victoria physiotherapist peter huijbregtsDr. Peter Huijbregts Research Articles

From 2005 to 2010, Dr. Peter Huijbregts was a treasured colleague and educational consultant with Shelbourne Physical Therapy.

Dr. Huijbregts sadly passed away suddenly in November of 2010. Please read his biography and articles below for more information about his lifelong accomplishments.


Dr. Huijbregts is a physical therapist holding licenses in British Columbia, Michigan, and the Netherlands. In addition to a 4-year baccalaureate diploma in physical therapy (PT) in 1990, he completed a Master of Science in Manual Therapy (1994), a Master of Health Science in PT (1997), and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (2001). He is board-certified in Orthopaedic PT with the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (1998, re-certified 2008) and holds post-graduate certificates in strength and conditioning (1996), manual therapy (1997), functional capacity evaluation (1997), clinical education (1998), and intramuscular stimulation (2004). He has also attained Fellowship status in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy (1998) and in the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Therapy (2002). Since 1990 Dr. Huijbregts has worked in a variety of clinical settings with an emphasis on orthopaedic PT. His current clinical workplace is at Shelbourne Physiotherapy Clinic in Victoria, BC, Canada (www.shelbournephysio.ca), where he works as a physiotherapy consultant with a special interest in diagnosis and management of chronic spinal pain syndromes, shoulder pain, headache, and dizziness.

Dr. Huijbregts has taught in entry-level and post-graduate clinical PT education, continuing medical education, community education, and academic PT and occupational therapy education. He has served as Adjunct Professor at Grand Valley State University (2000) in Allendale, MI, and Pacific University (2001) in Forest Grove, OR. Since 2002 Peter has held an appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in St. Augustine, FL (www.usa.edu), where he teaches and develops online courses in the area of orthopaedic basic science, spinal instability, and statistics and research methodology. He also serves as a faculty advisor for independent study projects and doctoral Capstone projects. In 2008 he was appointed Advisory Faculty Member for the North American Institute of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy (www.naiomt.com). For NAIOMT he teaches a specialty course on the impact of evidence-based practice on clinical practice and publication.

After serving as its Editor-in-Chief from late 2004 until the end of 2007, Dr. Huijbregts is now the Consulting Editor of the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy (www.jmmtonline.com), a peer-reviewed international journal on the topic of orthopaedic manual therapy. He also holds appointments at three other peer-reviewed journals, i.e., Physical Therapy (US), Physiotherapy Canada (Canada), and Rehabilitacja Medyczna (Poland). As of 2006, Dr. Huijbregts has been working as Consulting Editor for Jones and Bartlett Publishers (www.jbpub.com) and serves as the Series editor for a book series called Current Topics in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine. He has authored a textbook on strength training applications in rehabilitation and sports and has produced more than 40 original articles, four American Physical Therapy Association Orthopaedic Section independent study course chapters, university graduate-level courses and course chapters, editorials, and textbook chapters on topics related to various areas in PT. Many of his original papers and editorials and a number of the independent home study course chapters are available through this website with kind permission from the editors of the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy, the Canadian Physiotherapy Association Orthopaedic Division Review, Rehabilitacja Medyczna, and Physiotherapy Canada and with permission from the Orthopaedic Section of the APTA. His current projects include an edited textbook on myofascial trigger point pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management and another on the diagnosis and management of patients with dizziness.

In short, Dr. Huijbregts wrote the book (and the articles) on physical therapy and his active envolvement with our team allows for immdiate answers to clinical questions and access to the most updated technology and treatments available.


Past and Future: Responsibility and Opportunity

Becoming the editor of a well established, international, peer-reviewed journal is a grave responsibility. At the same time, it is an exciting opportunity. The Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy was started in 1993 with the goal of providing an international forum where ideas on the theory and practice of orthopaedic manual therapy (OMT) could be shared among clinicians and researchers worldwide1,2. To this end, over the past 12 years, the Journal has published original research articles, literature reviews, case reports, Letters to the Editor, and media reviews.
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Articles & Insight from Dr. Peter Huijbregts

Balance Disorders

Neck Pain & Headaches

Orthopedic & Musculoskeletal

Physical Therapy General

Spine & Joints

Shelbourne Physiotherapy is the smartest choice for your physical therapy care.

 

In Memoriam by Rob Oostendorp

Too soon and too young, on Saturday, November 6, 2010, Dr. Peter Huijbregts died of a heart attack while asleep at home in Victoria, BC.

