Differences between COMT and NAOIMT?

[fozzy40]

They appear to both be manual based. Can anyone tell me the major differences?

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[jesspt]

They appear to both be manual based. Can anyone tell me the major differences?

COMT=Certified Orthopaedic Manual Therapist, a designation granted by any number of institutions, none of which are overseen by any accrediting body, although some of those institutions also have a fellowship program, which is credentialed by the American Physical Therapy Association.

NAIOMT = North American Institute of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy, one of the institutions that offer manual therapy certification (resulting in a CMPT or COMT designation). They also offer a fellowship program in orthopaedic manual physical therapy. Once a PT has completed fellowship, they are elligible to be granted fellow status in the American Assocation of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (resulting in the designation FAAOMPT).

I think PT might have an identity crisis...

 

[_FNG_]

I think PT might have an identity crisis...

Understated. I'm a PT and half of the letters I see behind other therapist's names are unknown to me. What does the general public make of these letters?

 

[fozzy40]

Thanks for the input! Why would a PT pick one over the other?

 

[Sheldon]

Fozzy,
MAPS-Maitland, IAOM-Texas Tech, NAIOMT, among others use the "COMT" designation. Other manual therapy certifications you may encounter include MCMT from Hands-On Seminars, cert. SMT from Spinal Manipulation Institute, MTC from St. Augustine, among others I'm sure.
Within NAIOMT, the "CMPT" designation means you have successfully passed oral, written, and practical tests through their Level 3 coursework while "COMT" means you have successfully passed Level 3 and Level 4 coursework.
As to why one may choose one over another varies. Cost, influence from mentors, influence or affiliation with the entry-level institution one went to, location of offered courses, plus many more could be factors.

 

[fozzy40]

Thanks again!

 

[fozzy40]

From a practical stand point is there a huge difference in they way practitioners implement manual care? IE would I expect a CMPT practice differently from a COMT or NAIOMT?

 

[jesspt]

From a practical stand point is there a huge difference in they way practitioners implement manual care? IE would I expect a CMPT practice differently from a COMT or NAIOMT?

It depends on where the therapist recieved their training. If they attened NAIOMT or IAOM, they are likely to approach clinical reasoning using an approach credited to James Cyriax, MD - Selective Tissue Tension Testing. The practitioner tries to differentiate between possible peripheral pain generators that include, inert, contractile, or conductive tissues.

Other manual therapy educators strongly rely on the Maitland approach, developed by Geoffrey Maitland, an Autralian physiotherapist. He contributed to the clincal reasoning process regarding hte application of manual therapy, looking for a comparable sign duing his initial assessment, meaning a functional activity of a finding during the physical exam that could be used as a litmus test for whether a given treatment had worked or not. For example, a comparable sign for a patient with anterior knee pain may be descending stairs. If after an anterior-posterior mobilizationi was done to the patient's knee their pain with descending stairs had lessened, the treatment would be deemed succesful for than individual, and the therapist might increase the intensity of that mobilization technique. It is essentialy using the scientific method in the PT clinic: Test - apply intervention - retest.

Other therapists may come from the Freddy Kaltenborn camp, with a large emphasis on using translatoric movements to assess and treat joint dysfunction.

So, a casual observer might not notice much difference in which treatment a PT chooses for a particular patient, but how the PT got to that decision, and how they apply that treatment may differ somewhat.

 

[fozzy40]

Thanks again for the responses!