If you have an interest in treating digestive problems of the 

Upper GI Tract using Visceral Manual Therapy, this  course  is for you!


This course is Part 2 of our Visceral Osteopathy Series where you will learn to treat dysfunctions of the Aesophagus &  Diaphragm, as part of your learning approaches to treating the Upper Gastro-Intestinal Tract. 

You will learn about the mechanics of Acid Reflux & GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease), how to locate the important reflex areas of the Aesophagus and Diaphragm, how dysfuntions of these organs  contributes to acid reflux and breathing difficultiest, and how to treat both areas successfully using gentle visceral techniques to relieve the symptoms of many Upper GI complaints, and without medication.

How this course works:

This is a four module course with one module being released each week for four weeks. Each module is very complete containing several sections of audio lessons, text, demonstration and training Videos and a Quiz.  This makes your learning throughout the course to be never  boring, but rather, a constantly engaging multi-modality format.

There is a hands-on practice homework section at the end of the course where you can download copies of the Treatment Techniques and Protocols that you will practice in order t be eligible for a Certificate of Completion.

Pre-Requisites:

The short course Foundations of Visceral Osteopathy is a pre-requisite before enrolling in this full length course.   It will teach you the foundational principles that govern the movement and function of the digestive organs.  You will need this basic knowledge in order to fully benefit from any further courses in the Visceral Osteopathy series.

Click here to go to the Foundations of Visceral Osteopathy course page

How this Course Works:

First, you will learn the Functional Anatomy of the Aesophagus and movement of the Diaphragm.  

Next you will learn how to assess and  palpate your clients for signs of Upper Gastro Intestinal Dysfunction. 

Using demonstration videos of techniques to treat some of the most common Upper GI conditions in both seated and supine positions that you can watch over and over for up to one year, you will practice assessing and treating common dysfunctions of the Upper Gastro Intestinal Tract to provide immediate symptomatic relief to your clients and patients. 

Homework assignments to practice both assessing and treating upper GI Dysfunctions earn you 10 CEU/CPD hours. 

A Certificate of Completion is awarded after successfully completing the quiz and submitting all homework assignments.


The mechanics of the Upper GI System are complex, so understanding them is crucial to providing effective treatment.


Thankfully, your Instructor has the unique gift of being able to explain complex concepts is easy to understand ways. 


The Upper GI Tract is an area where many conflicting forces, including mechanical traction, meet. The esopha­gus and upper part of the stomach are affected simultaneously by the  negative pressure within the thorax and the positive pressure within the  abdomen, leading to a variety of mechanical pathol­ogies in this region. 


In this course you will learn how the organs of the upper gastro intestinal tracts intersect and affect each other.


You will also learn to master the evaluation and treatment of them successfully to provide your patients with reliefs from common conditions such as :


Reflux


Indigestion


Breathing Difficulties


and more...


A copy of the desktop version PDF of the Workbook is available for download at the end of the course.

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    INTRO Welcome from author

  • 2

    Module 1.1 Functional Anatomy, Referred Pain Pathways & Dermatomes of the GI Tract

  • 3

    1.2 Training Video - Locating Dermatomes

    • 1.3 Demonstration Video - Locating the Anterior & Posterior Dermatomes of the Upper GI Tract

    • Download - Practicing Locating the Upper GI Organs & their Dermatomes

    • Did you do our Hands-On Practice ?
  • 4

    Module 1.3 Goals of the Upper GI Osteopathic Treatment and Common Symptoms

  • 5

    Module 1 Quiz

    • Module 1 Quiz
  • 6

    Module 2.1 Functional Anatomy & Physiologic Motion of the Aesophagus & its Sphincters

  • 7

    Module 2.2 Acid Reflux Treatment Techniques

    • 2.2 Introducing Acid Reflux Treatment Techniques

    • 2.2 Explanation - Testing for Myofascial Restrictions in the Gastro- Esophageal Area

    • 2.2 Training Video - Assessing for Myofascial Restrictions in the Gastro-Esophageal Area

    • 2.2 Releasing Myofascial Restrictions in the Gastroesophageal Junction - Explanation

    • 2.2 Training Video - Treating Myofascial Restrictions in the Gastro-Esophageal Area

    • 2.2 Explanation - Anterior Thoracic Fascia Release

    • 2.2 Training Video - Anterior Thoracic Fascia Release
  • 8

    Module 2 Quiz

    • Module 2 Quiz
  • 9

    Module 3.1 Gastro- Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Acid Reflux by another name

    • 3.1.1 Introduction to GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease

      FREE PREVIEW

    • 3.1.2 Understanding the Medical Context and Your Role in Treating GERD

    • 3.1.2 What is our treatment goal in helping GERD & Acid Reflux?

    • 3.1.3 How Dysfunctions of the Diaphragm contribute to Acid Reflux

    • Symptoms of Gastric Reflux due to Pharyngeal or Laryngeal Irritation

    • How does Visceral Osteopathy positively affect the mechanics AND the biochemistry of the aesophagus and stomach?

