Specialist Certification · 8 Weeks

Region-Focused Certifications

Structured, measurable advancement — one region at a time.

Participants report a 30–39% increase in clinical confidence, measured on pre- and post-course surveys. Five distinct specialty tracks, so you choose the region that fits where you treat and where you want to grow.

30–39% Confidence Increase

8 Weeks

40 Contact Hours

$599

PT & PTA

FOUR Specialist Tracks

Each earns its own credential. Take one, or stack them over time.

APTA MA approved

🔒 Secure registration

30–39%
Measured increase in clinical confidence, from pre- and post-course participant surveys
8 Weeks
Progressive virtual modules, four live case sessions, and one hands-on weekend lab
4 Tracks
Each earning its own credential — stack two or three over time
Board-Certified
Written and taught by Highbar's Orthopedic Clinical Specialists (OCS)
Not just CE

Most CE provides exposure. This provides progression.

Over eight weeks you build a genuine framework in one region — not a scattered collection of techniques from a single weekend, but a progressive curriculum with clinical reasoning and skill refinement woven through it from the first week to the last.

The result is measurable, and we measure it: participants report a 30–39% increase in clinical confidence on pre- and post-course surveys. Those gains show up as a clearer examination strategy, more structured treatment planning, and a stronger command of complex regional presentations.

Who this is for

01

Clinicians seeking deeper regional expertise without committing to a full certification pathway

02

Therapists who want structured frameworks, not scattered techniques

03

Practitioners preparing for leadership, specialization, or OCS pursuit

04

Open to PTs and PTAs. PTAs apply all content within the established plan of care, applicable state rules, and the PT/PTA collaborative model

How it works

Model, Reps, Carryover.

Every weekend runs the same three-part structure, regardless of region. It's the reason the skill survives the drive home.

01

Structured Virtual Modules

Eight weeks of progressive, evidence-based modules that build a clear evaluation and management framework for the region. Self-paced, so you fit them around a full caseload.

Roughly 3–4 hours per week

02

Live Case-Based Sessions

Four live sessions with faculty working real patient cases — clinical reasoning out loud, treatment decisions challenged and refined against how you'd actually manage the patient on Monday.

Four sessions, eight weeks

03

Immersive Weekend Lab

One two-day, in-person lab of deliberate practice on manual and exercise technique, with direct faculty feedback so the skill actually transfers to the clinic.

40 contact hours total

Choose your track

FOUR Tracks. FOUR Credentials.

Each track stands alone — none is a prerequisite for another. Dates, price, contact hours, and the full syllabus are here so you can decide before you open a registration form.

Enrolling now

Certified Lumbopelvic Specialist

A structured approach to lumbopelvic patients: synthesizing the subjective exam, symptom behavior, neurological screening, movement assessment, functional testing, and reassessment into one clear plan of care.

Dates
Dec 28, 2026 – Feb 21, 2027
Format
8 weeks virtual + 2-day weekend lab
Hours
40 contact hours
Price
$599.00
Enrolling now

Certified Cervicothoracic Specialist:

Neck pain, thoracic pain, arm symptoms, headaches, dizziness, TMJ/TMD-related complaints, and aging-spine presentations—with neurologic and safety screening built into the examination framework.

Dates
Mar 1, 2027 – Apr 25, 2027
Format
8 weeks virtual + 2-day weekend lab
Hours
40 contact hours
Price
$599.00
Enrolling now

Certified Upper Extremity Specialist

Dates
May 3, 2027 – Jun 27, 2027
Format
8 weeks virtual + 2-day weekend lab
Hours
40 contact hours
Price
$599.00
Enrolling now

Certified Lower Extremity Specialist

Dates
Jul 5, 2027 – Aug 29, 2027
Format
8 weeks virtual + 2-day weekend lab
Hours
40 contact hours
Price
$599.00
Stacking tracks

One Region Now. Another One Later.

Depth, one region at a time — not all of it at once.

