Medically Focused Fitness - Donna McCook

19/03/2026

Stop Prescribing "General" Exercise for Specific Pain.

The label “Non-Specific Low Back Pain” is often a cover for a lack of clinical clarity.

Look, sometimes it will work, but In 30 years of clinical practice, I’ve found that back pain is rarely non-specific once you look at the elements of segmental control and loading tolerance. When an EP treats "the back" instead of "the driver," the client will simply plateau. Become disillusioned. Frustrated. And accept "this is it" well ahead of when they need to.

Are you seeing:
❌ Persistent "stiffness" despite mobility work?
❌ Recurrent "tweaks" as soon as load increases?
❌ High irritability that stops your progressions in their tracks?

In my Advanced Lumbar Rehab course, we stop guessing. I’m sharing the exact framework I use at Back Lab to differentiate between discogenic drivers, facet joint sprains, and true segmental instability. We move beyond "core bracing" into 0–24 week loading timelines that actually build tissue resilience.

This is based on years of clinical experience, research, talking with and learning from the back pain gurus from around the world. It's a course that won't just "expand your tool kit" - it will seriously extend your clinical options to tackle back pain presentations from a different perspective.

Join me in one of the the Advanced Lumbar Masterclasses - 2026 locations include
* Melbourne May 10th
* Sydney May 31st
* Canberra Aug 2nd
* Brisbane Aug 30th

More Info and Links to Register -

A full-day, high-level practical workshop designed to advance clinical reasoning and movement-based rehabilitation skills for lumbar spine presentations. Building on the concepts introduced in the “Just the Theory” and “Just the Practical” courses, this session introduces multiple schools of...

16/03/2026

I wish I had learnt this stuff earlier in my career! But I am here to make sure that you can.

As an experienced clinician, I have spent time refining my application of evidence based practice, continuing education, reflecting and challenging what I have been taught, and integrating with other experienced clinicians.

And it doesn't have to be overly complex.
Breaking problems down into bite sized pieces can help you uncomplicated any upper limb presentation.
I will help you confidently
- find your key starting point for your rehab program,
- identify the patterns of dysfunction or irritation
- analyse clearly where there is weakness or tightness
- understand the importance of exercise sequencing
- recognise when problems need further medical assessment.

Sometimes its the most subtle things that can make the biggest difference - but once you know where to find them, your upper limb rehab can all fall into place.

Whether you are working with acute upper limb injuries, workplace niggles, or chronic shoulder presentations - or even with someone without shoulder injuries and you want to make sure they are not vulnerable to damage while you increase their loading program - this course is a must.

It's simply - the things that work. Stuff you can take back to the clinic on Monday. I love teaching this course, and often have clinicians request to attend it for a second time. Its Practical and Theoretical so you will get your the knowledge and the application all in the same day.

This year - am running this in

* Hobart May 16th (Confirmed!)
* Sydney June 21st
* Melbourne July 19th
* Canberra August 1st

And - I have put up an Easter Launch Special
Until the easter bunny has been -
• Take an Extra $20 off early bird pricing
• Applies to all new (and current) registrations

👉 Explore the course and secure your place:
https://medfit.co/full-day-shoulder-rehab-1

15/03/2026

The new MedFit course lineup is here. Starting in Melbourne: Lumbar Rehab (10th May), Quickly followed up with Hobart: Shoulder & Cervical Spine (16/17th May).

These workshops focus on practical frameworks developed from decades of clinical experience, continued research, reflection and education - with a goal to help clinicians recognise patterns and build clearer treatment strategies.

The goal is simple:
help you feel more confident in your clinical practices of assessment, treatment prescription and managing anything from simple to complex cases in clinical practice.

🐰 Easter Launch Special

For the next 3 weeks only:

• Extra $20 off early bird pricing
• Applies to all new (and current!!) registrations

👉 View the new course lineup and secure your place:
https://medfit.co/in-person-workshops

16/12/2025

Shoulder rehab made simple.

Rotator cuff? Overhead irritability? Scapular confusion?
This course makes shoulder reasoning predictable.

Learn how to:
✔ interpret patterns
✔ understand drivers
✔ choose the right starting point
✔ plan progressions with confidence
✔ complete them whenever you want 2025 / 2026
✔ 7 CPD hours - ESSA Accredited

End-of-Year Discount:
– $30 OFF with code EOY30
– Plus additional $75 OFF if you also enrol in the online Lumbar Rehab course

Self Paced. Easy to complete. Actually useful.

Click Link for More Info and To Register
https://medfit.co/online-courses-1

14/12/2025

Short. Clear. Evidence Based.
Everything you want in a CPD course - Nothing you don’t.

Shoulder Rehab Online → 7 CPD hours
Lumbar Rehab Online → 7 CPD hours

Perfect for clinicians who want fast clarity + practical reasoning skills they can use tomorrow.

Discount ends soon.
$30 off Shoulder PLUS $75 off Lumbar when you enroll in both.

Click Link for More Info and To Register
https://medfit.co/online-courses-1

Self-paced, evidence-driven learning designed to strengthen your clinical reasoning and assessment skills—before applying them in practice. 

