This is a compulsory module! Exemption to this course will be given to those who have already attended and successfully completed a 40-day Fundamentals course in "Osteopathy in the Cranial Field” by an approved teaching body, like the SCTF of ANZ, SCTF (USA), Cranial Academy (US), Sutherland Cranial College (UK), or similar. However, we strongly recommend that you do this course, even if you have done a Fundamentals course previously, as it covers information not included in these fundamental courses!

This module, in brief, will cover the following:

• Biodynamic Embryologic Formative and Developmental Movements and how they relate to Osteopathic assessment and treatment rationale; this will explore the development of the embryo with particular emphasis on how the central nervous and cardiovascular systems of the embryo form and the link between the central nervous system, the heart, diaphragm and liver form – “The first 8 weeks of embryological development are the most important to understand! Every organ has formed by then!”

• The anatomy, physiology and embryology of the development of the Primary Respiratory Mechanism in detail, with special emphasis on the cranial base and vault - the face will be included, but it will be covered in more detail in Module 2

Course Outcomes - brief: This course is to prepare the student to enter the study of osteopathic paediatrics with a particular emphasis on the application of Osteopathy in the Cranial Field. It will teach the basic sciences as well as the clinical palpatory skills to enable the osteopath to be able to palpate, assess and treat the cranial base, vault, the core link and the major diaphragms of the body. It will also cover the necessary base line assessments of how the potency within expresses itself. The osteopath will learn to feel the ebb and flow throughout the body, the balance between the diaphragms of the body from pelvis to tentorium, the coiling and uncoiling of the central nervous system and the fluctuation of the cerebrospinal fluid and the importance of establishing midline. A more detailed description of the course will be included in the course outline and timetable of the 3-day course.

The Course includes videos of module 1 material, recourse reading document, supporting material which are related to Module 1 paediatric subjects, ongoing support with me with any queries, questions, regarding the material presented via email or phone.

This module is compulsory and follows on from Module 1.

The course is designed to teach the practitioner, (osteopathic, medical, or dental) the following:

• Embryology, anatomy and physiology of the face and anterior neck structures in relation to the Primary Respiratory System
• The physiological functions of breathing, sucking, chewing and swallowing and how they relate to the development of the face
• Palpation, assessment and treatment of the cranial base, vault, face, mandible and teeth, and associated anterior neck structures incl. the Vagus nerve and thoracic inlet
• How osteopathy in the cranial field is so connected to the dental paradigm in relation to the development of the face, mouth, tongue placement and thus the interrelated physiological functions of swallowing, mastication and respiration
• How cranial base strains influence occlusion and the consequent development of the above mentioned
• How the practitioner can identify these problems and treat them at their onset as to prevent later health problems involving the airways, occlusion and general health; and in turn to avoid complicated and expensive treatments later on in life
• How to incorporate this body of work into a dental, osteopathic and medical practice
• Issues related to nutrition and how that affects development of the whole body and health and specifically the face architecture. Trauma to the face and how it can affect craniofacial development
• Assessment of occlusion and how orofacial myology exercises can help in the proper development of the face will also be demonstrated.

This is also a compulsory model that will allow you to enter into the other 3 modules.

This 3-day course is designed to help practitioners who are already using or want to start using Osteopathy in the Cranial Field to treat infants and children. The course is designed to help Osteopaths understand and learn the clinical applications of osteopathic assessment and treatment to common infant conditions presented to osteopathic practice.

This course will cover:
• Clinical anatomy, embryology and physiology of the foetal and infant skull and pelvis; how many parts each cranial bone has at birth and what neurovascular and fascial structures relate to these structures
• How intra-osseous and articular strains of each bone can cause entrapment neuropathy and vascular dysfunction, and other fascial related issues
• Understanding the clinical significance and osteopathic treatment of intra-osseous, intra-uterine, and birth strains
• The birth process and how it can affect the infant; e.g. anatomicophysiological implications of caesarean births compared to vaginal births, normal presentation versus difficult presentations, such as posterior, breech, ventouse and forceps deliveries and complications arising from different birth presentations
• The foramina and their contents such as cranial nerves, recurrent meningeal nerves, blood vessels, veins and their clinical significance, as for example, entrapment of the abducens nerve in relation to esotropia, of the recurrent meningeal nerve through the foramen spinosum and migraine, the clinical importance of the sphenopalatine ganglion and the sphenosquamous pivot including treatment. The ossification of the cranial base bones and their clinical significance related to birth strains of the neonate
• An introduction to physiological and unphysiological strain patterns resulting from intra-uterine and birth strains; how to identify the patterns and treat them.
• The Osteopathic Paediatric case history will be supplied and discussed
• Infant Osteopathic physical examination will be included
• An Introduction to Infantile primitive reflexes: how to identify them and elicit them - these will be covered in more detail in module 4 on the development of posture and gait
• Principles of treatment of the infant skull
• Common presentations of infant issues that present to the osteopath will be discussed in detail such as: Reflux, Feeding difficulties, Irritability, Sleeping issues
• Tongue and lip tie: current thoughts and the osteopathic approach to treating tongue and lip tie, Otitis media, Craniosynostosis, Congenital issues, infantile torticollis, infantile scoliosis, congenital hip dislocation, SIDS and more.
• Assessment and treatment of the first breath, the importance of the first breath, treatment of the umbilicus, sacrum, hip, shoulders and pelvis

This model will particularly explore how the infant gains postural stability and how it then progresses to develop upright posture! The importance of each step of postural and gait development is fundamental to how a child learns later on in life at school, and how it behaves in the environment it is reared.

