(Renstrom) Integrative TMJ Course Physical Therapy Portion

This two-day, hands-on course led by Dr. Jenny Hobson is designed for physical therapists and dental professionals seeking an evidence-informed approach to diagnosing and treating craniofacial pain and headaches. Built on Dr. Mariano Rocabado’s principles, it emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration in managing TMD, cervical spine dysfunction, and related disorders through functional assessment, manual therapy, movement re-education, and team-based care.

Instructor:
Dr. Jennifer (Jenny) Hobson, PT, DPT, MTC, CFC, CFMTPT

Credentials & Qualifications:
Dr. Hobson is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with advanced training in manual therapy, craniofacial rehabilitation, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. She has over 25 years of clinical experience treating patients with TMD, headaches, airway-related dysfunction, and complex head and neck pain.

Dr. Hobson has trained extensively under Dr. Mariano Rocabado, an internationally recognized leader in craniofacial and TMJ rehabilitation, since 2001. Since 2004, she has traveled regularly to Chile to collaborate with Dr. Rocabado, co-treat patients, and contribute to the advancement of craniofacial and airway-related clinical integration. This long-standing mentorship has provided her with advanced clinical insight into the relationship between the TMJ, cervical spine, posture, and airway function.

Since 2012, Dr. Hobson has served as an instructor through the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, where she teaches the craniofacial certification program originally developed by Dr. Rocabado. She is one of only two physical therapists in the United States selected to teach this certification program, which trains clinicians to earn the Certified in Craniofacial Therapy (CFC) designation.

In addition to her academic teaching role, Dr. Hobson develops and delivers continuing education courses focused on integrating TMJ, cervical spine, and airway function into physical therapy practice. Her teaching emphasizes practical application of evaluation and treatment techniques, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration.

Her clinical expertise includes:

• TMJ and craniofacial pain management
• Cervical spine and postural dysfunction
• Airway and breathing pattern retraining
• Manual therapy and dry needling for head and neck conditions
• Interdisciplinary collaboration with dental, orthodontic, and airway-focused providers

She is the founder of the Hobson Institute, where she provides specialized clinical care and continuing education for healthcare professionals.

Hobson Institute Course Cancellation Policy

Registration Terms

Courses at the Hobson Institute will proceed once the minimum number of registrants is met. The Hobson Institute reserves the right to cancel a course due to unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. If a course is canceled due to low enrollment, registrants will be contacted via the primary email address and/or phone number provided during registration.

In the event of cancellation due to low enrollment, participants may choose between:

• A full refund, or

• A full transfer to a future course of the same type within 12 months of the original course date.

Neither the Hobson Institute nor the host facility is responsible for reimbursing personal expenses incurred by registrants, including but not limited to airfare, hotel accommodations, or other travel-related costs.

Course Disruption Policy

If a course is canceled or interrupted due to circumstances beyond our control (e.g., severe weather, public health emergencies, acts of God), the Hobson Institute will transfer your registration to a future offering of the same course at no additional cost. Personal expenses such as travel or lodging are not subject to reimbursement.

Participant-Initiated Cancellations or Transfers

• Participants may self-transfer via the website up until 14 days before the course start date.

• Requests to cancel or transfer within 14 days of the course must be submitted by email to Yaz Sanchez at admin@hobsoninstitute.com.

Transfer Fees

• 13–7 days prior to course: $100 administrative fee

• 6–3 days prior to course: $200 administrative fee

• Within 2 days of course: 50% of tuition retained as a fee; remaining balance issued as credit

Cancellation Fees

• 7–14 days prior to course: $300 administrative fee; remaining balance issued as credit

• 0–6 days prior to course: $500 administrative fee; remaining balance issued as credit

Note: Course credit is valid for 12 months and may be applied to a future course or transferred once to another participant. Once applied, credit cannot be transferred again.

No-Shows and Late Cancellations

Participants who do not attend (i.e., "no-shows") or who cancel after the course has started forfeit all rights to refunds or credits.

15 CE hours for PT, Dentist, Myofunctional Therapist (SLP or RDH), Chiropractors.

Why This Course Matters

If you treat patients with jaw pain, headaches, neck pain, clenching, or airway-related issues, you’ve likely seen cases that don’t fully resolve.

This course will help you:

• Get patients out of pain more effectively and efficiently
• Understand the root cause of chronic TMD and headache presentations
• Identify when airway and breathing dysfunction are driving symptoms
• Improve long-term outcomes by stabilizing—not just treating—symptoms
• Confidently integrate TMJ and craniofacial care into your existing practice
• Strengthen interdisciplinary relationships with dental and airway providers

• Craniofacial Therapy best manual techniques to help the Spine and TMJ 

• Learn to restore alignment in the neck and jaw

• Learn how to work with a dentist or PT

•  Interdisciplinary Approaches for Integrated Care and collaboratio

• Practical Skills: From nasal breathing retraining to airway suction training, gain hands-on experience during lab sessions.

