What's New
Discover upcoming courses and special events happening in and around your area by clicking on the links below.
OAO Upcoming Courses & Events
Complimentary Pre-AMM Courses & 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner!
The Enigma of Dr. A.T. Still and Success of Osteopathy presented by Jason Haxton
The Philosophy and Mechanical Principles of Osteopathy – A Nine-year-old Boy with Wonky Teeth with Richard Douglas, D.O.
Join us for two great complimentary sessions and lunch before the Annual Members Meeting.
Location:
Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale
6750 Mississauga Rd,
Mississauga, ON L5N 2L3
Greenwich Room
Need a hotel room?
The Hotel booking deadline is April 2, 2024. OAO has negotiated a special rate of $169.00 per night, April 24 to April 28, 2024. Please book your hotel reservation today.
Click here to reserve your guest room.
Schedule
Course Description
The Enigma of Dr. A.T. Still and Success of Osteopathy presented by Jason Haxton
Link to Bio
10:00 am to 12:00 pm EST
- Discuss the historical perspectives of A.T. Still and how this perspective influences healthcare education.
- Discuss quotes and facts related to the development of osteopathy from Dr. Still’s observations in nature and research by early followers in the field.
- Review information that is subject to analysis and synthesis of material presented to deduce the growth of osteopathy as a healthcare profession focused on evidence based medicine.
The Philosophy and Mechanical Principles of Osteopathy – A Nine-year-old Boy with Wonky Teeth presented by Richard Douglas, D.O.
Link to Bio
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm EST
Have you ever read A.T Still's books, and had no idea what he meant? Yes, us too! Join the OAO Education Committee for three days with Richard Douglas, D.O. on the importance of why we should read Still's work, but also how to read it. Still used Webster's dictionary from 1828, and since then American English has changed immensely. Many of the words he used are used in the same context as they are today, leading to misinterpretation of the information he presented. Join us, April 26, 27, and 28th to learn how his writings from over a century ago can help us in our modern day-practices!
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2024 OAO Annual Members Meeting
NEW TIMING :The AMM takes place from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm on April 25, 2024
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING OF THE TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL OF THE COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MANUAL PRACTITIONERS OF ONTARIO O/A AS THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF OSTEOPATHIC MANUAL PRACTITIONERS
Thursday, April 25, 2024
To the Members:
Notice is hereby given that an Annual Members Meeting (AMM) of the members of the Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (the ‘Corporation’) will be held on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 3:00 pm EST for the purpose of:
- Considering and, if though advisable, passing resolutions regarding the following regular business:
- Presentation of the financial statements;
- Consideration of the Auditor’s Report;
- Appointment of the Auditor;
- Election of Directors*
- Transacting such further and other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
All members are cordially invited to attend the meeting. Active and Inactive Members of record at the close of business on April 19, 2024 have the right to exercise one vote and have the right to vote by proxy. Proxy holders must be a member of the Corporation entitled to vote and no single proxy holder shall hold more than two (2) proxies.
If you are unable to attend the AMM, please complete a proxy form in order to assist the OAO to achieve a quorum at the meeting to conduct Association business.
Please note that the Auditor’s Report (audited financial statements) will be made available to voting members only approximately two weeks prior to the AMM. The audited financial statements will be available in the Members Portal.
Sincerely,
Nancy Spence
President, Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (OAO)
On behalf of the Board of Directors
* Nominations must be in writing and delivered to the Corporation’s registered office not later than 5:00 pm EDT on April 19, 2024.
To attend the AMM in person or online, click the green register button below.
Important AMM Documents:
Click here to download a copy of the Nominations Form
Click here to download a copy of the Proxy Form
Earn CEU Hours
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for attending the Annual Members Meeting: Five (5)CEUs will be entered into your individual CEU online log by the OAO staff. You must remain online for the duration of the entire meeting.
ATTENDING THE ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING
To attend the AMM, members must register in advance. You have two options to attend the AMM. You may attend the AMM In-Person OR Online.
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The Philosophy and Mechanical Principles of Osteopathy, A User’s Guide
presented by Richard Douglas, D.O.
Friday, November 24, 2023, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm EST
Saturday, November 25, 2023, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm EST
Sunday, November 26, 2023, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm EST
The Hotel booking deadline is April 2, 2024. OAO has negotiated a special rate of $169.00 per night. Please book your hotel reservation today.