Peter was born and grew up in Reusel, a small town in the Netherlands. In addition to earning a 4-year baccalaureate diploma in physical therapy at the Hogeschool Eindhoven, the Netherlands (1990), he completed a Master of Science in Manual Therapy at the Free University of Brussels, Belgium (1994); a Master of Health Science in Physical Therapy at the University of Indianapolis (1997); and a Doctor of Physical Therapy at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Florida (2001). He was board certified in orthopaedic physical therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and held postgraduate certificates in strength and conditioning, manual therapy, functional capacity evaluation, clinical education, and intramuscular stimulation. He also attained Fellowship status in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists and the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Therapy.

Peter taught in both entry-level and postgraduate education programs. He served as adjunct professor at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan (2000), and at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon (2001). Beginning in 2002, Peter held an appointment as assistant professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, where he taught and developed online courses in the areas of orthopaedic basic science, spinal instability, and statistics and research methodology. In 2008, he was appointed as an advisory faculty member to the North American Institute of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy.

Beginning in 1990, Peter worked in a variety of clinical settings, with an emphasis on orthopaedic manual physical therapy. His last place of employment was Shelbourne Physiotherapy Clinic in Victoria, where he worked as a physiotherapy consultant with a special interest in assessment and management of patients with chronic spinal pain syndromes, shoulder pain, headache, and dizziness.

Peter’s writings include 60 scientific publications and textbook chapters on topics related to various areas in manual physical therapy, produced between 1990 and 2010. His editorials were of great interest to colleagues in the field of manual physical therapy and showed a clear vision of the future. After serving as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy from late 2004 to the end of 2007, Peter continued to function as its consulting editor; he was a sought-after peer reviewer for several international journals. Beginning in 2006, Peter worked as consulting editor for Jones and Bartlett Publishers and editor of its Current Topics in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine series.

Among his many interests were jazz and classical music, science fiction, weight training, and judo. He loved his family in the Netherlands. Since Peter lived in the United States and Canada, his Dutch family often missed important events in his life. Besides his many international contacts, Peter stayed in touch with his Dutch and Belgian colleagues. He contributed regularly to the Dutch Manual Therapy Journal,which will shortly publish one of his last articles. The news of his death was devastating to his colleagues in the Netherlands, Belgium, and throughout the world. He was liked and respected by all who knew him. Peter will be missed as an enthusiastic, persistent, intelligent, and friendly colleague. I remember him with respect and friendship. I have lost one of my best students, whom I considered a good personal friend. After his busy and fulfilling life and career, I hope that Peter will rest in peace.

Peter is survived by his wife, Rap, and their two young children, Arun and Annika. I hope that his memory will be a comfort to them.

In Memory of Peter A Huijbregts, PT, MSc, MHSc, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, FCAMT

31 May 1966–6 November 2010

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David Seltzer once wrote ‘For some moments in life there are no words.’ On 6 November 2010, the worldwide physical therapy community was collectively silenced by the passing of Peter Huijbregts.

Peter was born in Goirle, The Netherlands in 1966 and obtained a BSc in Physical Therapy from the Hogeschool Eindhoven in 1990, an MSc in Manual Therapy from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 1994, an MHSc in Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis in 1997, and a doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St Augustine for Health Sciences in 2001.

Peter was an outstanding clinician, teacher, author, editor, and advocate for the profession. He was board-certified in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy with the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy and the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Therapy.

Peter was actively involved in physical therapy education and professional development. His most recent appointments were at the University of St Augustine for Health Sciences and the North American Institute of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy. In addition, Peter was a sought after speaker for continuing medical education courses worldwide.

Peter’s contributions to the literature were significant and comprehensive. He published numerous scientific papers, editorials, book reviews, book chapters, and two books. Peter served as the Editor of JMMT from 2005 to 2007, and as a consulting editor and manuscript reviewer for several medical journals.

These accomplishments are noteworthy but aren’t what we’ll remember Peter for. Most importantly, Peter was a loving husband and a father. His friendship was shared by countless clinicians, students, and colleagues throughout the world; friends who have recognized Peter for his selfless giving, his mentorship, and his zeal for life.

Throughout his professional career Peter challenged us to question our beliefs regarding examination and treatment approaches to patient care. He argued that evidence should drive decision making and that there was little room in healthcare for turf wars, emotionalism, and complacency. We feel that the best memorial that we can offer Peter is to continually scrutinize our own beliefs about the scientific basis of manual therapy.

We lost a great one on November the 6th. Rest in peace our friend.