• Tangible Outcomes: Acquire skills to reduce TMD, snoring, headaches, and neck pain.  Improve neck and spinal posture, and boost overall health and energy in your patients that may be suffering from chronic fatigue due to poor sleep.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• • Analyze the functional relationship between the jaw, cervical spine, and skull using clinical case examples.
  • Perform a structured assessment of the TMJ and craniocervical region to identify common dysfunctions.
  • Develop an interdisciplinary care plan for a patient case incorporating at least three relevant providers (e.g., PT, dentist, SLP, myofunctional therapist).
  • Apply clinical reasoning to differentiate and manage craniofacial pain, headaches, and TMD using patient scenarios.
  • Classify stages of intracapsular TMJ disc pathology based on clinical signs and patient presentation.
  • Differentiate between normal disc position, displacement, and anterior disc subluxation using case-based findings.
  • Interpret the impact of occlusal dysfunction on spinal and pelvic alignment using clinical examples.
  • Summarize key findings from the Aqualizer study and relate them to changes in pelvic alignment in a case scenario.
  • Evaluate ascending biomechanical influences (e.g., leg length discrepancy) on head, neck, and jaw function.
  • Predict the effects of oral habits (e.g., mouth breathing, clenching) on craniofacial development in pediatric and adult cases.
  • Identify signs of craniomandibular parafunction and correlate them with micro-repetitive trauma patterns.
  • Explain and apply the relationship between joint loading, ligament laxity, and TMJ degeneration in clinical cases.
  • Demonstrate safe and effective examination and treatment techniques for maxillofacial soft and hard tissues, including correct force and direction.
  • Identify clinical indicators of condylar height loss and associated facial asymmetry during examination.
  • Recognize signs and symptoms of vascular irritation affecting the TMJ region during patient assessment.
  • Demonstrate manual and muscular techniques for managing TMJ disc subluxation.
  • Explain indications and clinical application of removable interocclusal appliances for TMJ stabilization.
  • Perform selected Rocabado-based techniques, including Roll Back and pain mapping strategies, on a partner or model.
  • Implement airway stabilization strategies (e.g., breathing retraining, tongue posture techniques) to reduce clenching and snoring in patient scenarios.

Course Schedule

Day 1

8:00-8:30 AM Registration

8:30 – 10:00 AM
Lecture: Introduction, History, Anatomy, and Biomechanics

• Anatomy review of soft tissue and joints
• Biomechanics & arthrokinematics and the role of the cervical spine in posture
• Pelvis and Aqualizer study

10:00 AM – Break

10:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Practical: Evaluation of the TMJ and Cervical Spine

• Postural assessment, spinal curves
• Pelvis alignment
• Hypermobility testing
• TMJ joint and mouth ROM assessment
• Pain provocation tests
• Cervical spine joint and ROM

12:30 – 1:30 PM – Lunch Break

1:30 – 3:00 PM
Lecture: Postural Assessment and Craniofacial Alignment

• Cranio-vertebral angle and lateral cephalometric measurements
• Mouth breathing and tongue/nasal contributions to cervical alignment
• Exercise management and Rocabado 6x6 protocol
• Uplocker training and airway integration
• The physical therapist’s role within the craniofacial team

3:00 PM – Break

3:15 – 5:30 PM
Practical: Cervical Spine Manual Therapy

• Sub-occipital palpation and cervical spine distraction
• Upper cervical balancing of atlas (C0-C1-C2)
• Cervical stretching and stabilization techniques
• Ribcage mobilization and lowering exercises to decrease neck tension

7.5 hours (not including Lunch or breaks)

Day 2

8:00 – 10:00 AM
Lecture: Pain Mapping, Myofascial Trigger point Referred Pain Patterns, and Disc Pathology

• Myofascial trigger points and referred pain patterns
• Disc displacement and diagnostic criteria
• Airway management for snoring, clenching, and bruxism
• Review of current research on bruxism and airway correlation

10:00 AM – Break

10:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Practical: Craniofacial and TMJ Treatment Techniques

• Cranial loading and pain mapping
• Facial muscle palpation and soft-tissue differentiation
• TMJ manual therapy: long-axis distraction, medial/lateral glides
• Stabilization and proprioceptive training for the TMJ

12:30 – 1:30 PM – Lunch Break

1:30 – 3:00 PM
Lecture & Practical: Managing TMJ Conditions and Related Pathologies

• Facial asymmetry and degenerative changes
• Hypermobility, inflammation, and degenerative joint disease
• Muscle pain and inflammation management
• Dry needling applications demonstrations for facial and cervical muscle pain

3:00 PM – Break

3:15 – 5:00 PM
Practical: Disc Displacement and Functional Rehabilitation

• Manual techniques for disc displacement correction
• Hyperboloid exercises for range of motion
• Rocabado “Roll Back” technique
• Review, Q&A, and hands-on troubleshooting

7.5 hours (Not including lunch or breaks)

Total Hours:  15 CE Hours.

