Login
Home › Physical Therapy CE Courses › Physical Therapy 205: Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis
At a Glance
| Course: | Physical Therapy 205: Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis · 2 CE hours · $40 |
| Faculty: | Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP |
| Format: | Online, on-demand — start immediately |
| Pricing: | $40 ($20/hr) · automatic bundle discounts |
| Approval: | PACE Provider #34015544 · TCC co-sponsored |
PACE Provider #34015544 · Co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College · Completions reported to CE BrokerLow back, hip and pelvic pain overlap constantly in practice — and in the athlete they overlap with a clock. Physical Therapy 205 works the lumbopelvic-hip region as one system: when adolescent back pain is a pars stress fracture and not a strain, what a STIR MRI tells you that plain films cannot, how long an athlete with a disc herniation sits out, and why 20–35% of patients with lumbopelvic pain actually have greater trochanteric pain syndrome.
Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP — former team chiropractor for D.C. United and MMA ringside physician — builds the course from the staging of spondylolysis through the four-phase disc rehabilitation protocol, then into the hip: alignment and femoral torsion, SCFE and avulsion injuries, GTPS and gluteal strains, femoroacetabular impingement, labral tears and IT band syndrome. Each condition comes with the examination tests that separate it from its neighbors — Trendelenburg, Ober, Thomas, Ely, FABER, scour, DIRI and DEXRIT, anvil and foveal distraction — and a conservative management and rehabilitation sequence you can run in the office.
Where This Course Fits — The Physical Therapy Series
The CCEDseminars Physical Therapy series runs 201–205: three modality courses and two regional rehabilitation courses. There is no bundle in this category — each course is taken on its own, and the multi-course discount applies automatically in the cart when the hours add up.
Modalities (201–203)
Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy (Steve Yeomans, DC, FACO · 2 CE · $40) · Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management (Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN · 1 CE · free) · Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound (Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN · 1 CE · $20)
Regional Rehabilitation (204–205) — you are here
Physical Therapy 204: Physical Therapy for the Lower Extremity (Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP · 2 CE · $40) · Physical Therapy 205: Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis — this course
The full series, with pricing, lives on the Physical Therapy category page.
What You'll Learn
On completing Physical Therapy 205 you will be able to:
- Stage spondylolysis from pars stress fracture to terminal defect, select the imaging that confirms each stage — including STIR MRI for bone-marrow edema and "pending spondylolysis" — and apply activity restriction, bracing, spine-neutral stabilization and return-to-play criteria.
- Evaluate the athlete with a lumbar spine injury: history and focused neurological examination, hyperextension versus hyperflexion mechanisms, when plain films are enough and when MRI is required, on-field management, and the injury patterns, recurrence rates and time-loss data from collegiate sport.
- Manage symptomatic lumbar disc herniation conservatively — inflammation control, decompression, specific manipulation and the four-phase rehabilitation protocol — and apply the evidence for core-stability, hip-stretching and pelvic-floor exercise in non-specific low back pain.
- Assess hip alignment and the adolescent hip — normal ranges of motion, femoral torsion, coxa vara and valga, slipped capital femoral epiphysis and avulsion injuries — and recognize the conditions that require referral.
- Diagnose and manage greater trochanteric pain syndrome, gluteal strains, femoroacetabular impingement (cam, pincer and mixed), acetabular labral tears and IT band syndrome using the Trendelenburg, Ober, Thomas, Ely, FABER, scour, DIRI, DEXRIT, anvil and foveal distraction tests, with modality, soft-tissue, Mulligan mobilization and progressive pre-habilitation and post-operative rehabilitation sequences.
Course Outline
- Spondylolysis — the four distinctions (pars stress fracture; active, progressive and terminal spondylolysis); imaging and treatment by stage (bone scintigraphy, MRI, CT, oblique films; activity restriction, bracing, physical therapy, internal fixation); Yochum's "pending spondylolysis" on STIR MRI and the Boston overlap brace; clinical presentation in the adolescent athlete (hip-flexor and hamstring tightness, abdominal and gluteal weakness, excessive lordosis) and why clinical tests cannot replace imaging.
- Pediatric and athletic back pain — the full differential beyond the pars; history, neurological exam and provocative testing; conservative versus surgical outcomes for isthmic spondylolysis and low-grade spondylolisthesis (85% and 87.8% success); return to play after lumbar spine surgery; confirming an active spondylolisthesis with STIR MRI.
- Restoring biomechanics after healing — feet-up analysis: orthotics, internal tibial torsion and Q-angle, AP lumbopelvic alignment of L5 to the pubic symphysis, lateral lumbosacral angle, lordosis and pelvic tilt.