• Brief comparison in the anatomy and development of bipedal posture with early hominoids and primates. Blechschmidt’s ideas on upright posture. The importance of the cerebellum in learning and in the establishment of posture and gait. Postural drivers, including intrauterine postural drivers. Brief overview of Dr. Zink’s compensatory pattern and its clinical importance.
• EMBRYOLOGY of the Limbs, including the unwinding process of the lower limb and how it can lead to common congenital malformations such as club foot.
• The 6 MAIN DETERMINANTS in the economy of Gait. Gait and hip drive. Short leg - anatomical and apparent. Gait analysis. The effects of heel lifts. How pronation of one foot can lead to apparent short leg and to an ascending postural pattern. Pelvic biomechanics and evaluation of the paediatric lumbar spine, pelvis and sacrum.
• How crawling is related to the development of peripheral vision, auditory and vestibular inputs, neck reflexes in relation to the ocular, auditory and vestibular mechanisms; before we can get up and walk we need to develop all these other skills in order for gait to develop normally. And of course this process precedes going to school.
• The primitive and postural reflexes related to the development of posture and gait; development of neurological activities leading to neck and body movements - creeping movements, crawling and its importance for cross patterning, hemispheric and hand dominance, eye and ear dominance.
• The ANATOMY and FUNCTION of mechanoreceptors, and their relationship to postural and dynamic muscles. The importance of walking barefoot in developing children
• DESCENDING PATTERNS – how postural distortions from above, eg: congenital torticollis, Sprengel’s deformity, etc, and birth strains, eg: scoliosis capitis, can produce cranial base and neck strains that reflect into the fascial trains of the body.
• EVALUATION of cranial base strains and their relation to the rest of the posture.
• Balanced Ligamentous Tension of the limbs, fluid drives of limbs, balanced membranous tension of the posterior cranial fossa and its significance in postural, ocular, vestibular, visual and neural development
• Most COMMON Orthopaedic Problems seen in the PAEDIATRIC patient; Osteopathic considerations in their treatment and management.

This module will look at the cardiovascular system, starting from the embryonic circulation to the foetal circulation and then the changes that occur at birth. It will also look at the development of the lungs and how they are related to the development of the heart and how the 2 function together for the preservation of daily life.
• The embryology of the heart and its common congenital manifestations and how they may present to the osteopathic practice.
• The detailed biochemical and biomechanical changes that occur during the transition from birth to infancy; review the importance of the first breath and its implications on how it can be affected by caesarean birth, traumatic birth or drugs used during the birthing process
• The autonomic innervation of the heart and lungs and how somaticovisceral and viscerosomatic reflexes can manifest in the paediatric patient; the vasomotor and visceromotor centers for the function of the heart and lungs, including the cervical ganglia and their associated referral patterns
• Common presenting complaints such as asthma, central cyanosis, congenital heart malformations and the role of the osteopath in their management
• Red flags in infants with heart and lung disease
• The importance of nitrous oxide in the function of the infant lung
• The importance of the bronchopleuropericardial membrane; the importance of the lymphatics of the pericardium and pleura in heart and lung physiology; assessment and treatment of the heart and lungs
• Revisit the importance of the heart-lung connection in relation to the respiratory diaphragm and liver connections; importance of cranial base function and the heart lung connection
• The importance of the ribs and respiratory diaphragm in lymphatic congestion of the lungs and heart
• Paediatric sleep apnoea, snoring, otitis media, lymphoid tissue swelling of the upper respiratory system, their assessment and osteopathic treatment
• The sacrum, the integrator of primary and secondary respiration; osteopathic assessment and treatment.

This course will cover the importance of gut health in the normal neural development of the infant and child.
• Embryology of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT)
• The clinical importance of how the GIT and respiratory system communicate moment to moment – look at the associated lymphoid tissues
• Common presenting conditions such as ADHD, ADD, learning difficulties and behavioural problems in children, and autism will be covered and how the osteopath can help in such areas of development
• The importance of the gut microbiome in relation to neural function and development
• Common conditions seen in infants such as reflux, heart burn, irritability, sleep disorders, unsettled babies
• Breastfeeding versus bottle feeding
• Common allergies associated with the western diet and the industrialization of common staple foods; how some of these allergens impact on nervous and connective tissue health
• How the dura responds to such GIT insults; how the fascia, dura, and reticuloendothelial tissues are physiologically related
• Treatment of the viscera in infants and children using the methods of Barral and other traditional osteopathic methods
• Adjunctive treatments of all of the above conditions will be included, such as breast feeding and dietary strategies
• The polyvagal theory and how it impacts on the health of the gut, immune and cardiovascular systems, learning, behaviour, social interaction and overall health