Are you overwhelmed by ROM charts, vague impairments, and laundry lists of special tests? You’re not alone — and you don’t have to stay there.

This CEU course helps physical therapists move from data collection to diagnostic clarity by teaching a structured, repeatable clinical reasoning system. You’ll learn how to:

  • Prioritize exam findings

  • Apply a joint-agnostic framework

  • Avoid information overload

  • Build confident, patient-specific plans

This is about thinking, not memorizing — and delivering care that evolves with each visit.

What You’ll Learn:

  • The “Three-Bucket” model: mechanical, contractile, and neurogenic categorization

  • Learning exercises to help build an understanding on how to confirm your diagnosis

  • How to structure the objective exam using subjective findings as a compass

  • Joint-specific example reasoning strategies for the spine, hip, and shoulder

  • How to use "special tests" as stress/loading strategies with clinical purpose

Course curriculum

    1. How to use this course

    2. Before we begin...

    3. Mastering Your Evaluations: Pt. 2 - The Objective Exam Notes

    1. Lesson 1.1: Why Do These Skills Matter?

    2. Lesson 1.2: The Importance of a Good Objective Exam

    3. Exercise 1

    4. Exercise 1 Explained

    5. Exercise 2

    6. Lesson 1.3 - Why Our Objective Sets Us Up for Success

    1. Lesson 2.1: Goals of the Subjective

    2. Lesson 2.2 - Initiating the Exam

    3. Lesson 2.3: The Sean Exam

    1. Lesson 3.1: Tissue Differentiation - Mechanical

    2. Lesson 3.2: Tissue Differentiation - Contractile

    3. Lesson 3.3: Tissue Differentiation - Neurogenic

    4. Lesson 3.4: The 5-Minute Exam Breakout Skill

    5. Lesson 3.5: The 5-Minute Exam Breakout Example

    6. Lesson 3.6: The 2-Minute Exam Breakout Skill

    7. Lesson 3.7: The 2-Minute Exam Breakout Example

    8. Lesson 3.8: The 1-Minute Exam Breakout Skill

    9. Lesson 3.9: The 1-Minute Exam Breakout Example

    1. Lesson 4.1: Cervical

    2. Lesson 4.2: Shoulder

    3. Lesson 4.3: Shoulder Exam

    4. Lesson 4.4: Lumbar

    5. Lesson 4.5: Hip

    6. Lesson 4.6: Hip Exam

    1. Knowledge Assessment

    2. Course Evaluation Form

    3. Thank You!

    4. CCU Certificate

    5. Resources

About this course

  • $79.99
  • 32 lessons
  • 2.5 hours of video content

The Map and the Compass: Why Diagnosis Must Come First

Think of a Plan of Care as a road trip: treatment is your destination — but diagnosis is the map and the compass. Without a clear “Point A,” even the best exercises won’t help your patient reach their goals.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Use subjective data to form a testable hypothesis

  • Structure the exam to either confirm or refute that hypothesis

  • Adjust your reasoning in real time as the case evolves

Who This Course is For:

  • New grads looking for structure in the evaluation process

  • Experienced clinicians seeking faster, more reliable assessments

  • PTs managing complex or confusing patient presentations

  • Anyone who wants to move beyond checklists and into diagnostic clarity

What You’ll Gain:

  • A streamlined, joint-agnostic framework you can apply to any patient

  • Confidence in ruling in/out differential diagnoses in real time

  • Better use of “special tests” through understanding, not just memorization

  • Clarity and flow in your evaluations

Refine your rehabilitation, outcomes, and take your practice to the next level!

Enroll today

Worth 4 CCUs for Physical Therapists

For physical therapists of all experience levels who are looking to take their evaluations to the next level.

  • Nail Down Your Diagnosis

    Assuming you've gotten within 80-90% of your diagnosis in the subjective portion—now it’s time to use the objective exam to confirm your differentials and refine your plan of care. This course dives deep into how tissues respond to common physical therapy tests, helping you recognize when results might not be as straightforward as they seem.

  • Develop an Evidence-Based Approach

    We’ll tackle important questions like: How do different tissues behave during exams? What can lead to false positives, and how can you adjust your approach to fit the unique patient in front of you? You’ll learn practical strategies to navigate the gray areas, ensuring that your assessments remain accurate and patient-centered, even when cases get complicated. Includes example evaluation methods for the neck, shoulder, back, and hip.

  • Improve Your Evaluations!

    Through this course, you’ll gain a clear framework to stay organized and effective when uncertainty arises. Best of all, there’s no need to complete Part 1 before joining this class—you can jump right in and start enhancing your skills today!