09/12/2025

Shoulder and Lumbar presentations don’t need to feel confusing.

These courses teach you the exact reasoning frameworks I use in clinic so you can:
• identify patterns quickly
• choose safe starting points
• avoid flare-ups
• progress with confidence
• complete them whenever you want 2025 / 2026
• 7 CPD hours for each course

If you want clinical clarity, this is your CPD for the year.

Discount active until Dec 31.
– $30 OFF Either Course
– Plus additional $75 OFF if you enrol in both

Click Link for More Info and To Register
https://medfit.co/online-courses-1

07/12/2025

Still haven’t done your CPD? You’re not the only one…

Every year, thousands of clinicians hit December and realise…
“I still haven’t done my CPD.”

If that’s you — take a breath.
You can get it done now and actually learn something that improves your clinical confidence.

My Shoulder Rehab and Lumbar Rehab online courses are:
✔ concise
✔ structured
✔ evidence-based
✔ immediately useful
✔ complete them whenever you want
✔ 7 CPD hours each

End-of-Year Discount:
– $30 OFF Either Course
– Plus additional $75 OFF if you enrol in both

Start today → Feel better tomorrow.
Click Link for More Info and To Register

https://medfit.co/online-courses-1

01/08/2025

August Clinical Workshops – Shoulder & Cervical Spine Rehab
Heading to CANBERRA & PERTH

Ready to sharpen your clinical skills and level up your rehab outcomes?
Join me this August for a full-day, hands-on workshop designed specifically for rehab professionals looking to confidently manage shoulder and cervical / thoracic spine presentations.

📍 Canberra – Saturday August 9 (Shoulder Rehab)
📍 Perth – Saturday (Shoulder) & Sunday (Cervical), August 23–24

You’ll walk away with:
✅ A refresh on relevant pathophysiology
✅ Simple, effective clinical assessment techniques
✅ Real-world case studies to apply what you learn
✅ Clinical reasoning tools to prioritise & problem-solve
✅ Exercise progressions that actually translate to outcomes
✅ Time to practice and refine your skills before Monday hits

This workshop blends evidence, experience, and practicality—so it’s ready to use the moment you’re back in clinic.

Spaces are limited. DM me or pick your course and register via https://medfit.co/courses-2025 to secure your spot!

29/06/2025

Heading for Melbourne on July 5th (Malvern East) to present my Shoulder Rehab Intensive course -
A full day of shoulder biomechanics, injury presentation patterns, clinical assessment, rehab starting and progression points, and case based applications.
Designed for EPs & Ex Scientists with rehab completely in focus.
Heaps of Practical elements included & small group training - so will be geared to exactly what you need from the day.
8 CPD points and ESSA accredited.
EOFY discount with early bird rate maintained & Places still available.
Check it out and come and join us! https://medfit.co/courses-2025

08/06/2025

Brisbane and Melbourne Spine and Shoulder Rehab Courses are coming up super fast -

Time to move out of your online learning bubble and get back into practical skill development, network, ask questions, check your techniques, apply what your learning. We are in a profession where we are working with people., we need to be good at it - in person.

4 hour "just the prac" in Brisi in just a couple of weeks.
This is the Lumbar Rehab 1 prac elements focusing in on clinical assessment pre rehab and also early phase lumbo-pelvic stability assessment and sequencing to get a solid base to build on.
June 21 is the date for this one and it is likely to be in the north side of Brisbane.

Melbourne and Brisbane then follow with the Shoulder Rehab and Advanced Lumbar Rehab full day courses. Both 8 hours of CPD and can be pretty confident you will come out with a new perspective on working with shoulders and lumbar injury / pain or dysfunctional presentations.

These are designed for EPs / ExScientists, but I welcome other allied health rehab professionals to also attend including Osteos, Chiros and we do occasionally have a Physio coming along too. Cross professional collaboration in an educational space is always a brilliant experience.

More details for the rest of the country ahead but I have attached a summary of the sites
Website for more though -
https://medfit.co/courses-2025

01/06/2025

If you are prescribing exercise for people with shoulders and backs… whether in targeted rehab or simply as a secondary “niggle” then my shoulder and back rehab courses are designed with you in mind.

Let’s revisit your knowledge on sequential loading; your understanding of identifying your key starting points; your pattern recognition of injury presentations; your structural biomechanical and healing know how; and of course - how to pull it all together.

Warning - this Is not simply an academic exercise - this is what I do clinically and with practice - it works.

July is Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide - full day face to face, prac and theory; and a fair bit of fun.
Come and join us!

Details and registration links here -
https://medfit.co/courses-2025

01/06/2025

If you work with people - injured or not, well - they all have backs and shoulders - and a lot of them will have niggly pains.

So - Lets talk about progressive loading, tips to identify your key starting points for your clients, key injury characteristics that may impact your exercisese choices, and how to develop solid rehab plans that can deliver results time and time again.

Warning! This isnt just an academic exercise; this is how I clinically practice.

Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide are the “hot spots” for training In July.

My - Full Day (In person) Intensives focused on shoulder and advanced back rehab are heading to Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide through July.

Check out the website for more info.
Come and join us! It’s always fun!

https://medfit.co/courses-2025