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Home
- Dr Jo Abbott, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons)
- What is Clinical Biomechanics?
Publications
HODA-A™
The Body Systems™ App
- About The Body Systems™ App
  - Back Pain Systems™
Services
Events
Resources
- Shop
- Videos

Publication Library HODA-A™

HODA-A™

Hands-on assessment as measurement — perceptual calibration, reliability, and the science behind the hands.

HODA-A™ The Body Systems™ App The Clinical Functional Health Library™ Movement & Biomechanics Research & Evidence Patient Reading Room

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Latest from Dr Jo Abbott.

Movement education, clinical reflections, researcg updates and practical ideas for people rebuilding confidence in their body.

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Clinical insights, movement tips and behind-the-scenes moments from the clinic.

Stiff. According to whom?

You said it this week. So did I. Said with confidence, written in the notes, treated as a finding.

But stiff is a measurement without a scale. Stiff compared with what? The other side, the last patient, or what your hands expected to find?

What "stiff" actually was: resistance you felt, at a force you did not measure, at a speed you did not choose deliberately, with hands at a temperature you did not check, through an expectation you carried into the room.

Stiffness is a property of the tissue. "Stiff" is a judgement made by an instrument. The instrument is you.

That is not a criticism. Every clinical finding you have ever produced passed through one instrument, and nobody has ever checked it.

Try this with your next patient: before you say stiff, say what you compared it with and how sure you are. "Firmer than the left. Moderate confidence. First contact of the day."

Over the next ten weeks I am showing the work behind HODA-A™: what I have built this year and where it is going.

What is the word you use most and have never defined? I read every reply.

#HODAA #manualtherapy #palpation #clinicalreasoning #osteopathy #physiotherapy #sportstherapy #massagetherapy

3 0

Open post by drjoabbottphd with ID 18174904993449000

Stiff. According to whom?

You said it this week. So did I. Said with confidence, written in the notes, treated as a finding.

But stiff is a measurement without a scale. Stiff compared with what? The other side, the last patient, or what your hands expected to find?

What "stiff" actually was: resistance you felt, at a force you did not measure, at a speed you did not choose deliberately, with hands at a temperature you did not check, through an expectation you carried into the room.

Stiffness is a property of the tissue. "Stiff" is a judgement made by an instrument. The instrument is you.

That is not a criticism. Every clinical finding you have ever produced passed through one instrument, and nobody has ever checked it.

Try this with your next patient: before you say stiff, say what you compared it with and how sure you are. "Firmer than the left. Moderate confidence. First contact of the day."

Over the next ten weeks I am showing the work behind HODA-A™: what I have built this year and where it is going.

What is the word you use most and have never defined? I read every reply.

#HODAA #manualtherapy #palpation #clinicalreasoning #osteopathy #physiotherapy #sportstherapy #massagetherapy

Stiff. According to whom?

You said it this week. So did I. Said with confidence, written in the notes, treated as a finding.

But stiff is a measurement without a scale. Stiff compared with what? The other side, the last patient, or what your hands expected to find?

What "stiff" actually was: resistance you felt, at a force you did not measure, at a speed you did not choose deliberately, with hands at a temperature you did not check, through an expectation you carried into the room.

Stiffness is a property of the tissue. "Stiff" is a judgement made by an instrument. The instrument is you.

That is not a criticism. Every clinical finding you have ever produced passed through one instrument, and nobody has ever checked it.

Try this with your next patient: before you say stiff, say what you compared it with and how sure you are. "Firmer than the left. Moderate confidence. First contact of the day."

Over the next ten weeks I am showing the work behind HODA-A™: what I have built this year and where it is going.

What is the word you use most and have never defined? I read every reply.

#HODAA #manualtherapy #palpation #clinicalreasoning #osteopathy #physiotherapy #sportstherapy #massagetherapy

3 0

We usually file "the therapeutic relationship" and "assessment accuracy" in different drawers. They belong in the same one.

