National Academy of Osteopathy

09/28/2025

Over 30 years ago, I became the first chiropractor to introduce separate Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) assessments for patients suffering from grade 3 whiplash–associated disorders following motor vehicle accidents. At that time, I charged $700 for the service—while previously TMJ evaluations were simply included within general cervical assessments without any separate billing.

Today, TMJ care remains an essential part of our training at the National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA) and the National University of Medical Sciences (Spain, USA, Panama).

Many of our alumni run highly successful clinics specializing exclusively in TMJ care. Some of our graduates, even those with physical limitations that prevent them from performing full manual osteopathic treatments, have built thriving practices focused entirely on TMJ conditions—work that can even be done while seated.

TMJ care is also one of the four core services that will be offered at our OSTEO-MASSAGE Health Centers of America in the years ahead. One key reason for its profitability is the strong referral potential from dentists. While most practitioners concentrate on cultivating referrals from medical doctors, dentists are often overlooked, despite being excellent sources of patient referrals.

I am blessed to count some wonderful dentists among my friends—including Dr. Houman Dehdashti from Atlanta and his accomplished girlfriend, also a dentist originally from Kansas (both living in Naples now). We recently enjoyed a long lunch together at The Slice Shop, a chic new pizzeria that offers over 20 creative, delicious slices (about US$9 each). It has quickly become one of my favorite pizza spots in Naples—though my number one still remains Nolita at the Ritz Carlton!

We spent nearly three hours in conversation, and I was once again reminded of one of Naples’ greatest qualities: nearly everyone you meet here is successful, health-conscious, family-oriented, and God-fearing. It is truly a special town.

Tomorrow, I head out on a five-hour drive to Jacksonville for meetings over the next few days—but I already find myself missing Naples.

Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD
Osteopath, Naprapath, Chiropractor & Founder of:
National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA)
National University of Medical Sciences (USA, Spain, Panama)
Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (380 clinics in 34 countries)
World Osteopathy Day

09/25/2025

It filled my heart with joy to receive a thoughtful bundle of gifts from National Academy of Osteopathy student, Master Raz Chan—a Don 3 Master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and one of Canada’s most accomplished BJJ coaches. What truly touched me even more than the gifts was the letter he included. In a world where most of my letters come through email or Facebook, receiving a physical letter felt so rare and special—it made my day brighter. ❤️

In his beautiful words, Master Chan attributed his success to the business lectures I share at NAO. This is exactly what we strive for at NAO: to change lives, to help our graduates not only become exceptional manual osteopaths and healers of chronic pain, but also to flourish in business and in life. ❤️

Master Chan, thank you from my heart for your kindness and generosity. Your success and happiness are the greatest gifts you could ever give me. I hope your dream of opening a gym in Hawaii becomes a reality soon—and perhaps Florida can be the next stop on your journey. 🌺☀️

Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD
Osteopath, Naprapath, Chiropractor & Founder of:
National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA)
National University of Medical Sciences (USA, Spain, Panama)
Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (380 clinics in 34 countries)
World Osteopathy Day

09/23/2025

Buying a car is like adopting a very expensive pet—it eats gas instead of kibble, and instead of shedding on your couch, it sheds money from your bank account. But the good news is, there are sneaky (and perfectly legal!) ways to get some of that money back through tax and other savings. 😀

At the National Academy of Osteopathy and National University of Medical Sciences, I show my students the fun side of accounting—yes, there is one!—by teaching them how to fully deduct the cost of their car, along with insurance, maintenance, and even the gas that keeps the beast alive.

Most folks just do whatever their accountant says, which usually means the hardest, most boring, least profitable way possible. You know the drill: you can’t deduct commuting, lease payments have caps, and worst of all—you need to keep a “logbook.” Imagine spending your life writing down every kilometer like you’re auditioning for the world’s dullest diary: “Dear Logbook, today I drove to Walmart. Thrilling.”

