Every student is obliged to complete each module of the program which includes approximately 9 in-person courses per year and the online content. The online content includes approximately one 4-8 days of online course content per year, including attached examinations.
Prices
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Osteopathy Courses: $1100.00/per module
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Pathophysiology Modules: $200.00/per module
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Functional Neurology Modules: $600.00/per module
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Palpation: $600.00/per class
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Orthopaedics: $1100.00/online class and in person training. This course is provided in a hybrid format. The lecture is online and the in person training is done as a series of day long sessions on the school premises.
- Please note that the $1100.00 price for osteopathic modules above is for OAoPO students only, professional pricing is $1300.00 per osteopathic module.
Program Overview
Year 1
The first year of the program is dedicated to teaching osteopathic fundamentals, including: biomechanics, palpation, the concepts behind osteopathic techniques, movement, osteopathic exercises, the beginning of a detailed study of the connective tissue, and the nervous system.
During the first year, all the basic concepts of the OAoPO program are introduced. The first-year curriculum revolves around the study of the joints, the musculoskeletal system, the “frame of the abdomen,” the pelvis, and the diaphragm.
Students are taught concepts on how to mobilize the tissues of the patient, as well as how to position themselves and move their own bodies efficiently. The curriculum also includes classical osteopathic courses, such as Muscle Energy Technique (taught by the founders of the technique, the Mitchells), and Strain/Counterstrain (taught by Lino Cedros).
One of our unique first-year courses is our evaluation course, in which students learn how to access the position of the abdominal organs and then we use an ultrasound to verify and show their palpation. This is one of the most important courses of the whole program and is the basis for all of our visceral studies in the later years.
Year 2
In the second year of the program, the concepts of kinetic chains are explored in-depth. Within that exploration, there are continued studies in osteopathic assessment, induction and inhibition testing, discussions on how kinetic chains are constructed, as well as the different types of chains. During the second year, all the superficial and deep fascia of the body are covered, and we introduce the first cranial courses.
Our approach to the connective tissue and the nervous system is a well-thought-out continuous approach, in which the methodology for all of the connective tissue in the body is the same, and the differences lie not in the location of the tissue, but in the type of tissue. In OAoPO, the “technique” is dependent on the tissue’s anatomy and physiology; we believe “what” the student is addressing is as important, if not more important, than “where.” Terms like “cranial work” or “visceral work” are seen not only as redundant, but also misleading. Our students learn about the behavior of the connective tissue and nervous system, and how to address their very complex relationship.
Year 3
In the third year, students return to an in-depth study of the joints and the abdomen with courses devoted to the connective tissue of the abdominal organs and to the deep connective tissue of the joints. Exercises are explored again as part of a system of addressing every connective tissue in the body. We also include another classic osteopathic technique called Chapman’s Reflexes, which is a neurolymphatic technique that will be part of an osteopathic examination for nervous system treatment.
Year 4
The fourth year features an in-depth look at the principles behind normalizations of the entire spine and the thoracic viscera. There are advanced courses in neurolymphatic and neurovascular reflexes, including Chapman’s points, as well as other manual techniques to facilitate inhibition or stimulation of the nervous system, including the enteric nervous system.
By the end of the fourth year, the students have learned a very significant amount of the treatment concepts taught at OAoPO, and have spent a significant amount of time in the student clinic as practitioners. The exam at the end of the fourth year is the hardest of the program, as the cumulation of each student’s knowledge and skills will be tested in preparation for the fifth and final year.
Year 5
The fifth year offers all of the most technically challenging courses of the program. Fifth year students are challenged to develop their skills to a level of excellence that we believe makes our graduates the most skilled and most educated new graduates in the world.
OAoPO believes that if a student has reached the fifth year, then the student has more than demonstrated his/her ability to perform at a high level. Therefore, Year 5 is about consolidating and perfecting skills, as well as personalizing each student’s own individual approach. The emphasis of the year is on honing and perfecting clinical skills and developing a high level of anatomical and physiological knowledge. We highly recommend that students choose a specialty program to pursue by the time they reach the end of their fifth year.
Courses:
The study of the joints:
- Introduction to Joint Normalization for the Appendicular and Axial Skeleton (2 courses)
- Muscle Energy Technique Part A the cervical spine (2 day course)
- Muscle Energy Technique Part B the thoracic spine and ribs (2 day course)
- Muscle Energy Technique Part A the lumbar spine and pelvis (2 day course)
- Exercises for the Kinetic Chains (2 courses)
- Advanced evaluation and treatment of the pelvis part A
- Advanced evaluation and treatment of the pelvis part A
The system of diaphragms:
- Evaluation and Treatment of the Thoracic Diaphragm
- The Cervicothoracic Diaphragm
- Evaluation and Treatment of the Lesser Pelvis and Pelvic Floor
Connective Tissue Studies, Including Cranial Treatment:
- Connective Tissue Treatment Introduction and Temporal Bone
- Kinetic Chains of the extremities, and axial skeleton including
- Lower Extremity Kinetic Chains
- Upper Extremity Kinetic Chains
- Kinetic Chains of the Trunk
- Kinetic Chains of the Cranial Base
- Kinetic Chains of the Cranial Vault
Advanced Cranial Studies:
- Advanced Cranial Part A: The dura mater and the trigeminovascular system
- Advanced Cranial Part B: The venous sinuses, ventricles and the intracranial fluid homeostatic mechanisms.
NeuroReflexogenic Studies:
- Strain/CounterStrain
- Pottinger’s Segmental Innervation
- Chapman’s Neurolymphatic Reflexes
- Bennett’s Neurovascular Reflexes
Visceral Studies:
- Visceral evaluation
- Abdominal Visceral treatment Part A
- Abdominal Visceral treatment Part B
- Abdominal Visceral treatment Part C - The non-digestive organs
- Rib Cage Visceral treatment Part A
- Rib Cage Visceral treatment Part B
Resources and Hours
Online Course Content:
- 40+ Hours
Class Times:
- Day 1 and Day 2 – 10am to 6pm
- Day 3 and Day 4 – 9am to 5pm
All materials and manuals are provided in our online classroom, including a reference book list. Almost all material for the duration of 5 years will be provided in an online format to facilitate students access and reduce costs involved with the dozens of resource materials.