Location:
This course will take place in person at:
Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale
6750 Mississauga Rd,
Mississauga, ON L5N 2L3
We have secured a special rate of $169.00 per night.
Click here to reserve your guest room.
The Philosophy and Mechanical Principles of Osteopathy, A User's Guide
'If the Philosophy and Mechanical Principles of Osteopathy is a book written by A.T. Still and published in 1902, then what is the point of that book? Why did he write it, and can we actually use it today in our modern-day practice?
We take an in-depth look at the words he wrote and what they actually meant in Still's time. We then find ways to apply this in a modern-day casus from 2011, 'A Nine-Year Old Boy With Wonky Teeth.' After taking part in this webinar himself, Jason Haxton, director of the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine, stated, "It was a great presentation on Dr. Still's Osteopathy!"
Even during Still's lifetime, the definitions and context of the words he wrote changed drastically, and consequently, what we think we are reading isn't actually what was written. When we understand what these words actually mean, then we can begin to use them in practice. A whole new world opens in front of our eyes, the world of Still's Osteopathy applied in a modern-day case study.
The Philosophy and Mechanical Principles of Osteopathy is a book just like any other, written and then published in 1902, But somehow, it is hard to read. After many years of researching hundreds of words, Still wrote by using the dictionary that he referred to. I came to the shocking conclusion that what we think we are reading is not what is written. Why? Simply because the definitions and context of the words he used have changed, therefore they have different meanings to us, today, in our times.
Surely, if we are osteopaths, we should at least study the original philosophy and mechanical principles of our profession that Still himself described. Is that what we are really doing, or have we chosen to move on and leave all that old stuff behind us?
In order to really understand Still's own work, we must take the time and effort to understand his language. We journey into the new old world, which gives us the opportunity to start thinking differently.
Registration Fees
Member Rate: $895.00* + HST
Student Member Rate: $450.00* + HST
*Breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fees.
This course is open to Active, Inactive and Affiliate members.
Cancellation/Refund Policy
CEUs
This course is valued at 25.5 CE credits. 1 CEU for each hour of Study in Category A.
Speaker
Richard Douglas, D.O.
I have been practicing Osteopathy since 2008 and graduated from the full-time course at the I.A.O in Gent. I now live and work in Breda. Originally from the U.K. I left the U.K. at the age of 22 to go to the Netherlands to follow my dream of becoming a professional cyclist. After realizing that it wasn't meant to be, I remained in cycling by working with the Rabobank cycling team from 1998 to 2008. During my time there, I realized there was more to be achieved than just massaging tight muscles, so I went down the path called Osteopathy.
However, Osteopathy didn't make that much sense to me; admittedly, starting a full-time study at 30 years old was a struggle. I tried to be smart by reading Still's Philosophy and Mechanical Principles before I started my osteopathic training in 2002 to try to get a head start; I quickly realized that I had no clue what this book was about and that it wasn't going to help me,
The book ended up on the shelf, where it remained for many years. In 2011, I met this young boy; he had wonky teeth, and his mother asked me if I could do anything to help her son. My only option was to say, I'll have a look and see what I can do. I saw something that gave me an idea, I changed something and something amazing happened.
I was disappointed by the explanations that modern Osteopathy was trying to give for these changes that took place between June and November 2011—changes that were clear to see. It was only in 2016 that I happened to start reading The Philosophy and Mechanical Principles of Osteopathy again. For some strange reason, it started to make sense. I began to realize that we can use Still's work every day in our practice and that we don't realize what we're missing out on.
Years of research, not into history, but words and what they mean, have opened up this world of Stills' Osteopathy.
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Advertised Courses
Click here to access the OAO Course Disclaimer
General Osteopathic Treatment as pictured by JM. Littlejohn: Addressing the Neuroendocrine-Immune System. Part 1.
April 25 to April 28, 2024
Prerequisite: Osteopathic Practitioner or a Heal Care Practitioner currently studying Osteopathy
Instruction provided by Pascal Grolaux and Eric Sanderson
Maximum: 30 Participants
In this course, there will be an exploration of the concepts and techniques of JM Littlejohn. In addition, there will be a discussion on the neuroendocrine-immune system (NEIS), including a discussion on the role of the vagus nerve in that very important homeostatic system. Lastly, there will be a discussion of the role of evaluation of the vagus nerve using HRV, including the use of vagal stimulation as an adjunct therapy alongside osteopathic treatment.
