Though finals are right around the corner, new material is still being presented in all of my classes. There are only 15 weeks in each trimester, which may sound like a lot, but there is so much information in the class that there is never any time to stop in any class. We have even had lecture right after quizzes and exams because of how much material we have to cover in the classes.

One new topic we introduced this past week was range of motion. Chiropractic manipulation, soft tissue work, passive mobilization, and exercise are all beneficial modalities to increase range of motion according to multiple peer-reviewed journals. We went over cervical range of motion in Evaluation and Management of the Head, Neck, and Cervical Spine. We also reviewed range of motion of the thoracic and lumbar spine so we could identify any discrepancies and postulate how to treat them.

A decreased range of motion could lead to joint stiffness and fixation, which may increase joint degeneration and dysfunction. Testing range of motion is also important so a starting point is recorded and treatment progress can be measured.

With so many classes and exams, we need a few ways to blow off steam between classes. I am sad to say after this trimester I will be moving over to another building for the clinical sciences phase. I am extremely excited to continue my education but I am going to really miss the ping-pong table at the Health Education Center. Every day between classes, many students from NUHS gather at the ping-pong table for some friendly competition. I started at NUHS never playing ping-pong in my life, now I have gotten pretty good! Sometimes we will play trimester vs. trimester doubles. It is just another reason I love this school. We are a close-knit group regardless of what trimester or phase of the program we are in; we all intermingle and enjoy one another’s company.

Saturday night after I got off of work, I called a few friends and asked if they wanted to go to the Tampa Bay Rowdies season opener. The Tampa Bay Rowdies are a professional soccer team that plays here in St. Petersburg, Florida. They play in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second division of professional soccer in the U.S. after MLS. The game was very exciting even though it ended in a tie. There was tons of energy in the crowd. It was my first Rowdies game but I learned many of the chants the crowd does. Even someone who doesn’t like soccer would enjoy the game. There is a drummer and a few horns leading the chants. It was a great way to cap off the week.

Next week starts finals. There are two straight weeks of finals. Week 14 we have lab finals, and Week 15 we have lecture finals. I will be writing one more blog for the trimester so be sure to check in next week.

Thanks for reading, if you have any questions please email me atChristopherKotwicki@student.nuhs.edu.