Clinical & Functional Significance of Osteopathic Medicine

Instructional Objectives -- Rib Cage Anatomy & Biomechanics

After completing these materials you will:

• Be alerted to conditions that may result in a loss of pulmonary function.
• Understand the clinical implications for the patient when pulmonary function is compromised.
• Understand how osteopathic manipulative treatment can help to restore normal pulmonary function.
• Know how to diagnose and treat restriction of the rib cage during inhalation and exhalation.
• Know how to diagnose and treat restriction of the thoracoabdominal diaphragm during inhalation and exhalation.
• Know how to diagnose and treat restriction of the thoracic inlet.
• Know how to diagnose and treat structural and tissue texture abnormalities in the thoracic spine that may result from viscero-somatic reflex activity.
• Know how to treat the patient in such a way as to facilitate normal lymphatic drainage.
• Understand and be able to describe characteristic motion mechanics of the rib cage.
• Understand how unique morphology contributes to characteristic motion mechanics at various levels of the rib cage.
• Understand how soft tissues contribute to characteristic motion mechanics at various levels of the rib cage.
• Know how to perform a basic rib cage screening examination.
• Know how to perform a detailed rib cage scan.
• Know how to diagnose and treat structural rib cage dysfunction.