MCTA-Accredited Course Date
Ortonville, MI
Upper Quadrant
Saturday, November 7, 2026 — Sunday, November 8, 2026
with Mark Thomson · PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, CMP, MCTA
Duration
2 days
CE credit
15 CEU hours
Format
80% hands-on
Class size
Intimate
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From $499
Upper Quadrant · Ortonville, MI
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What you'll walk out with
Techniques you'll use Monday morning
Upper Quadrant is built so the skills you learn over the weekend are immediately applicable Monday. Here's the specific edge you leave with.
Same week
Apply MWM in your next clinical session
Lab is interspersed throughout both days — you'll have repped each technique on a real partner under instructor coaching.
Pain-free
Restore motion without provoking the symptom
Mobilization With Movement™ is built to give immediate, measurable change without flaring the patient.
Credentialed
Earn 15 CEU hours
Approved across PT, ATC, and (Upper Quadrant) OT continuing-ed jurisdictions. Credit applies toward your state renewal.
Pathway
Stack toward your CMP credential
Every TCE course counts as a step toward the international Certified Mulligan Practitioner registry.
The curriculum
What you'll learn
- 01
A clinical reasoning framework for application of Mobilization With Movement™ (MWM's) to the cervical and thoracic spines, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand.
- 02
Differentiate Mulligan SNAGS, NAGS, and Reverse NAGS in the upper, middle, and lower cervical spines, the CT junction, and thoracic spine.
- 03
Justify MWM selection from history, observation, and patient report.
- 04
Multiple techniques to assess and treat neurosensitivity of the upper quadrant.
- 05
Initiate MWM care based on patient irritability — appropriately intervening with non-weight-bearing to full-weight-bearing functional-movement MWMs. Understand progressions throughout patient care.
- 06
Follow-up HEPs, taping, and advice to help your MWMs stick.
How it's taught
Not a slide deck. A working clinic.
Two-day in-person course. Hands-on lab time is interspersed throughout both days and exceeds 80% of contact hours.
The two-day rhythm
Course schedule
Standard MCTA-accredited rhythm: morning concepts & demos, afternoon labs. Final times confirmed two weeks before the date.
Day 1 (Saturday)
Nov 7, 2026
- 8:00 AMRegistration & continental breakfast
- 8:30 AMCourse overview · concept history · MWM theory
- 9:30 AMLive patient demonstration
- 10:00 AMLab: SNAGs · partner practice with instructor coaching
- 11:30 AMLecture · clinical reasoning for technique selection
- 12:15 PMLunch (provided · 1 hour)
- 1:15 PMLive patient demonstration
- 1:45 PMLab: NAGs · reverse NAGs · partner practice
- 3:15 PMLecture · technique integration & pain mechanisms
- 4:00 PMLab: case workflows · full-pattern repetition
- 5:00 PMQ&A · case discussion · day-one reset
- 5:30 PMAdjourn
Day 2 (Sunday)
Nov 8, 2026
- 7:30 AMContinental breakfast · recap of day-one techniques
- 8:15 AMLive patient demonstration · advanced applications
- 9:00 AMLab: integration into multi-modal treatment
- 10:00 AMLecture · taping strategies & clinical decision making
- 10:30 AMLab: putting it together · full case workflows
- 12:00 PMLecture · Pain Release Phenomenon · CMP pathway briefing
- 12:30 PMLab: final case patterns · instructor-coached reps
- 1:15 PMClosing · CEU certificates · next-step coaching
- 1:30 PMAdjourn
Your instructor
Mark Thomson
PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, CMP, MCTA
Specialty: 30 plus years experience in Orthopedic clinical practice and 25 plus years teaching, being mentored, and continuous learning have developed Dr. Thomson into an eclectic teacher and practitioner. Mark loves to meet each individual where they are, develop a good rapport, and help them meet their individual goals by whatever means possible. Dr. Thomson enjoys learning and practicing any approach that emphasizes clinical reasoning, continual analytic assessment, and a patient-centered approach. Dr. Thomson earned his B.S. in Physiological Science from UCLA in 1992 and his MPT from UCSF/SFSU in 1995. He graduated from the Kaiser Permanente Manual Therapy Fellowship in Los Angeles in 2000 and earned his tDPT from Temple University in 2005. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists, a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, and an APTA Orthopedic Section member. Dr. Thomson's clinical practice is currently at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, where he works as a Clinical Specialist treating outpatient orthopedic patients full-time. From 2010–2017 he served as adjunct faculty at the University of Saint Augustine in San Diego within the Physical Therapy Doctoral Program, teaching Spinal Manipulation, Extremity Manipulation, and Orthopedics. He took his first course from Brian Mulligan in 1999 and immediately began applying Mobilization With Movement™ in practice. He completed the Mulligan Concept™ curriculum and became a Certified Mulligan Practitioner in 2004, became an Accredited Instructor in 2014, and from 2016–2024 served as Regional Manager for The Mulligan Concept™ North America.