  • 10

    Module 3.2 Postural & Myofascial Causes of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

    • Introduction to the Postural Causes of GERD

    • 3.2.2 Reflux and Torsions of the Body or Spine

    • 3.2.3 Cycles of Decompensation of the Body that can cause Reflux
  • 11

    Module 3 Quiz

    • Module 3 Quiz

  • 12

    Module 4.1 Functional Anatomy of The Thorax & Diaphragm

    • Functional Anatomy of the Thorax & Diaphragm

    • The Progressive Movements of the Diaphragm and Thorax During Pulmonary Breathing

    • Lateral Expansion of the Thorax & Diaphragm during Mobilization

    • Everyday Causes & Symptoms of a Restricted Diaphragm
  • 13

    Module 4.2 Pulmonary & Diaphragmatic Breathing

    • 4.2.1 Diaphragmatic Breathing and its Affects on the Function of the Aesophagus

    • 4.2.2 Movement of the Stomach along with Movement of the Diaphragm
  • 14

    Module 4.3 Palpation & Treatment of the Diaphragm

    • 4.3.1 Intro to Training Videos - How Visceral Osteopathy can re-establish the functional equilibrium of the diaphragm

    • How the audio and video lessons will help your learning experience

    • Explanation - Testing for Restrictions within the Diaphragm Muscles (Anterior Supine Position)

    • Training Video -Testing for Restrictions Within the Diaphragm Muscles (Anterior Supine Position)

    • Explanation - Anterior Supine Techniques to Stretch and Release the Diaphragm Muscles

    • Training Video - Anterior Supine Techniques to Stretch and Release the Diaphragm Muscles

    • Explanation - Myofascial Stretch of the Lateral Borders of the Diaphragm

    • TRAINING VIDEO - Myofascial Stretch of the Lateral Borders of the Diaphragm

    • Explanation - Using Vibration in a Seated Technique to Release the Abdominal Diaphragm

    • Training Video - Using Vibration in a Seated Technique to Release the Abdominal Diaphragm

  • 15

    Module 4. Advanced Upper GI Techniques

  • 16

    Homework Assignments

    • How to Practice the techniques you learned and what is required of you for your homework assignments
  • 17

    About your Instructor

    • Maureen Norah Maher, BA, DO(Qc), DOMP Osteopath Practitioner and Educator

    • How to Contact us

About the instructor

Educational Director & Instructor

Maureen Hannah Maher

Since Maureen began teaching, she found that not only does she have a natural gift for it (her parents were both teachers, so let hear it for genetics!), she found that she also holds a great desire to give back to the community and a profession that has been so fulfilling to her, and share over twenty years of acquired experience and knowledge.   Maureen brings extensive knowledge in Osteopathy  to her educational seminars.  Throughout her career which began in Montreal in 2003, Maureen has been an accredited member in good standing in several provinces across Canada, including the CPMDQ (Quebec), OsteopathyBC (British Columbia), OFOP (Ontario) and SCMMAC (Quebec). Like many classically trained Manual Osteopaths in Canada, Maureen wrote a thesis as part of her Osteopathy training. Hers was within the field of Cranial Osteopathy, on the Prevalence of Muscle and Myofascial Chain Link Dysfunctions and the Temporal Bone. Maureen was also an Associate Overseas member of the Australian Osteopathic Association (AOA) from 2008 to 2011.  After undergoing accreditation evaluation for foreign trained Osteopaths in Perth, Western Australia, Maureen was offered a position in one of Singapore's leading Osteopathic Clinics, giving her the distinction of having been the first Canadian trained Osteopath to be approved to practice  in South East Asia.   Right before the worldwide economic collapse in 2010, Maureen was offered a position in Shanghai China, which required accreditation with the GOSC, UK, which she began, but as prevailing economic conditions worsened, the position was put on hold, and Maureen decided instead to settled in Toronto, Canada, where after reluctantly accepting a poorly paid teaching contract, her students began asking her to design courses in more specialized subjects within Osteopathy, including Women's Health and Pediatrics.  It was not long after that Maureen founded the Center for Continuing Education of Osteopathy & Manual Therapy where she continued to innovate every day! Today, Maureen still teaches continuing education courses in specialized fields of Osteopathic Manual Therapy. Her students say that Maureen's teaching style is animated, engaging, but most importantly, informative.  Her gift lies in communicating complex theories in simple terms and analogies.  Her students come away with a clear grasp of Osteopathic concepts for treatment, and practical knowledge of how to apply them.  In more recent years, Maureen has created online versions of some of her most popular courses, and it is thanks to this new era of online learning that Osteopaths throughout Canada and throughout the world have been able to use Maureen's teachings and treatment protocols to help women, infants, and the general public find relief from the bodily dysfunctions that are so amenable to osteopathic manual treatments. Practitioners who enroll in any of our continuing education courses can contact Maureen at any time by email or pre-arranged phone call with clinical questions.  As a result, many Osteopaths worldwide still consult with her today regarding challenging Osteopathy cases.  

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