A guarded nervous system presents different tissue. Trust changes tone, breath and movement — which means how you attend to the person changes the data their body makes available. Care ethics isn`t the soft side of practice; it`s signal quality.

This is Modules 3 and 4 territory in HODA-A™ Level 1 — sensorimotor memory and Care Ethicist Attunement. The full framework trains the instrument and the relationship together.

Cohort begins 30 November — enrolment is open, link in bio. And thank you to everyone who came to yesterday`s webinar sittings — the questions were exactly why I run them live. If you want to keep that conversation going, the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum is the place clinicians discuss their practice between times. Also in bio.

#ManualTherapy #CareEthics #TherapeuticRelationship #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #MassageTherapy

4 1

Open post by drjoabbottphd with ID 18092840993221713

We usually file "the therapeutic relationship" and "assessment accuracy" in different drawers. They belong in the same one.

A guarded nervous system presents different tissue. Trust changes tone, breath and movement — which means how you attend to the person changes the data their body makes available. Care ethics isn't the soft side of practice; it's signal quality.

This is Modules 3 and 4 territory in HODA-A™ Level 1 — sensorimotor memory and Care Ethicist Attunement. The full framework trains the instrument and the relationship together.

Cohort begins 30 November — enrolment is open, link in bio. And thank you to everyone who came to yesterday's webinar sittings — the questions were exactly why I run them live. If you want to keep that conversation going, the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum is the place clinicians discuss their practice between times. Also in bio.

#ManualTherapy #CareEthics #TherapeuticRelationship #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #MassageTherapy

We usually file "the therapeutic relationship" and "assessment accuracy" in different drawers. They belong in the same one.

A guarded nervous system presents different tissue. Trust changes tone, breath and movement — which means how you attend to the person changes the data their body makes available. Care ethics isn`t the soft side of practice; it`s signal quality.

This is Modules 3 and 4 territory in HODA-A™ Level 1 — sensorimotor memory and Care Ethicist Attunement. The full framework trains the instrument and the relationship together.

Cohort begins 30 November — enrolment is open, link in bio. And thank you to everyone who came to yesterday`s webinar sittings — the questions were exactly why I run them live. If you want to keep that conversation going, the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum is the place clinicians discuss their practice between times. Also in bio.

#ManualTherapy #CareEthics #TherapeuticRelationship #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #MassageTherapy

4 1

When were your hands last calibrated?

Three weeks ago I opened this series with that question. If it has stayed with you — if you`ve caught yourself mid-assessment wondering what your hands are actually measuring — then you already know whether this work is for you.

The HODA-A™ Level 1 Perceptual Calibration Certification begins 31 August: sixteen guided weeks, around three hours a week, online with live integration sessions, and lifetime access to the learning afterwards.

Early-bird enrolment — £645 rather than £795, code HODAAEB_3_150 — closes tomorrow, Sunday 25 October https://drjoabbott.com/course/hoda-a-level-1-perceptual-calibration-certification/. After that the standard price applies, with no drama and no countdown. This is simply the courtesy reminder.

Link in bio. And whatever you decide, thank you for thinking alongside me these three weeks.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #Palpation

2 0

Open post by drjoabbottphd with ID 17863135107679465

When were your hands last calibrated?

Three weeks ago I opened this series with that question. If it has stayed with you — if you've caught yourself mid-assessment wondering what your hands are actually measuring — then you already know whether this work is for you.

The HODA-A™ Level 1 Perceptual Calibration Certification begins 31 August: sixteen guided weeks, around three hours a week, online with live integration sessions, and lifetime access to the learning afterwards.

Early-bird enrolment — £645 rather than £795, code HODAAEB_3_150 — closes tomorrow, Sunday 25 October https://drjoabbott.com/course/hoda-a-level-1-perceptual-calibration-certification/. After that the standard price applies, with no drama and no countdown. This is simply the courtesy reminder.

Link in bio. And whatever you decide, thank you for thinking alongside me these three weeks.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #Palpation

When were your hands last calibrated?

