seminars and Teaching
Whitfield Reaves, OMD, LAc, has been teaching acupuncturists and other health care practitioners for over 25 years – ever since graduation from his formal training in 1981. Currently, he is a senior faculty member at Southwest Acupuncture College, in Boulder, Colorado, teaching in the classroom as well as supervising interns in the student clinic. In addition, Whitfield teaches seminars on sports medicine acupuncture. All his programs are approved for continuing education credits (PDAs) by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
1. Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship Program
This is a six-month intensive on sports acupuncture. The course of study is 60 hours, consisting of 3 three-day weekends (20 hours – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). It covers the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of common injuries and pain syndromes of the upper and lower extremity. All instruction is held in Boulder, Colorado. In keeping with the “apprenticeship” style of learning, the program is limited to from eight to ten practitioners. In addition to the instruction of Whitfield Reaves, there will be assistants who have completed previous apprenticeship programs to support the teaching process. This assures direct supervision, which rarely occurs in the large classroom setting, and is an essential component to this apprenticeship-style approach of learning.
The Apprenticeship Program is for acupuncture practitioners who want to advance their skills in sports medicine as well as the treatment of pain. The course begins with a review of the important techniques used in the treatment of pain syndromes. We then cover in detail the diagnosis and assessment of over 30 sports-related injuries. This includes very precise instruction on palpation and orthopedic testing. After diagnosis, a systematic four-step approach is used as the “template” for all acupuncture treatment protocols. With instruction and supervised practice, each practitioner increases their knowledge and confidence in the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of these common injuries and pain syndromes seen in the clinic.
Included in the program is an introduction to Korean Constitutional Acupuncture, techniques for the enhancement of athletic performance, and care of the athlete during training and competition. While the course is primarily focused on acupuncture, some Chinese herbal medicine, homeopathy, and western nutrition will be covered.
Those who complete this course receive a Certificate of Achievement in Acupuncture Sports Medicine. This course is taught by Whitfield Reaves, and assisted by Chad Bong. Juliann McGinnis is the program coordinator.
2. Weekend Seminars – Treatment of Common Sports Injuries
Whitfield's weekend seminars on Acupuncture Sports Medicine cover both the upper and the lower extremity. These courses are designed to give the practitioner information on diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of the most common conditions seen in the clinic. Our objective is to provide precise instruction on point location and needle techniques that can be immediately used – with confidence – in a significant number of sports injury and pain syndromes.
The Upper Extremity Weekend – Includes treatment of the shoulder, including the supraspinatous, infraspinatous, the AC joint, and the biceps tendon. Other upper extremity conditions include medial and lateral epicondylitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthritis of the wrist and hand.
The Lower Extremity Weekend – Includes treatment of the hip and pelvis, including the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles, the SI joint, and the quadratus lumborum muscle. Other lower extremity conditions include IT band syndrome, patello-femoral joint dysfunction, and shin splints. The ankle and foot treatments include achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and arthritis of the big toe joint.
Combined Upper and Lower Extremity Weekend – Includes treatment both to the upper and lower extremity, all covered in this two-day weekend seminar.
All Upper and Lower Extremity courses are taught by Whitfield Reaves. Chad Bong is a teaching assistant and lecturer.
3. Weekend Seminars – Acupuncture Sports Medicine: Anatomically Significant Points
To begin in 2012, Whitfield will teach sports medicine techniques based upon anatomically significant acupuncture points, and how to use them in clinic. Region by region, the trigger points, motor points, and other anatomically significant zones will be covered. Location, needle technique, and clinical uses will be emphasized in this new teaching format, designed for the practitioner oriented to the jing-luo (meridian) system. Whitfield Reaves and Hidden Needle Press will publish a text in the second half of 2012 on the subject. In addition, this material will be offered as an e-book for the i-phone, i-pad, and other mobile devices.
Whitfield Reaves is the instructor for this new seminar course format.
4. Acupuncture Sports Medicine Webinar Series
Starting in February, 2012, Whitfield will offer an Acupuncture Sports Medicine Webinar Series, covering up to 20 of the most common sports injury and pain syndromes. Hosted by Eastern Currents, this series will feature both upper and lower extremity injuries, in a series of one-hour webinars. The practitioner can participate live, or view the webinar at another more convenient time. All webinar topics will offer PDA's approved by the NCCAOM. This distant-learning format makes the theory and practice of Acupuncture Sports Medicine available to practitioners unable to travel to Boulder or other seminar sites.
The Acupuncture Sports Medicine Webinar Series may be viewed individually. It is also available as a Certificate Program. Distance-learning with the webinar series accounts for 15 hours. One weekend seminar of 15 hours will account for the hands-on portion of the program. This two-day seminar will review the material presented in the webinars, followed by direct supervision of assessment, orthopedic testing, palpation and point location, and needling of the important points used in sports acupuncture.
This Webinar Series is sponsored by Eastern Currents. Whitfield Reaves is the webinar instructor.
5. New Courses on Acupuncture Sports Medicine
Orthopedic Anatomy for the Acupuncturist is a course we designed for practitioners involved in sports acupuncture. Taught by Chad Bong, MS, LAc, this weekend seminar is an entry level course for any of the Acupuncture Sports Medicine training programs that are offered. It is also a valuable orthopedic anatomy refresher for those already involved in treating injury, pain, and musculoskeletal disorders. This course will be offered for the first time in 2012. NCCAOM PDAs (14) are pending approval. Dates and times will be posted in 2012.
