COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Dr. Donald A. Neumann, physical therapist, and Professor Emeritus at Marquette University will provide a 3.5-hour presentation on the foundations of kinesiology- the study of the musculoskeletal interactions behind human movement. The presentation will start by describing the structure of muscle, from the microscopic or cellular level to the actual muscle belly. This material serves as the basis of understanding how muscles work. In a clear and succinct manner, this section will continue by building the conceptual link between the physiology of muscle contraction and the biomechanics of joint and limb rotation. The remainder and majority of the presentation will reinforce and showcase the fundamentals of kinesiology by highlighting two common movements of the upper and lower extremities.
Dr. Neumann’s lectures represent a summation of 40 years of teaching kinesiology in the classroom, dissection lab, and clinical settings. His lectures are enhanced by anatomic models, videos of joint fluoroscopy, cadaver images, creative videos showing muscle activation through EMG-driven light bulbs, and illustrations from his internationally best-selling textbook: Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System: Foundations for Physical Rehabilitation, third edition (Elsevier, 2017). The excellent illustrations found in his textbook coupled with his clear explanations provide a foundation for many evaluation and treatment approaches used in clinical settings. The universal appeal of his material and engaging speaking style has led to many national and international lectures and visiting professorships, attended by physical therapists, physicians, athletic trainers, occupational therapists, massage therapists, yoga and Pilate instructors, coaches, research scientists, anatomy artists, and others. His material inspires and teaches across many disciplines, facilitating the pursuit of life-long learning in the science and marvel of human movement.
Course Objectives:
At the end of this presentation, the audience will be able to:
1) Communicate with other clinicians using appropriate kinesiologic/biomechanical terminology.
2) Understand the fundamental structural and functional interplay behind a muscle contraction.
3) Explain how factors such as muscle length, mechanical advantage, activation type (concentric, isometric, and concentric) and velocity, shape, tendon insertion angle, and cross‑sectional area influence the final action of a muscle across a joint.
4) Provide examples of how muscles produce force both actively and passively in normal motions.
5) Define arthrokinematics and how this applies to joint morphology (shape).
6) Give examples of how muscles function as force couples, synergists, proximal stabilizers, and agonists and antagonists.
7) Describe several inter-muscular and inter-articular synergies that exist at the shoulder and the hip.
About the Instructor:
Donald Neumann received a B.S. in physical therapy from the University of Florida in 1976. After several years of practice and teaching in rehabilitation of persons with spinal cord injury, he received a Ph.D. in Exercise Science from the University of Iowa. In 1986, he joined Marquette University where he continues to teach today as a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physical Therapy and Exercise Science. Don has received many of the highest awards offered by the American Physical Therapy Association, recognizing his teaching, writing, international service, and research efforts. He received a Teacher of the Year Award at Marquette University, and was named Wisconsin's College Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation. Dr. Neumann has received Fulbright Scholarships to teach in Lithuania, Hungary, and Japan. He is the author of Kinesiology: Foundations for Rehabilitation, published by Elsevier, 2017, which has been translated into 8 languages. He has contributed chapters on the Hip regions in both the 41st and 42nd editions of British Gray’s Anatomy. Donald served as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy from 2002-2015.