Q&A with Adrian Yahvah, APA’s Physiology tutor and Licensed Massage Therapist/Certified Athletic Trainer | My CMS

Q&A with Adrian Yahvah, APA’s Physiology tutor and Licensed Massage Therapist/Certified Athletic Trainer

Today we sat down with one of APA’s popular tutors in the Diploma Course, Adrian Yahvah.
Since 2013, Adrian has been sharing his rich knowledge of the human body in his Physiology classes, earning him much respect from our students.
We talked about his number one goal for students at APA, why it is important to help ourselves first before helping others and how he combines different techniques treating clients in his practice:
Adrian, you are not only a sports and massage therapist, but also have a master’s degree in exercise science utilising Active Isolated Stretching Technique (A.I.S.) and other hands-on remedies to help your clients. Can you tell us a little bit more about how you combine all these techniques in your treatments?

My training as a massage therapist and then later as a certified athletic trainer really gave me a strong foundation in anatomy and also the assessment process. The most valuable tool a practitioner has in a medical setting is the ability to evaluate and make the best clinical decision. AdrianWebsite
In the sports medicine/athletic training curriculum this is taught from day one. So in my practice today I need to understand the client/patient’s current condition of their body and mind. This can dictate what style of treatment will work best. I love using Active Isolated Stretching because the benefits can be so far reaching even in a short amount of time. But in order for it to work, the client must actively participate. Sometimes the client isn’t able or willing to do that so I rely on my deep tissue massage skills, or sometimes a very light touch method such as Positional Release, NST (neurostructural reintegration technique) or I do use a lymphatic drainage technique if I notice swelling or around a joint or after heavy activity where inflammation is likely.
Many of my clients come for maintenance and in this case I rely on the Mattes Method Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening protocols.

Flexibility strength, and posture all need to be trained daily so I treat my client using a certain series of stretches and then I may assign some easy strength or flexibility exercises so they can maintain their results. It’s really about clear communication with the client and making sure they understand the goals of the treatment and why they are important.

Here at APA you are the Physiology tutor for our Diploma Course students who all love your classes. What are you hoping students take away from your course?

AdrianMy number one goal for the students at APA is to encourage them to be passionate about learning. I have so much respect for these students. They are not only learning an extremely difficult subject, many of them aren’t native english speakers adding to the challenge. So I want to make the subject “friendly” yet also employ these students to take an active role in there learning. There are no shortcuts in memorizing the names and functions of hormones for instance, but if I can make the subject significant and personalize it to them then I think it can make it more interesting.
Even the best instructors in the world have to study continuously. So if I can help them see the fun, can help inspire a sense of wonder and excitement about physiology then I think I am going to positively affect them during this difficult process.

Anatomy & Physiology are dreaded subjects by our students. Any tips on how to learn & understand these subjects better?

I think sometimes these subjects are dreaded because of the threat of a very difficult exam at the end. I know what it feels like to fail an exam and it’s terrible. I try and let the students know that it’s hard work and actually they will need to study for as long as they are in the health care business.
The best tip is to set aside time to study in a relaxing place, take frequent breaks, and utilize the text book and also the online resources available that can bring anatomy and physiology to life.
We are studying these topics to help others, but we must help ourselves first. I encourage my students to eat good foods, drink plenty of water, and pay attention to posture, breathing and stress levels. No one performs well when the body and mind aren’t functioning well. In this way we can really bring to life the concept of homeostasis and it’s easier to talk about the systems of the body when we all have a body and are interested in keeping it the best shape possible!

Thanks so much, Adrian!

If you are now inspired to learn Physiology from Adrian, our next full-time Diploma Course (English) starts on 28 February. Find more details here.