Three weeks ago I opened this series with that question. If it has stayed with you — if you`ve caught yourself mid-assessment wondering what your hands are actually measuring — then you already know whether this work is for you.

The HODA-A™ Level 1 Perceptual Calibration Certification begins 31 August: sixteen guided weeks, around three hours a week, online with live integration sessions, and lifetime access to the learning afterwards.

Early-bird enrolment — £645 rather than £795, code HODAAEB_3_150 — closes tomorrow, Sunday 25 October https://drjoabbott.com/course/hoda-a-level-1-perceptual-calibration-certification/. After that the standard price applies, with no drama and no countdown. This is simply the courtesy reminder.

Link in bio. And whatever you decide, thank you for thinking alongside me these three weeks.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #Palpation

2 0

To everyone who came last night — thank you. The questions were exactly the kind this work needs: honest, curious, and occasionally uncomfortable in the best way.

For those who missed it: there`s no recording — the webinars are live only, deliberately — but the thinking continues in the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum, and the next session runs in September https://drjoabbott.com/hoda-a-webinars/.

The question I was asked most often last night, in various forms, was "so how do I actually start?" The honest answer: Level 1. Sixteen guided weeks, beginning 30 November. Everything else in bio.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #CPD

2 1

Open post by drjoabbottphd with ID 17880505671529379

To everyone who came last night — thank you. The questions were exactly the kind this work needs: honest, curious, and occasionally uncomfortable in the best way.

For those who missed it: there's no recording — the webinars are live only, deliberately — but the thinking continues in the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum, and the next session runs in September https://drjoabbott.com/hoda-a-webinars/.

The question I was asked most often last night, in various forms, was "so how do I actually start?" The honest answer: Level 1. Sixteen guided weeks, beginning 30 November. Everything else in bio.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #CPD

To everyone who came last night — thank you. The questions were exactly the kind this work needs: honest, curious, and occasionally uncomfortable in the best way.

For those who missed it: there`s no recording — the webinars are live only, deliberately — but the thinking continues in the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum, and the next session runs in September https://drjoabbott.com/hoda-a-webinars/.

The question I was asked most often last night, in various forms, was "so how do I actually start?" The honest answer: Level 1. Sixteen guided weeks, beginning 30 November. Everything else in bio.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #CPD

2 1

Your hands don`t record tissue. They ask it questions.

Palpation is active, not passive — a perception–action loop shaped by your state, your attention and your expectations. Which is exactly why the instrument doing the asking deserves deliberate calibration.

And a quiet housekeeping note: early-bird enrolment for HODA-A™ Level 1 (£645, standard £795 — code HODAAEB_3_150) closes this Sunday, 25 October. The cohort begins 30 November. Details in bio.

#ManualTherapy #Palpation #ActiveTouch #Interoception #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy

6 1

Open post by drjoabbottphd with ID 18115521688763117

Your hands don't record tissue. They ask it questions.

Palpation is active, not passive — a perception–action loop shaped by your state, your attention and your expectations. Which is exactly why the instrument doing the asking deserves deliberate calibration.

And a quiet housekeeping note: early-bird enrolment for HODA-A™ Level 1 (£645, standard £795 — code HODAAEB_3_150) closes this Sunday, 25 October. The cohort begins 30 November. Details in bio.

#ManualTherapy #Palpation #ActiveTouch #Interoception #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy

Your hands don`t record tissue. They ask it questions.

Palpation is active, not passive — a perception–action loop shaped by your state, your attention and your expectations. Which is exactly why the instrument doing the asking deserves deliberate calibration.

And a quiet housekeeping note: early-bird enrolment for HODA-A™ Level 1 (£645, standard £795 — code HODAAEB_3_150) closes this Sunday, 25 October. The cohort begins 30 November. Details in bio.

#ManualTherapy #Palpation #ActiveTouch #Interoception #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy

6 1

"Manual assessment is not just touch. It is measurement through a calibrated human instrument."

