SPECIALIZED TOPICS IN GI DYSFUNCTION: The Missing Pieces
Where physiology
meets function. Where complex symptoms become clearer.
Transform the way you assess and treat gastrointestinal dysfunction through a whole-person approach to the gut, nervous system, abdomen, and pelvic floor.
Currently awaiting approval from the Arizona Board of Physical Therapy for continuing education credit.
* Limited to 12 participants
Location:
Gilbert Office
Dates:
November 7 & 8, 2026
Investment:
$675
*Anorectal balloon catheter included
Understand the Physiology. Find the Missing Pieces.
The body is constantly adapting. Hormones influence how we move, recover, respond to stress, build strength, and navigate life's transitions. These rhythms are woven into every stage of health, healing, and performance.
When we learn to recognize these relationships, we can:
- Approach complex GI presentations with greater clarity.
- Identify musculoskeletal and movement contributions to bowel dysfunction.
- Recognize when symptoms require medical referral or additional testing.
- Build treatment plans that reflect the client’s full clinical picture.
This advanced, two-day course brings GI physiology, pelvic health, manual therapy, movement, and systems-based clinical reasoning together to create a more complete approach to care.
This Is Your Invitation
You’ll explore the physiology behind functional bowel disorders and learn how to integrate abdominal, pelvic, autonomic, nutritional, and behavioral considerations into your clinical decision-making.
Through lecture, case discussion, and extensive hands-on labs, you’ll move beyond isolated symptoms and develop a practical framework for assessing and treating complex GI dysfunction.
At the heart of this course is clinically applicable learning, including:
Hands-on
labs:
Practice internal and external pelvic assessment, anorectal palpation, balloon catheter techniques, abdominal and thoracic examination, visceral mobilization, neural mobilization, and motor control interventions.
CONNECTING THE SYSTEMS
Explore the gut-brain axis, HPA axis, microbiome, immune function, autonomic regulation, heart rate variability, sleep, nutrition, exercise, and <br> nocioplastic pain.
BUILDING
THE PLAN
Integrate your findings into a comprehensive, individualized treatment strategy that supports bowel function, movement, regulation, and long-term progress.
This is your invitation to stop treating GI symptoms as isolated problems and begin seeing the relationships that may be shaping the client’s experience.
Course Overview
This comprehensive course explores gastrointestinal dysfunction through the combined lenses of physiology, pelvic health, musculoskeletal function, nervous system regulation, nutrition, and behavior.
You’ll examine current models of functional lower gastrointestinal disorders, including chronic constipation, fecal incontinence, IBS, bloating, and abdominal distention. You’ll also explore how the gut-brain axis, HPA axis, microbiome, immune function, autonomic nervous system, and nocioplastic pain may influence symptoms and recovery.
Through an integrated examination framework, you’ll learn to identify musculoskeletal impairments and functional movement dysfunction involving the abdomen, thorax, pelvic floor, and lower GI region. You’ll also strengthen your ability to recognize red flags, consider specialized testing, and determine when referral or multidisciplinary collaboration may be needed.
The practical lab day moves these concepts into clinical application through anorectal palpation, balloon catheter assessment and treatment, pelvic floor interventions, abdominal and thoracic techniques, visceral mobilization, neural mobilization, and motor control training.
You’ll leave with a more systematic approach to complex GI dysfunction and the tools to create thoughtful, progressive treatment plans tailored to each client’s needs.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Define and differentiate functional bowel disorders and bowel disease.
Explain how the HPA axis, gut-brain axis, microbiome, immune system, and autonomic nervous system contribute to gastrointestinal function.
Recognize the multidisciplinary roles involved in assessing gastrointestinal disorders, including the use of specialized testing.
Apply a physical therapy examination framework for identifying musculoskeletal impairments and movement dysfunction associated with the lower GI tract, abdomen, and pelvic region.
Identify medical red flags that warrant referral to an appropriate healthcare provider.
Select appropriate questionnaires for evaluating psychosocial and behavioral factors related to gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Integrate heart rate variability, nervous system regulation, sleep, nutrition, fiber, exercise balance, and other lifestyle considerations into the plan of care.
Apply internal and external pelvic assessment and intervention strategies for dyssynergia, rectal pain, coccydynia, weakness, and altered rectal sensation.
Use balloon catheter techniques to assess and address hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, balloon expulsion, neuromuscular control, and capacity.
Examine and treat abdominal and thoracic impairments using visceral mobilization, abdominal wall techniques, rib mobilization, neural mobilization, and motor control training.
Develop comprehensive treatment strategies for complex GI presentations through case-based clinical reasoning.
What’s Included:
01
Pre-course video and reading materials
Complete foundational videos and readings before the live course so you arrive prepared to move more deeply into clinical application.
02
14 contact hours of live, in-person training
Participate in a full day of lecture and clinical integration followed by a hands-on lab day focused on examination and intervention
03
Extensive
Practical Labs
Practice pelvic, anorectal, abdominal, and thoracic assessment and treatment strategies with guided instruction and feedback.
04
Comprehensive Case Integration
Work through complex cases involving differential diagnosis, multisystem contributors, treatment progression, and appropriate referral.
Who Should Attend
This course is open to all Health Care Providers specializing in pelvic health.
This is an advanced course for clinicians seeking a more comprehensive approach to bowel, digestive, abdominal, and pelvic floor dysfunction.
Important Lab Information: This course includes practical labs with anorectal palpation. Internal palpation is required for participation in the anorectal labs. Participants may provide a model for any portion of the lab day.
About Your Instructor
Dr. Susan Clinton,
PT, DScPT, OCS, WCS, COMT, FAAOMPT, WHC, NBC-HWC
Founder of LTI Physio | Lead · Transcend · Inspire
An internationally recognized clinician, educator, and mentor with over 40 years of experience, Dr. Susan Clinton bridges science and intuition to help providers deliver holistic, evidence-based care. Her teaching style is immersive, compassionate, and empowering—guiding practitioners to see connections others miss and elevate their clinical impact.