Additionally, we are designing courses to provide training on the subject of muscle strengthening, stretching, and other rehabilitation exercises. This course exploring muscles, meridians, and movement will be offered in the latter part of 2012. These two specialized programs are taught by Chad Bong.
2012 CALENDAR OF TEACHING EVENTS
Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship Program
November 2011 Group, Currently in Session
Weekend #1: Friday to Sunday, November 11, 12, & 13, 2011 (Completed)
Weekend #2: Friday to Sunday, January 20, 21, & 22, 2012 (Completed)
Weekend #3: Friday to Sunday, May 18, 19, & 20, 2012 (New Date)
All courses taught in Boulder, Colorado, USA
60 hours of instruction, 60 Continuing Education Units (PDAs), approved by the NCCAOM
Acupuncture Sports Medicine Webinar Series
#1: Acupuncture Treatment of Neck Pain and the Levator Scapulae Muscle
Sponsored by Eastern Currents, in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
This Webinar is free! Note that due to technical difficulties, the viewing pod of Whitfield Reaves names him as Jake Fratkin.
Link: Whitfield Reaves on Neck Pain
#2: The Supraspinatous
Time in February, 2012, to be determined
Sponsored by Eastern Currents
WHITFIELD IS ON A MEDICAL LEAVE, AND ALL LIVE SEMINARS
BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND JUNE ARE BEING RESCHEDULED.
Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship Program
SPRING 2012 GROUP
We are currently accepting applications for the Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship Program. The 2012 start date is now set for the end of March. Please e-mail, letting us know of your interest in the Apprenticeship Program. A course description and the details of the application process will be sent to you. A reminder: This course is limited to from eight to ten practitioners, and is nearly full. The date for the next Apprenticeship Program will be late 2012 or early 2013.
Weekend #1: Friday to Sunday, June 22, 23, & 24, 2012
Weekend #2: Friday to Sunday, September 7, 8, & 9, 2012
Weekend #3: TBD
All courses taught in Boulder, Colorado, USA
COST: $2,500
60 hours of instruction, 60 Continuing Education Units (PDAs),
approved by the NCCAOM
Acupuncture Treatment of Upper and Lower Extremity Injuries
June 9 & 10, 2012
Two days of Acupuncture Sports Medicine protocols covering both the upper and the lower extremity. Saturday will focus on the neck and shoulder, with some coverage of injuries to the elbow and extremity. Instruction on Sunday will start with the hip, pelvis, and gluteal region. There will be some discussion of the knees and other lower extremity conditions. This course is designed to give the practitioner information on diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of the most common pain conditions seen in the clinic. Whitfield covers virtually the entire body, and obviously time does not allow to cover many common patient complaints. But the information is sufficient to give the practitioner confidence in points and techniques that can be immediately used – with confidence – in a significant number of common and important sports injuries.
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, Oregon
OCOM Continuing Education
Treatment of Upper Extremity Injuries
October 6 & 7, 2012 (Rescheduled from April)
Two days of Acupuncture Sports Medicine protocols on the upper extremity. Starts with the neck, shoulder, and scapular regions. Includes the forearm and arm as well as deltoid lesions, climber's elbow and tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other hand injuries. All practitioners who were registered for the April seminar are encouraged to study Whitfield's book, The Acupuncture Handbook of Sports Injuries and Pain. With emphasis on the injuries of Section II of the book, studying these conditions will make the course all the more clinically valuable.
Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina Acupuncture Association
Acupuncture Sports Medicine:
Anatomically Significant Points and How to Use Them
Points of the Upper and Lower Extremity
October 27 & 28, 2012
Two days of Whitfield's sports acupuncture protocols in a new teaching format, with the point being the focus of instruction. The trigger points, motor points, and other anatomically significant zones of both the upper and lower extremity will be covered. Location, needle technique, and clinical uses will be emphasized, designed for the practitioner oriented to the jing-luo (meridian) system.
The second part of this course, Points of the Neck, Back, and Trunk, cover the remaining points not instructed in this upper and lower extremity course.
Calgary, Canada
Sponsored by Eastern Currents
IN EUROPE
Acupuncture Sports Medicine Clinical Supervision (Rescheduled from September, 2012)
Supervised Practice of Acupuncture Sports Medicine. Both seminar instruction and practice.
Three days of Whitfield's sports acupuncture protocols covering both the upper and the lower extremity. After a review of the injury, diagnosis, and assessment, the focus will be on supervised practice of the point location and palpation, along with needle techniques. This course is specially designed for European practitioners who are unable to make the three weekend trips to the US for the Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship Program.
This three day course is being rescheduled until early 2013. Please e-mail us if you are interested in attending the program, and we will keep you current on information.
Pacific Symposium
November 8, 9, 10, & 11, 2012
Whitfield's one-hour lecture topic: To be determined
Whitfield's three-hour teaching intensive: To be determined
Pacific Symposium
San Diego, CA
Treatment of Upper Extremity Injuries
December 1 & 2, 2012 (Rescheduled from May)
Two days of Acupuncture Sports Medicine protocols on the upper extremity. Starts with the neck, shoulder, and scapular regions. Includes the forearm and arm as well as deltoid lesions, climber's elbow and tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other hand injuries. All practitioners who were planning to attend the May seminar are encouraged to study Whitfield's book, The Acupuncture Handbook of Sports Injuries and Pain. With emphasis on the injuries of Section II of the book, studying these sports injury and pain syndromes, and the local anatomy at the site of injury, will make the course in October all the more clinically valuable.
Pacific Rim College, Victoria, BC Canada
Contact Pacific Rim College for details of this wonderful teaching facility and location.