- Exercise evidence for low back pain — core stability and hip stretching versus strengthening in non-specific LBP (randomized trial, three times weekly for six weeks); pelvic-floor strengthening meta-analysis (19 RCTs).
- Lumbar spine injuries in sport — on-field protocol and spine-board transfer, hyperextension versus hyperflexion mechanisms, imaging decisions; collegiate injury data: practice versus competition, non-contact mechanisms, 20% recurrence, time away from sport, preseason peak, lower back strain as the dominant injury; tennis-serve kinematics and the golf swing.
- Spondylolysis with femoroacetabular impingement — the adolescent co-diagnosis case series: FADIR findings, six weeks of hip-motion restoration and stabilization, and who still needed surgery.
- Lumbar disc herniation — posterolateral protrusion and the PLL; return to play after conservative care (79% at an average 4.8 months); the four-phase rehabilitation protocol (non-rotation/non-flexion, counter-rotation/flexion, rotation and power, return to sport); office treatment — laser, ice, EMS, decompression, specific manipulation, sub-acute core stabilization and manual therapy.
- The hip: alignment and the adolescent — normal hip ranges of motion; femoral torsion, anteversion and retroversion; coxa vara and coxa valga; slipped capital femoral epiphysis (risk factors, clinical features); avulsion injuries of the ischial tuberosity, AIIS and ASIS.
- Lateral hip: bursitis, GTPS and the gluteals — causes and presentation of greater trochanteric pain syndrome, its 20–35% overlap with lumbopelvic pain and the conditions that require referral; conservative and invasive management; gluteal anatomy and strains; Trendelenburg and gluteus medius testing; clam shells, soft tissue and kinetic-chain assessment (overhead squat, single-leg squat, lunges).
- Femoroacetabular impingement, labral tears and IT band syndrome — cam, pincer and mixed FAI, the impingement test, MRI findings and pistol-grip deformity; management from activity modification and Mulligan capsular stretching to arthroscopy; labral tear presentation and differentials; Thomas, Ely, FABER, scour, DIRI, DEXRIT, anvil and foveal distraction tests; MRI and MR arthrogram; pre-habilitation and post-operative progression; IT band syndrome — Ober test (and the effect of contralateral hip flexion), foam rolling, stretching and resisted clam shells.
Your Physical Therapy Faculty
Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP — instructor of this course — is a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians. A graduate of National University of Health Sciences (BS Human Biology; Doctor of Chiropractic), he served as chiropractor for D.C. United from 1996 to 1998 and as an MMA ringside physician from 2009 to 2015. In this series he also teaches Physical Therapy 204: Physical Therapy for the Lower Extremity, and he teaches the CCEDseminars Sports Injuries and Rehabilitation courses. Faculty profile »
Steve Yeomans, DC, FACO — board-certified chiropractic orthopedist — teaches Physical Therapy 201: Laser Therapy. Faculty profile »
Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN — Diplomate of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition — teaches Physical Therapy 202: TENS for Pain Management and Physical Therapy 203: Ultrasound. Faculty profile »
Credit, Reporting & State Rules
Physical Therapy 205 is a 2-hour on-demand course. Your completion is recorded electronically when you pass the post-course assessment, and your certificate is issued immediately. Completions are reported to CE Broker for the states CCEDseminars serves.
Boards set their own caps on online hours, and some limit hours by category. Before you plan a block of online hours, confirm your board's current rules on the State/Region CEU Approvals page. Texas licensees can verify provider status through the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
Approved states for this course are listed at the bottom of this page.
What It Costs — and How to Pay Less
Physical Therapy 205 is $40 for 2 CE hours — $20 per hour. Multi-course discounts apply automatically in the cart — 10% on 6–9 hours and 20% on 10 or more — with no promo code to enter.
The whole Physical Therapy series is 8 CE hours: 205 pairs most directly with Dr. O'Hara's 204 Physical Therapy for the Lower Extremity (2 CE · $40) for the full kinetic chain, and the three modality courses — 201 Laser Therapy (2 CE · $40), 202 TENS for Pain Management (1 CE · free) and 203 Ultrasound (1 CE · $20) — cover the passive modalities this course prescribes.
References
- Treatment and imaging for varying stages of pars stress fractures and spondylolysis. J Neuromusculoskel Syst. 2002;10(2). American Chiropractic Association.
