WELCOME TO THE IPNFA® 7th ONLINE CONGRESS
AUGUST 31st - SEPTEMBER 5th
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a therapeutic approach designed to enhance the rehabilitation process by improving patients’ functionality and quality of life. Rehabilitation professionals widely use it to treat neurological and musculoskeletal conditions by promoting better movement patterns and muscle control.
This year, the International PNF Association is proud to present the 7th Online Congress, offering an immersive learning experience to professionals worldwide. Over six days, you will have access to exclusive pre-recorded lectures from experienced IPNFA instructors and PNF therapists, representing different continents, followed by a live Q&A session with the speakers on the final day.
This congress presents a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of the PNF concept and its clinical applications in various contexts, ranging from neurological rehabilitation to acute care and sports performance.
Join us and be part of this international exchange of expertise, growth, and collaboration.
LECTURES ON THE CONGRESS
AUGUST 31st
The PNF-Concept perfectly fitting in EBP
Fred Smedes
IPNFA® Advanced Instructor
📍The Netherlands
SEPTEMBER 1st
Climbing Higher: Unlocking the Power of PNF on Stairs
Anna Rivière
IPNFA® Advanced Instructor
📍Poland
SEPTEMBER 2nd
Treatment of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome CRPS integrating the PNF Concept
Fernanda di Natal
IPNFA® Advanced Instructor
📍Australia
SEPTEMBER 5th
7th IPNFA®Online Congress' LIVE
15h - GMT +1
All the Speakers + IPNFA® Instructors
📍Planet Earth
SEPTEMBER 3rd
The Application of PNF in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Frits Westerholtz & Ulla Bertinchamp
IPNFA® Senior and Advanced Instructor
📍Switzerland & Germany
SEPTEMBER 4th
PNF for Athletes - Part II - Revenge
Gen Matsuda
IPNFA® Advanced Instructor
📍Japan
THE PNF CONCEPT
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a treatment approach to get people back to activity and participation. The assessment-process leads to individual tailored treatment strategies, in order to optimize patient’s functionality.
What we know today as PNF began as “proprioceptive facilitation”, a term developed by Dr. Herman Kabat in the early 1940’s. The conceptual framework for PNF came from his experience as a neurophysiologist and physician. The works of Sister Elizabeth Kenny, who treated polio patients with specific stretching and strengthening activities, was an early influence on Kabat. He integrated these manual techniques with Sherrington’s discovery of successive induction, reciprocal innervation and inhibition, and the phenomenon of irradiation.
His goal was to develop a hands-on treatment approach, that enabled clinicians to analyze and assess a patient’s movement, while at the same time facilitating more efficient strategies of functional movement. So, it is important to recognize that PNF is not just a treatment approach, rather, it is a tool that allows for simultaneous assessment and treatment of neuromuscular dysfunction.