Many clinicians complete two or three tracks over time. Each stands alone and earns its own credential, so there’s no order to follow and no pathway to commit to up front — you take the region you’re treating most, then come back for the next one when you’re ready.

That modularity is the point. These tracks deliver elements of the residency and COMT curriculum in a format that fits around a full caseload, and they can support progression toward either pathway when it aligns with your goals.

Where this sits in the pathway
  • 01

    Core-4 Series Labs — $99

    A single half-day in one region. The lighter-weight step before eight weeks.

  • 02

    Region-Focused Certifications — $599

    Eight weeks of depth in one region. Stack two or three over time.

  • 03

    COMT — $4,800 · COPTA — $3,600

    The full advanced pathway. These tracks can support progression toward either.

Compare Every CE Program
What you'll build

Eight Weeks of Compounding, Not Coverage

  • A deep regional anatomy and biomechanics knowledge base

  • A structured examination and reassessment framework you'll use with every patient in the region

  • A manual therapy technique library with video modeling you can return to after the course ends

  • An exercise prescription progression system, not a list of exercises

  • Complex case reasoning practice with direct expert feedback

  • The regional certification credential on completion

How the weekend runs

Self-paced virtual modules — roughly 3–4 hours per week

Four live case-based sessions with faculty across the eight weeks

One two-day weekend lab in Cranston, RI

40 contact hours total — 24 for the Pain Management track

Included

Full syllabus published before you enroll

Certificate and credential on completion

Documentation for employer CE reimbursement

Faculty access throughout the eight weeks, not just at the lab

Format

Hybrid — self-paced virtual modules, live case sessions, and a 2-day in-person weekend lab. The Pain Management track is virtual/didactic only.

Duration

8 weeks · 40 contact hours per regional track · 24 contact hours for Pain Management

Price

$599 per regional track · $149 for Pain Management

CEU Approval

APTA Massachusetts approved. CE applicability varies by state and should be verified by each participant.

Who Can Attend

Licensed PTs and PTAs in good standing. PTAs apply all content within the established plan of care, applicable state practice rules, and the PT/PTA collaborative model.

In-Person Lab

Highbar Physical Therapy, Cranston, RI

Weekly Commitment

Roughly 3–4 hours per week, self-paced, plus four live sessions

Faculty

Written and taught by Highbar board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialists (OCS)

Credential

Each track earns its own named specialist credential on completion

If you already work here

Every Track Is Free for Highbar Clinicians

All five. Including the ones you take later.

Every region-focused certification is covered for current Highbar clinicians through your employee code — and that holds for clinicians stacking two or three tracks over time, not just the first one. At $599 a track, a clinician who takes three has had roughly $1,800 of specialist training covered.

Not on the team yet? We’re a teaching practice, and this is what that looks like from the inside.

WHAT A HIGHBAR CLINICIAN GETS

01

Every certification track, free — including stacked tracks, via your employee code

02

24 structured mentorship hours in your first twelve weeks, with a named mentor

03

One-on-one care, every patient, every session — no double-booking

04

A 100% residency board-pass record if you keep going up the pathway

Questions

Before You Enroll

Not sure which track fits?

Tell Us What You're Treating Most.

Tell us where you want to grow, and we'll help you identify the specialist track that fits your goals and your caseload.

  • A real conversation with someone who teaches these tracks — not a sales call
  • An honest answer if the right next step is Core-4 or a weekend lab instead
  • Schedule clarity on when your region comes back around
  • We respond within 24 hours. Every inquiry, every time

FOUR Specialist Tracks

Each earns its own credential. Take one, or stack them over time.

APTA MA approved

🔒 Secure registration

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Also consider

One Rung Down, or Three Rungs Up

A weekend is a deliberate middle step. If it's more commitment than you want, or less depth than you need, these are the alternatives.

Pick the Region You Already Treat

Eight weeks of structure in one region, and a measured 30–39% increase in how confidently you handle it.