- Lumbar spondylolysis in the adolescent athlete. Phys Ther Sport. 2016 Jul;20:56–60. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2016.04.003
- Approach to the pediatric athlete with back pain: more than just the pars. Phys Sportsmed. 2015 Nov;43(4):421–431. doi:10.1080/00913847.2015.1093668
- Management of spondylolysis and low-grade spondylolisthesis in fine athletes. A comprehensive review. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2015 Jul;25 Suppl 1:S167–175. doi:10.1007/s00590-014-1560-7
- Return to Play After Lumbar Spine Surgery. Clin Sports Med. 2016 Oct;35(4):609–619. doi:10.1016/j.csm.2016.05.006
- Core Stability and Hip Exercises Improve Physical Function and Activity in Patients with Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2020 Jul;251(3):193–206. doi:10.1620/tjem.251.193
- The effect of pelvic floor muscle-strengthening exercises on low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized clinical trials. Neurol Sci. 2023 Mar;44(3):859–872. doi:10.1007/s10072-022-06430-z
- Lumbar Spine Injuries in Sports: Review of the Literature and Current Treatment Recommendations. Sports Med Open. 2019 Jun 24;5(1):26. doi:10.1186/s40798-019-0199-7
- Back pain in tennis players: a link with lumbar serve kinematics and range of motion. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014 Feb;46(2):351–357. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182a45cca
- Co-diagnoses of spondylolysis and femoroacetabular impingement: a case series of adolescent athletes. J Hip Preserv Surg. 2018 Nov 27;5(4):393–398. doi:10.1093/jhps/hny040
- A phased rehabilitation protocol for athletes with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2013 Aug;8(4):482–516.
- Williams BS, Cohen SP. Greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a review of anatomy, diagnosis and treatment. Anesth Analg. 2009 May;108(5):1662–1670. doi:10.1213/ane.0b013e31819d6562
- Hidalgo-García C, Carcasona-Otal A, Hernández-Secorún M, et al. Effects of Contralateral Hip Flexion Angle on the Ober Test. Biomed Res Int. 2022 Dec 6;2022:3349940. doi:10.1155/2022/3349940
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions does Physical Therapy 205 cover?
The lumbopelvic-hip region as one system: spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis (pars stress fracture through terminal defect), lumbar spine injuries in sport, lumbar disc herniation, hip alignment and femoral torsion, slipped capital femoral epiphysis and avulsion injuries, greater trochanteric pain syndrome — also known as trochanteric or hip bursitis — gluteal strains, femoroacetabular impingement — also known as hip impingement or FAI — acetabular labral tears, and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, each with its examination tests and a conservative management sequence.
Who teaches the course, and is it for chiropractors?
Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP — Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians, former chiropractor for D.C. United and MMA ringside physician — teaches the 2-hour course. It is written for Doctors of Chiropractic: the examination tests, imaging decisions, modality choices, manipulation and rehabilitation progressions are the ones a chiropractic office runs, and the referral criteria tell you when the case leaves the office.
Is my hip pain bursitis, a labral tear, or coming from my back?
That question is the center of the course. Lateral hip pain with point tenderness over the greater trochanter, worse lying on that side or climbing stairs, points toward greater trochanteric pain syndrome — and 20–35% of people with low-back and pelvic pain have it too. Deep groin or front-of-hip pain with clicking, catching or loss of rotation points toward impingement or a labral tear. Pain that follows a nerve pattern, or changes with the back rather than the hip, points to the lumbar spine. A chiropractor sorts these with a full lumbopelvic examination and specific hip tests, and orders MRI when the findings call for it.
How is the course delivered, and how do I earn the CE credit?
Physical Therapy 205 is online and on-demand: you start immediately after checkout and work at your own pace. When you pass the post-course assessment your completion is recorded electronically and your certificate is issued right away. CCEDseminars is PACE Provider #34015544 and the course is co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College; completions are reported to CE Broker for the states served. Approved states are listed at the bottom of this page, and confirming your own board's requirements remains your responsibility.
What pairs well with Physical Therapy 205?
Dr. O'Hara's Physical Therapy 204: Physical Therapy for the Lower Extremity is the natural companion — together they cover the kinetic chain from the lumbar spine to the foot, which is exactly the feet-up biomechanical analysis this course prescribes after healing. The three modality courses (201 Laser Therapy, 202 TENS for Pain Management, 203 Ultrasound) cover the passive modalities used throughout 205's management plans. The whole series is 8 CE hours, and the multi-course discount applies automatically when the hours add up.
State approval and licensing reminder. CCEDseminars is PACE Provider #34015544. Approved states for this course are listed at the bottom of this page, and board rules on online hours change — confirming your own board's current requirements before you enroll is your responsibility.
Physical Therapy 205: Lumbar Spine, Hip and Pelvis
2 CE hours · $40 · online, on demand · Dennis O'Hara, DC, DACBSP
CCEDseminars · PACE Provider #34015544 · Reviewed by Monte Horne, DC · Last updated October 20, 2026 (CT)