Instructor: Datis Kharrazian, PhD, DHSc, DC, MS, MMSc, DACNB, DACBN, FACN

Location: On Demand Video

Credit Available: 12 hours with successful completion of 2 exams. See complete credit information HERE.

Course Description

This course will provide an extensive literature review of the gastrointestinal systems and how it impacts, the brain, the immune system the cardiovascular system, and other systems of the body.  An evidence-based model incorporating diet, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine will be presented. A clinical step-by-step approach will be presented addressing every major target site of gastrointestinal dysfunction. Clinicians will be provided with clinically applicable models to evaluate and manage complex gastrointestinal disorders at the end of this course.

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand the relationships between the gut and the brain, the immune system, the cardiovascular system, and other systems of the body.
  2. Review the literature on the the impact of the GI tract and human health
  3. Review of clinical diseases associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction
  4. Understand the clinical concepts gastrointestinal messenger pathways that impact human physiology
  5. Learn how to identify disruption of the gastrointestinal tract with the history and exam
  6. Learn diet, nutrition and lifestyle approaches to support brain-gut axis dysfunction
  7. Learn laboratory markers to assess the gastrointestinal status

Gastrointestinal Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications

On Demand Course Schedule

PART 1

Session 1 (90 minutes): A Comprehensive Review of How the Gastrointestinal System Works and How it Impacts Human Health

  • A review of all of the cells and physiological player of the gastrointestinal tract and how it impacts human health
  • How to clinically evaluate the major areas of gastrointestinal dysfunction

Session 2 (90 minutes): The Clinical Mechanisms of Digestive Dysfunction

  • How to clinically identify digestive imbalances starting with chewing, swallowing, stomach, gallbladder, small intestine, and large intestine dysfunctions.

Session 3 (90 minutes): The Clinical Role of Intestinal Permeability and Endotoxemia

  • Diet and lifestyle approaches to support microbiome diversity
  • Literature review of lifestyle approaches to impact intestinal health

Session 4 (60 minutes): The Microbiome and Its Specific Applications to Clinical Practice

  • A detailed review of microbiome functions
  • Diet, lifestyle, and metabolic factors that impact the microbiome
  • The microbiome-axis interactions with the brain, skin, endocrine system, respiratory systems, and the immune system.

Session 5 (15 minutes): Review of Part 1

Session 6 (15 minutes): Questions and Answers

PART 2

Session 7 (90 minutes): Clinical Mechanisms for Unresponsive and Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders

  • Literature review of the relationships between the intestinal barrier and the blood-brain barrier
  • Laboratory markers to evaluate the gut
  • Laboratory makers to evaluate the blood-brain barrier

Session 8 (90 minutes): How to Clinically Evaluate Gastrointestinal Disorders Step-by-Step

  • How to conduct a history to specifically identify areas of dysfunction throughout the gastrointestinal tract
  • How to use specifically designed questionnaire forms to evaluate gastrointestinal dysfunction
  • How to examine a patient with gastrointestinal disorders
  • How to evaluate laboratory test for gastrointestinal disorders

Session 9 (90 minutes): How to Develop Treatment Programs for Gastrointestinal Dysfunction

  • How to develop diet, lifestyle, and nutritional programs for patients suffering from gastrointestinal disorders
  • How to manage clinical outcomes and expectations in clinical practice

Session 10 (60 minutes):  Gastrointestinal Case studies

  • Case studies
  • Clinical principles learned from case studies

Session 11 (15 minutes): Review of Part 2

Session 12 (15 minutes): Questions and Answers