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Training Programmes

Establishment of Training Courses

From 1982 to 1988 the NZAMSM brought out a number of international Physicians who ran courses and taught Manual Medicine and Manual Therapy. These included:

  • 1983 Dr Barry Wyke.
  • 1984 Dr P Goodley Osteopathic Physician, USA who taught muscle energy techniques.
  • 1985 Dr Robert Burns, UK.
  • 1986 Prof Philip Greenman Michigan College of Osteopathy, USA, Dr Jiri Dvorak Neurologist, Switzerland and Dr Vladimir Janda, Czechoslovakia.
  • 1988 Dr Karel Lewit Neurologist, Czechoslovakia.

Over 300 NZ Doctors attended these courses. In 1986 The first “Spine in Action” conference was held in Christchurch and from this conference and with Dr Jiri Dvorak’s input, plans were made to establish formal training programmes for Manual Therapy in NZ, along the lines of the Swiss Association of Manual Therapy training programmes. The NZAMSM Manual Therapy training courses commenced in 1987, 4 courses of 1 week training were established, strongly influenced by the teaching of Dr Philip Greenman, Dr Jiri Dvorak and Dr Karel Lewit.

  • Course 1. The Spine. Diagnosis and Manual Therapy
  • Course 2. The Peripheral Joints. Diagnosis and Manual Therapy.
  • Course 3. The Spine. Mobilisation and Neuromuscular Therapy.
  • Course 4. The Spine. Mobilisation and Impulse Techniques.

Otago University Diploma of MSM

In 1987 The Accident Compensation Corporation of NZ, a national injury insurance scheme, called a meeting of interested parties to address the certification of practitioners with Manual Medicine skills. A working party recommended that:

  1. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons define guidelines for Specialist training in Musculoskeletal Medicine.
  2. A Postgraduate Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine be developed at either Otago University or Auckland University. It was envisaged that the PG Diploma MSM would be credited toward the 3 yr Specialist training in Rheumatology.

Otago University through the Christchurch Clinical School, did take this up, largely through the inspirational leadership and organisation by Dr Barrie Tait, a Christchurch Rheumatolgist and Pain Medicine Specialist whose responsibility was to develop the syllabus. Professor Bill Gillespie (Professor of Orthopaedics) was chairman of the working party overseeing the academic programme. Barrie Tait’s vision, energy and commitment saw the formation of the Otago University Postgraduate Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine, a 9 module minimum 2 year distance teaching diploma and the first intake of 31 students occurred in 1989. Since then there has been over 180 graduates of the Otago Diploma MSM which has been taught in Australia as well as in NZ.