Attendees will have the opportunity to study and learn from an internationally recognized authority on GOT, the neuroimmune system and vagal stimulation.
Learning Goals
1. Reviewing the philosophy and principles of the General Osteopathic (GOT) Treatment promoted by JM Littlejohn as a key part of Traditional Osteopathy.
2. Understanding the central autonomic network and the brain-heart axis.
3. Understanding the principles of neuroendocrine-immunology and inflammation with reference to the osteopathic centers.
4. Understanding the ANS anti-inflammatory reflexes with the central role of the vagus nerve.
5. Understanding the functions and roles of brain structures of the autonomic central network as well as the limbic system linked with pain, mental health, and inflammation.
6. Understanding short-term heart rate variability (HRV) analysis as a biomarker of the sympathovagal balance.
7. Practicing the GOT with emphasis on the neuroendocrine-immune system and its effect on HRV.
Lesson Content
1. You will review the General Osteopathic Treatment (GOT) as pictured by JM Littlejohn and promoted by J. Wernham.
2. You will understand the central autonomic network and its relation to the body systems (e.g., the brain-heart axis).
3. You will learn the basics of neuroendocrine-immune system bi-directional communication with the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in case of, e.g., autoimmune diseases, chronic pain syndrome, and mental health.
4. You will discover the osteopathic centers in relation to the neuroendocrine-immune system and will integrate them along the practice of the GOT.
5. You will understand how to perform osteopathic manipulative treatment along the practice of the GOT, specifically targeting the ANS and the immune system.
6. You will understand how the GOT, via relevant and appropriate general and specific techniques acts on these systems and will impact the sympathovagal balance as demonstrated by heart rate variability analysis.
Educational Objective:
1) Reviewing the philosophy and principles of the General Osteopathic (GOT) Treatment promoted by JM Littlejohn as a key part of Traditional Osteopathy.
2) Understanding the central autonomic network and the brain-heart- axis.
3) Understanding the principles of neuroendocrine-immunology and inflammation with reference to the osteopathic centers.
4) Understanding the ANS anti-inflammatory reflexes with the central role of the vagus nerve.
5) Understanding the functions and roles of brain structures of the autonomic central network as well as the limbic system linked with pain, mental health, and inflammation.
6) Understanding short-term heart rate variability (HRV) analysis as a biomarker of the sympathovagal balance.
7) Practicing of the GOT with emphasis on the neuroendocrine-immune system and its effect on HRV.
To contact the school, please email info@progressiveosteopathy.ca, or call 647-770-2967. To mail OAoPO, please address c/o Venn Med at 801 Eglinton Avenue West, Unit 201, Toronto, ON M5N1E3.
Type: In-Person
We are excited to have Gerald 'Gez' Lamb come back to Canada to share his knowledge and teach SAT 2 & 3, with Alain Dubreuil assisting him.Specific Adjusting Technique (S.A.T) 2 - Pre-Requisites: S.A.T 1 before taking S.A.T 2
Teacher: MR. GERALD LAMB D.O. (UK)
Assistant: M. ALAIN DUBREUIL, D.O. (QC)
Dates: May 24-26, 2024 (3 Days)
Venue: CMU
500 Shaftesbury Boulevard
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Specific Adjusting Technique (S.A.T) 3 - Pre-Requisites: S.A.T 2 before taking S.A.T 3
Teacher: MR. GERALD LAMB D.O. (UK)
Assistant: M. ALAIN DUBREUIL, D.O. (QC)
Dates: May 29- June 1, 2024 (4days)
Venue: CMU
500 Shaftesbury Boulevard
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Registration Link: https://www.osteopathymanitoba.org/specific-adjusting-technique
Having taken SAT 1, you are now familiar with the basics of SAT. You have an overview of the philosophy and practice, and you are capable of putting it into practice and learning from the process.
However, it is now time to hear it again with refinement and further practice and to discover that somehow you are hearing it in a different way and, therefore, putting it into action in a different way. This is the emphasis of SAT 2.
There will be multiple opportunities to appreciate what a pattern means, how it looks from person to person, how the variations in the presentation show themselves in a spinal configuration and how it moulds the approach you are going to take.
But then we introduce the concept of Tissue Fields and Levels of Function. This enables you to experience the intelligence of the body as it works through each tissue type, both in structure and function. To begin to experience a level of response from the body according to where you, the practitioner, place your awareness and experience the body responding in a profoundly effective way. Moving always by nature toward better health through better function of the tissues of the body.