For over 25 years, I’ve studied under Dr. Mariano Rocabado in Chile, whose pioneering work highlights the connection between the airway, cervical spine, and mandible. His method reveals why posture, head position, and airway-driven clenching are often the missing links in craniofacial pain.

You will be either attending all 4 weekends to get the full PT/Rehab Dental approach to head and neck/TMJ pain.  You can also just attend my portion of the course for $500 which is June 5-6.  If you take all 4 weekends, you can do it virtually and even watch the recording a different time if you can't make all 4 weekends happen.    

English

None

Dr. Jenny's PT Weekend Course section June 5-6 

For Myofunctional  therapists (SLP, RDH)  and PTs = $500

All 4 weekends for Therapy providers = $800

Chiropractors fir Dr, Jenny's weekend only $600

All 4 weekends for Chiropractors = $1,200

Dentist all 4 weekends $4,000

Hobson Institute Course Cancellation Policy

Registration Terms

Courses at the Hobson Institute will proceed once the minimum number of registrants is met. The Hobson Institute reserves the right to cancel a course due to unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. If a course is canceled due to low enrollment, registrants will be contacted via the primary email address and/or phone number provided during registration.

In the event of cancellation due to low enrollment, participants may choose between:

• A full refund, or

• A full transfer to a future course of the same type within 12 months of the original course date.

Neither the Hobson Institute nor the host facility is responsible for reimbursing personal expenses incurred by registrants, including but not limited to airfare, hotel accommodations, or other travel-related costs.

Course Disruption Policy

If a course is canceled or interrupted due to circumstances beyond our control (e.g., severe weather, public health emergencies, acts of God), the Hobson Institute will transfer your registration to a future offering of the same course at no additional cost. Personal expenses such as travel or lodging are not subject to reimbursement.

Participant-Initiated Cancellations or Transfers

• Participants may self-transfer via the website up until 14 days before the course start date.

• Requests to cancel or transfer within 14 days of the course must be submitted by email to Yaz Sanchez at admin@hobsoninstitute.com.

Transfer Fees

• 13–7 days prior to course: $100 administrative fee

• 6–3 days prior to course: $200 administrative fee

• Within 2 days of course: 50% of tuition retained as a fee; remaining balance issued as credit

Cancellation Fees

• 7–14 days prior to course: $300 administrative fee; remaining balance issued as credit

• 0–6 days prior to course: $500 administrative fee; remaining balance issued as credit

Note: Course credit is valid for 12 months and may be applied to a future course or transferred once to another participant. Once applied, credit cannot be transferred again.

No-Shows and Late Cancellations

Participants who do not attend (i.e., "no-shows") or who cancel after the course has started forfeit all rights to refunds or credits.

Discount Terms

Any documents required to validate a discount must be submitted at least 14 days prior to the course start date. Otherwise, the participant will be charged the full course fee.

Health & Safety Policy

Effective immediately, masks are optional during Hobson Institute courses. Students and instructors who wish to wear a mask are encouraged to do so. If you are not comfortable attending a scheduled course, you may transfer to another course through our online portal at no charge. If you encounter any technical issues during transfer, please contact Yaz Sanchez at admin@hobsoninstitute.com.

Grievances

The Hobson Institute takes participant feedback seriously. Please direct any grievances or formal complaints to admin@hobsoninstitute.com, and we will respond promptly.

Email Dr.Jenny if you would like to host a course at jhobson@hobsoninstitute.com for more details.

16 students to 1 instructor;  After 16 students, there will be an assistant helping Dr. Jenny Teach.

PT, Chiros, Dentist (Please bring your PT and/or Chiropractors, myofunctional therapist (SLP or RDH) 

PTs bring your dentist

Chiropractors bring your dentist

Myofunctional Therapists (SLP or RDH) bring your dentist

Note:  Practice act rules apply to course content.  It is the responsibility of the practitioner to practice within their practice act.  For Example, cervical spine manual techniques would only be appropriate for PTs, Chiros and few specialized dentists,