If you`ve followed this week — the kicker, the posts, the missing feedback loop — this line is where it all lands.

Your hands are already an instrument. The only question is whether the instrument gets the same care we give every other piece of measurement equipment in the clinic.

The conversation continues in the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum — and enrolment for the 30 November Level 1 cohort is open. All links in bio.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #Palpation

0 1

Open post by drjoabbottphd with ID 18155387437504058

"Manual assessment is not just touch. It is measurement through a calibrated human instrument."

If you've followed this week — the kicker, the posts, the missing feedback loop — this line is where it all lands.

Your hands are already an instrument. The only question is whether the instrument gets the same care we give every other piece of measurement equipment in the clinic.

The conversation continues in the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum — and enrolment for the 30 November Level 1 cohort is open. All links in bio.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #Palpation

"Manual assessment is not just touch. It is measurement through a calibrated human instrument."

If you`ve followed this week — the kicker, the posts, the missing feedback loop — this line is where it all lands.

Your hands are already an instrument. The only question is whether the instrument gets the same care we give every other piece of measurement equipment in the clinic.

The conversation continues in the HODA-A™ Clinical Reasoning Forum — and enrolment for the 30 November Level 1 cohort is open. All links in bio.

#ManualTherapy #ClinicalReasoning #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #Palpation

0 1

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Updates, articles and conversations from the clinic and community.

Dr Jo Abbott - PhD

"After 30 years as a hands-on therapist, I can honestly say this is the most impactful course I've ever done." — Teresa, sports therapist, New Zealand (Cohort 1)

That's the point of all of it. Not a certificate — a different relationship with your own hands.

Nine modules over sixteen guided weeks: Human Perception, Interoception, Sensorimotor Memory Stimulation, Care Ethicist Attunement, Cross-Modal Judgements & Neuroplasticity, Mechanoreceptor Activation, Intuition & Pattern Literacy, Sensorimotor Integration, Somatosensory Interpretation — then integration, consolidation, and a lifetime of access to return to it all.

The next cohort begins a week on Monday, 30 November. Link in bio — and if you're weighing it up and want to talk it through first, book a free 15-minute call with me and we'll work out together whether it's your season: drjoabbott.com/free-consultation-dr-jo-abbott/ ...

After 30 years as a

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Dr Jo Abbott - PhD

A question for the group, and an invitation for tomorrow.

The question: what state is your instrument in when you assess? Honestly — do you check? Between a heavy caseload, running late, and the last difficult patient, most of us assess in whatever state we arrive in. If the instrument's state is part of the reading, that's worth sitting with.

I'd love to hear whether anyone has a deliberate way of settling before they assess — a breath, a pause, a routine. No judgement if the answer is "nothing" — that was my answer too for many years.

The invitation: I'm teaching the free HODA-A™ webinar — hands-on assessment as a measurement process, the clinician as the instrument, and what calibration actually involves. drjoabbott.com/hoda-a-webinars/

Sixty minutes, live only, no recording. If you've been enjoying these conversations, this is where it all comes together: calendly.com/drjoabbott/hoda-a-webinar-presentation ...

A question for the g

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Dr Jo Abbott - PhD

I'm teaching the ideas behind this series, live.

Hands-on assessment as a measurement process — not a technique debate. Validity before reliability. The clinician as an instrument, and what it takes to calibrate one. The thinking that sits underneath HODA-A™, in 60 minutes.

Tuesday 15th September, 8am UK. Free, live only — no recording — and capped at 30 places so there's room for real questions.

Register here: calendly.com/drjoabbott/hoda-a-webinar-presentation
Or more dates: drjoabbott.com/hoda-a-webinars/

#ManualTherapy #Physiotherapy #Osteopathy #ClinicalReasoning #CPD ...

Im teaching the idea

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Dr Jo Abbott

Clinical biomechanics. Functional health. Back Pain Systems™ and HODA-A.

Rebuilding pain care through movement, measurement and whole-person systems.

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