Then, likewise, we experience the level at which the body is functioning, the depth of that function and how to communicate effectively with the intelligence that is seeking better balance. Although this goes a little beyond the original format of specific mobilization of the spine, it lends itself to a sublime interplay between the deeper intention within the body and the practitioner’s knowledge of how the spinal mechanics respond to specificity.
Moving on then to SAT 3, we develop the intention to be much less of ‘doing’ an osteopath and more of ‘being’ an osteopath. Where the skills are more the tools that we choose to suit the body’s needs, but our sense of being more in ourselves enables an outcome way beyond the mechanical.
We have witnessed many osteopaths on our courses achieve realizations that have enabled them to be truly creative with the whole concept of specificity. Where the deeper knowing within us as ‘spiritual beings having a human experience’ enables a relationship to be formed with the intelligence in the body which takes the results well beyond the norm of the technique.
We hope that you will be encouraged to join Alain and me in a truly collaborative process that will enhance your understanding of osteopathy and quicken your enthusiasm for what SAT may produce as a healing response within your patients.
We believe that SAT2 and 3, practised closely together, will give you the tools to become masters of this awe-inspiring approach to the osteopathic modality. Gez Lamb
Location
IN-PERSON - Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaIn this series of courses, Kai Mitchell, son of Dr. Fred Mitchell Jr. and grandson of Dr. Fred Mitchell Sr., continues the family tradition of osteopathic concept development and osteopathic technique instruction. This series commences with the Mitchell Muscle Energy Technique (MMET) courses, which have continued to be developed and refined by the Mitchells since its inception decades ago.
The program commences with a two-day pelvis course on April 20th and 21st, 2024. This is followed by MMET of the Cervical Spine and Upper Thoracic Spine on May 4th and 5th, 2024, and then by MMET of the Lower Thoracic Spine and Lumbar Spine on May 25th and 26th, 2024.
Lastly, in June, there is the 5-day-long Mitchell Method Assessment Course, which involves not only a review and further refinement of the previous material but also covers the integration of different models and modalities including, but not limited to MMET, Cranial Osteopathy, Mitchell’s Intra-Osseous Technique, Mitchell’s Respiratory Dyskinesia model and Dynamic Muscle Function model. Other modalities not included in the course but easily assimilated into this system include any therapy targeted to a manipulable condition specific to a particular region, including Jones Strain/Counterstrain, Chapman’s Neurolymphatic Reflexes, and other neurologic and neuroreflexogenic normalizations. The Mitchell Method Assessment course is scheduled for June 20th – 24th, 2024, inclusive.
The Mitchell Method Assessment Course provides an excellent opportunity to synthesize different technique modalities into one framework, especially when combined with the courses ‘Introduction to the Techniques and Theory of Traditional Osteopathy’ and ‘Introduction to Studies in Traditional Osteopathy’ as taught by Dr. John Coppinger DO, FAAO. Dr. Coppinger is teaching the first course, ‘Introduction to the Techniques and Theory of Traditional Osteopathy’, June 13th – 16th, 2024.
For more information on how to register, please click here: https://progressiveosteopathy.ca/contact-us/ or continue reading below.
Mitchell Muscle Energy Technique
As presented by Kai Mitchell, the Mitchell MET seminars are the culmination of three generations of continuous development, practice, and improvements to the MET system. This development has brought about a greater appreciation and understanding of MET concepts and mechanisms and has led to a more refined approach to the application and practice of the Muscle Energy Technique. Using a methodology that involves a process of disciplined observation and testing as part of the Mitchell Method MET system, the attendee will be able to understand and interpret physical findings, which will yield greater therapeutic efficacy and improved clinical results more efficiently and reliably. This continuous development of MET within the Mitchell family has resulted in MMET moving from being a collection of individual techniques for addressing muscle imbalances and arthrokinematic dysfunctions to being a more refined, organized, and comprehensive system of evaluation and treatment.
Part One of The Muscle Energy Technique seminar series starts with the occipito-atlantal joint and then proceeds to the rest of the cervical spine and the upper thoracic spine. There is the inclusion of a biomechanical discussion as well as detailed segmental evaluation and treatment.
Part Two of the series follows the same process and includes an evaluation of the thoracic vertebral segments and ribs, lumbar spine, lumbosacral junction, and rib cage.