Clinical specialty
Spinal manipulation, extremity manipulation, and orthopedic manual physical therapy at Kaiser Permanente San Diego.
Where you'll learn
Venue & travel
Getting here
Travel logistics confirmed by email two weeks before the course date.
Pre-course checklist
What to bring
- Comfortable, layered clothing — you'll be moving and on/off treatment tables
- A water bottle and a notebook (we'll be doing live case notes)
- Closed-toe shoes — you'll be working in the lab the whole second half of each day
- Brian Mulligan's Manual Therapy Textbook (7th ed.) — recommended, not required
- An open mind and a willingness to be both clinician and patient during partner labs
Continuing education credit
15 CEU hours
- Physical Therapists — credits accepted toward state PT continuing-education renewal.
- Athletic Trainers — nationally approved by the BOC; recognized in every state.
- Occupational Therapists — nationally approved by AOTA.
- Counts as one step in the international CMP certification pathway.
Common questions
FAQ
- What does the Upper Quadrant Mulligan Concept course cover?
- The Upper Quadrant course at The Clinician Edge covers Mulligan Concept™ Mobilization With Movement™ for the cervical spine, thoracic spine, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. The two-day weekend works through assessment and treatment progressions for each region — SNAGs and NAGs for the cervical spine, MWMs for the shoulder complex, lateral epicondylalgia techniques, and distal radial-ulnar joint work. Every technique is built so a clinician can apply it on a real patient the day after the course.
- Can I take Lower Quadrant before Upper Quadrant?
- Yes. The MCTA-accredited Mulligan Concept™ pathway lets clinicians take Upper Quadrant and Lower Quadrant in either order. Both are Step 1 of the CMP pathway. Whichever you complete first lays the reasoning foundation; the other adds the regional techniques without requiring a specific sequence.
- Is Upper Quadrant required for the CMP credential?
- Yes. Upper Quadrant is one of three core courses required for the Certified Mulligan Practitioner (CMP) credential, alongside Lower Quadrant and Advanced Mulligan Techniques. Completion of all three plus passing the CMP examination earns the international CMP credential from the Mulligan Concept Teacher Association (MCTA), recognized in 40+ countries.
- How many CEU hours does Upper Quadrant award?
- Upper Quadrant awards 15+ CEU hours over 2 days. The Clinician Edge files for course-specific CEU approval by state and discipline; the registration page lists current approvals. CEU certificates are emailed within five business days of course completion.
- Do I need prior Mulligan Concept training to attend Upper Quadrant?
- No prior Mulligan training is required for Upper Quadrant. The course assumes a licensed-clinician baseline (PT, ATC, OT, DC, or equivalent international credential) but introduces MWM, SNAGs, and NAGs from first principles. Clinicians who want a softer on-ramp can take the optional Introduction to the Mulligan Concept first.
- What should I bring?
- Bring loose clinical attire suitable for partner labs, a notebook, and a water bottle. The Clinician Edge provides all manual-therapy supplies — Mulligan belts, mobilization straps, taping materials where relevant. Brian Mulligan's Manual Therapy Textbook (7th ed.) is recommended but not required.
Ready to reserve?
Upper Quadrant · Ortonville, MI
Saturday, November 7, 2026 — Sunday, November 8, 2026 · from $499