And the kicker? Many insurance companies don’t even cover you if you were using the car to drive to work. That means you’re logging your way into stress, not savings.

One way to bypass these? Let your business buy the car! I’ve had Porsches, BMWs, Mercedes, a Range Rover, and even a Jaguar—all happily purchased by my businesses, fully deducted.

Another trick: buy a car that’s two or three years old. Sometimes you save up to 50%. That’s not depreciation—that’s a clearance sale on wheels!

Right now, one of my businesses in Florida needs a car. I’ve been test driving a few, and the Maserati caught my eye. A two-year-old one is practically half price—over $80,000 in savings—with less than 5,000 KM on it. Naples is full of expats who treat their cars like seasonal vacation homes: barely used, perfectly preserved, and begging to be sold.

Moral of the story: if you’re clever, your car can drive you to work and drive money back into your pocket. Now that’s what I call mileage! 😀❤️

Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD
Osteopath, Naprapath, Chiropractor & Founder of:
National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA)
National University of Medical Sciences (USA, Spain, Panama)
Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (380 clinics in 34 countries)
World Osteopathy Day

09/12/2025

French Osteopathy vs. Canadian Osteopathy

It was such a pleasure spending the evening with this amazing osteopathy power couple from France. We enjoyed a wonderful night at Bah Bah Persian Bistro—recognized as the best restaurant in Naples, Florida, and ranked among the top 100 in the United States.

They shared that in many French osteopathy schools, practitioners are encouraged to see clients only twice, allowing the body to continue the healing process on its own. At the National Academy of Osteopathy, however, we recommend students schedule one-hour sessions, typically 10 visits in the first month, followed by a reevaluation.

This couple, who own multiple osteopathy franchise clinics in Canada, expressed that they disagree with the French approach and strongly support the Canadian model.

At NAO, our treatment philosophy is rooted in scientific research. The results consistently show that the Canadian style of osteopathy—which I founded by modifying the European osteopathy in 2010—offers the most effective system for treating chronic pain.

Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD
Osteopath, Naprapath, Chiropractor & Founder of:
National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA)
National University of Medical Sciences (USA, Spain, Panama)
Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (380 clinics in 34 countries)
World Osteopathy Day

09/09/2025

Mandatory AAOMP Course in the United States

In the Holy Book it is written that, in the beginning, there was “the Word.” Before anything else existed, there was word. This reminds us of the immense power words carry—something that is deeply understood in the United States, where a single word used incorrectly can have serious consequences.

I was the first to introduce manual osteopathy to the United States. Prior to 2016, there was no educational institution dedicated to this profession until I established the National University of Medical Sciences (USA). In 2025, a historic milestone was achieved: the professional title ROMP – Registered Osteopathic Manual Practitioner became mandatory for all osteopathic manual practitioners who seek a GEHA license to practice in all 50 states.

However, holding a GEHA license comes with responsibility. Practitioners must comply with strict codes of ethics and practice guidelines, including clear boundaries of scope. These rules exist to protect the public, ensuring that no client is misled into believing they are receiving medical care from an osteopathic physician.

To support this, the American Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (AAOMP)—which I founded in 2018 and through which the ROMP title is exclusively issued—has asked me to develop a specialized course on Ethics and Scope of Practice.

This program will cover:
-Correct terminology for websites, advertising, and social media
-Proper use of consent forms (a mandatory requirement)
-Clear understanding of what osteopathic manual practitioners can and cannot do within their scope

The online course will be completed by the end of 2025. Beginning in 2026, all AAOMP members will be required to complete this course. This is a mandatory requirement to ensure consistency, professionalism, and protection for both practitioners and the public. This course will be offered as a continuing education program which you can also use to fulfill AAOMP continuing education requirement.

Have a great day and God bless.

Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD
Osteopath, Naprapath, Chiropractor & Founder of:
National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA)
National University of Medical Sciences (USA, Spain, Panama)
Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (380 clinics in 34 countries)
World Osteopathy Day

09/07/2025

Lateral thinking is one of the secret sauces behind my success in business and life. Instead of marching in a straight line, it’s about zig-zagging, cartwheeling, or even moonwalking around problems until you hit a smart solution. That’s why I teach it in my 250 business management lectures at National Academy of Osteopathy—because why just be a manual osteopath when you can be a wealthy one? 😀

Take Sensei Raz Chan, one of Canada’s top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coaches. During Covid, when gyms were shutting down, he spotted a loophole: gyms with rehab clinics could stay open. So, he added an osteopathy rehab clinic to his gyms—completely legal—and while competitors closed, their students flocked to him. Today, he’s one of the wealthiest manual osteopaths in Canada and he credits NAO for his success!

He’s referred many students to NAO, and when he attended my free tax seminar last month, he was surprised to find one of his own students, Jesse Kim, sitting in the class!

That’s the power of lateral thinking. At NAO, we don’t just create manual osteopaths—we build wealth-building, problem-solving champions. ❤️

Dr Shawn Pourgol
Here’s what Sensei Chan posted recently:
“Thank you Dr. Pourgol for being such a great business mentor… the business knowledge has enabled me to think big and outside the box, allowing me to live my dream life. 🥋”

09/06/2025

NAO was asked to post this. Please contact the clinic directly as we have no info about the opportunity. Thx.

rom: Circle Integrative
Date: Wed, Sep 3, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Subject: Employment opportunity for osteopathic practitioner
To:

Hello,

My name is Leah, and I am the clinic manager at Circle Integrative Wellness in Victoria, BC. We are currently looking for an osteopathic practitioner to join our team, and I was hoping you might be able to assist us by sharing our job posting with your community—whether through your website, newsletter, or other channels you typically use.

I’ve attached the job posting for your review. Please let me know if there are any specific steps or requirements we should follow in order to have it posted.

Thank you very much for your time and support.

Warm Regards,

Leah

--
Leah - Receptionist at Circle Integrative Wellness

09/06/2025

Whenever a parent entrusts their child to study with us, we feel a deep sense of honor and pride. It represents the highest level of trust in the osteopathic education we provide.

We want to sincerely thank National Academy of Osteopathy professor, Dr. Jocelyn Garcia, for referring her daughter, Dianne, to join our program. Our heartfelt congratulations to both of them on Dianne’s successful completion of the DOMP program. Today, she stands as one of the finest manual osteopaths in the world—capable of helping patients with chronic pain where so many others have not succeeded.

This is our mission: to train and shape highly skilled, successful manual osteopaths.

09/04/2025

🚨 Big News: I am now officially an approved instructor in Florida! 🎉❤️😀👍👌

I’ve always loved the United States—after all, it’s built on capitalism, and capitalism and I are basically best friends. Doing business anywhere in the world can be tough, but in the U.S. the government actually tries to make life easier for people who create income. It’s like the land of “Yes, you can!” …except when it comes to continuing education programs! Then it suddenly becomes “Yes, you can… but only after a scavenger hunt.”

In Canada, continuing education is easy-breezy. You offer a course, participants take it, and their associations happily give them credits. Done. Simple. But Florida? Oh no, my friends—it’s a whole production. You have to register as a continuing education provider with government-appointed boards. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, plot twist: you can’t even register directly—you have to go through something called a continuing education broker. And then, to spice things up, you must register individually with each regulatory board through CEBroker (and Florida has plenty of them). Every step comes with its own fee!

Oh, and here’s the kicker: if you don’t register with at least one regulatory board, it’s not just a slap on the wrist—you could actually be charged with a felony. Imagine going to jail for teaching massage therapists how to release tight hips! 😂

Thankfully, I am now officially approved by the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. So rest assured: no jail & orange jumpsuit in my future—unless it’s for fashion!

Dr Shawn Pourgol

09/01/2025

Most of my osteopathy-related ventures are registered as not-for-profits—mainly because, let’s be honest, I don’t really need the income! I made my money long ago through my clinics and investments, well before I ever stood at the front of a classroom teaching osteopathy!