Part Three of the series follows the same methodology and addresses the lumbar spine and pelvis. This course also includes a discussion of pelvic mechanics as part of the theory discussion.
Mitchell Method Assessment Course
Lastly, in June, there is the 5-day-long Mitchell Method Assessment Course, which involves not only a review and further refinement of the previous material but also covers the integration of different models and modalities including, but not limited to, MMET, Mitchell Rational Cranial Osteopathy, Mitchell’s Intra-Osseous Technique, Mitchell’s Respiratory Dyskinesia model and Dynamic Muscle Function Model. Other modalities not included in the course but easily assimilated into this system include any therapy targeted to a manipulable condition specific to a particular region, including Jones Strain/Counterstrain, Chapman’s Neurolymphatic Reflexes, and other neurologic and neuroreflexogenic normalizations. The Mitchell Method Assessment course is scheduled for June 20th – 24th, 2024. This course provides a comprehensive system and framework for structural head-to-toe evaluation, providing examples of clinical problem-solving utilizing the MET model as conceived by Dr. Mitchell. The course involves a discussion on the incorporation of the following techniques, above and beyond Muscle Energy Technique and Rational Cranial Osteopathy:
MITCHELL’s ACTIVE RESPIRATORY TECHNIQUE (ART) is a derivation of the Mitchell Method MET, which is focused solely on the evaluation and treatment of respiratory dyskinesia. There will be a description of what constitutes ‘respiratory dyskinesia’, as well as the clinical implications. While the force of contraction in some muscles may not be great in response to any single respiration, the fact that it occurs every time one inhales (estimated to be 16,000 to 22,000 times/day) can result in distorted mechanics and even an alteration in the shape of the associated bone. This technique provides a significant contribution to the practice of Manual Osteopathy, which seeks to identify and address the presence of respiratory dyskinesia, dysfunctions which have profound implications for cranial osteopathy, intraosseous strain, persistent pain pathologies, impaired movement patterns, etc. With Mitchell’s Respiratory Dyskinesia model and Dynamic Muscle Function model, we gain new and exciting developments in understanding muscle function and organization, bringing new possibilities for addressing neuromuscular impairments and pain.
MITCHELL INTRAOSSEOUS TECHNIQUE (MIT) is a stand-alone system that focuses on the manipulable deformations and strains within bone which, when present, result in many health impairments including, but not limited to, altered shape of the bony structure, osteokinematic distortion, impaired arthrokinematic, fibromyalgia-like symptomology, persistent inflammation, and may advance the progression of osteopenia/porosis. In addition, intraosseous strains likely impair many important physiologic processes that occur within bone, clearly a subject for future research.
Health Benefits for the Patient
The various restorations in health achieved with the above-mentioned interventions have beneficial effects on the following:
a) reducing structural stresses and inflammation when structural motion is improved and unimpaired;
b) reducing neurologic compromise and thereby improving feedback functions and regulation;
c) improving the body's respiratory functions, which in turn help to regulate pH in the body, allow for cellular respiration, and provide much-needed oxygen throughout the body;
d) circulatory function by reducing impediments to flow and – in conjunction with respiratory function – maintaining the optimal rate of flow in the venous system, which, based on the Bernoulli principle, more efficiently pulls interstitial fluid back in through capillary beds (allowing waste and toxins to be removed and nutrients to reach their targets at a cellular level);
e) improved lymphatic drainage and flow;
f) visceral function, which is dependent on all of the above functions and affected by structural impairments;
g) bone health and reduced structural stress on osseous elements; and finally,
h) the body's ability to more successfully adapt and compensate for impairments acquired and stresses endured.
Location
Toronto, Ontario, CanadaApril 24, May 1, 8, and 15 from 7:00pm to 9:30pm Eastern
Without anatomy, emotions do not exist. Learn how the human body stores emotion in postural and physical patterns to better understand your clients, make your physical treatments more effective, and get outstanding results! Through this online course, take your clinical practice to the next level by deepening your understanding of the anatomy of emotions. If you're looking for longer-lasting clinical results with your patients, all while empowering them to find deeper healing in their lives, understanding emotional anatomy will be a game-changer!
Head to www.genevievezizzo.com/emotionalanatomy to learn more & register.
If you have any questions, please email us at info@fchn.ca, and we'll respond as soon as possible.