So, my schools aren’t my piggy bank—they’re more like my passion projects. For example, the Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada, which I registered as a not-for-profit in 2017, has now grown into a global giant with 380 clinics across 34 countries. Not bad for something that doesn’t make me a dime!

Now, my newest project in Florida is a little different. The OSTEO-MASSAGE Health Centers of America is a shiny new for-profit C corporation. Why? Because Uncle Sam has rules: as a Canadian citizen and non-resident, I don’t qualify for certain types of corporations. So, C corporation it is!

Here’s the twist: unlike in Canada, the U.S. insists that a director of a for-profit C corporation actually takes income and—brace yourself—pays personal income tax on it. Imagine that! After years of running not-for-profits and never pocketing a cent, suddenly I’m expected to take profit from my own business. It’s like being told I finally have to eat a slice of cake at my own birthday party—strange, slightly uncomfortable, but probably inevitable!

We’re plotting (yes, plotting!) to unleash about 300 OSTEO-MASSAGE clinics across all 50 states within the next 5 years. Think of it as the Starbucks of stress & chronic pain relief—except instead of coffee, we serve up relaxation massages, manual osteopathic wizardry for chronic pain, and highly specialized jaw TLC for TMJ (because your jaw deserves care too). Seniors who want to keep dancing, golfing, or chasing their grandkids will also get hands-on services designed to prevent physical disability from taking over. Basically, we’re here to keep America loose, limber, and chronic pain free!

Dr Shawn Pourgol

08/28/2025

Hello loved ones,

I have some news I’d like to share with you.

First, I am now in Naples, Florida, and will most likely be staying here permanently for the next few years. We are making significant investments in the United States to ensure that people across the country have access to chronic pain management provided by one of my students.

Through the American Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (AAOMP), which I founded about nine years ago, we ensure that only qualified osteopathic manual practitioners are permitted to practice in the United States. Anyone who wishes to obtain a GEHA license in the U.S. must now hold the title of ROMP (Registered Osteopathic Manual Practitioner) issued by AAOMP. All NAO and NUMSS graduates can join AAOMP. College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO) members are exempted from AAOMP board exams. The board exam fees are waived for NAO and NUMSS graduates this year.

We are currently in the process of opening the first franchised OSTEO-MASSAGE Health Centers in Florida, with the goal of expanding to more than 300 centers within the next five years. Due to the extensive work required to establish this first clinic, I unfortunately will not have the time to teach the scheduled National University of Medical Sciences one-week continuing education program in Florida this coming November 2025. This class has been cancelled, and full refunds have already been issued to those who had registered. I sincerely apologize for this change. Until the first clinic is operational, and all designs, franchise procedures, operation manuals, and related preparations are completed, I must dedicate myself fully to this project to ensure it launches successfully. Once it is established, I plan to resume teaching as before, hopefully in early 2026. My hope is to have everything set up within the next six months.

The second update I wish to share is a reminder that, as mentioned in our private alumni group, you have until Tuesday, September 30, 2025 to join the newly formed Canada Life group. If you have not yet done so, please visit the post in our alumni group (I have included the link below) and add your name. This is the link to my post: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=24420906767546127&set=gm.24083313031297393&idorvanity=653108268077866
Failure to register will make you ineligible to join Canada Life group after September 30, 2025.

As I mentioned earlier, I am now in Naples, Florida, and I truly love this town. I also plan to invest heavily in it. Naples has consistently been chosen as the number one town to live in within the United States. It is home to some of the happiest, healthiest, and wealthiest people in the country—including even a few billionaires—and it is also one of the safest towns in America.

Our clinics will provide massage therapy for relaxation and stress relief, osteopathic manual practice for chronic pain, specialized manual therapy care for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, and hands-on disability-prevention services for seniors who wish to remain active.

Wishing you a wonderful evening, and God bless.

Dr Shawn Pourgol

08/25/2025