If you are travelling to attend this course/practical from outside of the province/country where you are registered to practice, please make sure you inquire with the College of the province where you are traveling to as to whether you require a temporary/courtesy licence.

The lecture component will take place live-online November 22-23, 2024, from 10:30am to 7:00pm ET (Toronto). By attending live, you’ll be able to harness the benefits of live discussions, timely feedback, and a collaborative environment.

In-person labs will be completed in-person on November 24, 2024, at various set locations. Attendance of both sessions (lecture and practical) is mandatory. 

Canada: Vaughan, ON / Perth, ON / Calgary, AB / Edmonton, AB / Abbotsford, BC / Duncan, BC / Kelowna, BC / Saskatoon, SK / Winnipeg, MB / Dartmouth, NS / Paradise, NL. 

USA: Farmington, MI

OPTION TO BUNDLE LEVEL 2 WITH LEVEL 3 TO RECEIVE A $50 DISCOUNT – PLEASE SCROLL FURTHER DOWN FOR DETAILS:

Course Description:

This comprehensive course offers physiotherapists an in-depth exploration of the assessment and evidence-based treatment strategies for individuals suffering from pelvic pain. Topics covered in this course include (but are not limited to) the evaluation and hands-on treatment for the following conditions that contribute to pelvic pain: vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD), clitoral phimosis, dyspareunia, vaginismus, lichens sclerosis (LS), genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), pudendal neuralgia (PN), bladder pain syndrome (BPS), interstitial cystitis (IC), chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), dysmenorrhea, endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Physiotherapists will gain knowledge in the pathophysiology, signs, and symptoms that lead to these impairments, the functional limitations, and disabilities they cause and outcome measures that can be used in the clinic. Learn the skills necessary to provide effective care, empowering clients to regain their quality of life.

This course is designed to teach physiotherapists and other health professionals how to evaluate the pelvic floor by learning specific examination and treatments for these conditions. This is a lecture and lab-based course, and all pre-recorded lab videos will be played (total of 3 days). Support documents, including assessment forms and patient handouts are included in the course cost.

Included in the cost of this course is access to a 1-day recorded course that focuses on understanding the impact of trauma on physical and emotional health and the barriers trauma may present to a patient’s experiences in healthcare, particularly pelvic floor physiotherapy. Over the duration of the course, we will explore the two most common types of traumas impacting pelvic health – childhood sexual abuse and birth trauma. We will explore how physiotherapists can apply a trauma-informed lens to their pelvic practice resulting in greater awareness, understanding and sensitivity for patients identifying as survivors of trauma. Through this increased sensitivity, physiotherapists, and other health professionals, will better support their patients and in turn, observe higher levels of trust, adherence, and cooperation from their client base.

Through completion of this course, participants will:

• Understand the conditions/definitions of vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, persistent genital arousal disorder, clitoral phimosis, dyspareunia, vaginismus, lichens sclerosis, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, pudendal neuralgia, bladder pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis, chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, and irritable bowel syndrome
• Understand the common symptoms, impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities associated in anyone experiencing pelvic pain
• Review the literature supporting the role of physiotherapy in the treatment of pelvic pain conditions
• Review pelvic floor anatomy, with regards to various pelvic pain conditions
• Improve palpation skills, vaginally and rectally, of the specific pelvic floor muscles in all three layers
• Perform internal and external, vaginal and rectal myofascial and soft tissue treatment techniques specific to pelvic pain conditions
• Describe specific client-related education and behavioural instruction related to pelvic pain conditions
• Understand and develop an appropriate treatment plan which includes a home exercise program for pelvic pain
• Recognize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach
• Integrate these learnt concepts with the use of case studies

The 1-day trauma video is recommended to be watched prior to the course. This section of the course will discuss/include:

• Why is a trauma-informed lens important for healthcare providers?
• Defining childhood sexual abuse and/or sexual assault
• How to recognize trauma: Signs and Symptoms
• Neurobiology of Trauma: How is the brain and emotional functioning affected?
• How does childhood sexual abuse or sexual assault shape or redefine a patient’s identity, sense of self, and body image?
• Defining birth trauma
• How does birth trauma affect pelvic floor recovery?
• Birth Trauma vs. Post-Partum Mood Disorders: Similarities and Differences
• Disclosures of Trauma: Appropriate and Inappropriate Responses by Healthcare Workers
• Coping techniques for patients

Join us for an immersive learning experience, using a trauma-informed lens, that will empower you to provide effective interventions for individuals dealing with pelvic pain

Audience: This course is open to physiotherapists, physiotherapy students, naturopathic doctors, naturopathic students, registered nurses, midwives and medical doctors. Labs include internal palpation.

Prerequisites: Level 1 (or equivalent to be approved by PHS – please email info@pelvichealthsolutions.ca for approval).

Please Note: This course is both lecture format and practical labs with vaginal and rectal palpation.

OPTION TO BUNDLE LEVEL 2 WITH LEVEL 3 TO RECEIVE A $50 DISCOUNT – DETAILS BELOW:

We highly recommend taking the level 3 course. If registering for the level 2/3 bundle, when completing your registration form, you will need to mark the level 3 date you are registering for from the following options: *Discount is only valid at time of registration.* Please note - each level 3 course runs over 4 sessions. 

Level 3: Biopsychosocial Reframed May 2024

Level 3: Biopsychosocial Reframed June 2024

Level 3: Biopsychosocial Reframed September/October 2024

Level 3: Biopsychosocial Reframed November 2024

Level 3: Biopsychosocial Reframed: Live-Online

This course is designed to be attended live during the specific dates and times listed. By attending live, you’ll be able to harness the benefits of live discussions, timely feedback, and a collaborative environment.

Course Description:

Do you get frustrated with your persistent pain patients who don’t respond to your biomechanical approach? Transitioning to a biopsychosocial framework has been a challenge for many clinicians despite the competency of our biomechanical training. When patients have a sensitive nervous system, measuring psychosocial distress as objectively as we measure range of motion, muscle strength, proprioception and joint mobility is important when profiling their sensitive nervous system.

This course will teach you how to reframe your persistent pain patients by treating the “whole person” using a psychologically informed framework.

The use of distress questionnaires (SAD CLLIFSS) and skills training for the psychosocial components is lacking in many physiotherapy-based training programs.

This course teaches you how to use distress questionnaires to assess the drivers of central sensitization. Clinicians need to do better than simply prescribe yoga and meditation to their patients with a sensitive nervous system. Explore the strong evidence behind matching evidence-informed treatment techniques such as pain education, yoga, qi gong, meditation, sensory-motor retraining, expressive writing exercises and cardiovascular exercise to each patient’s “driver” of their sensitive nervous system in order to improve patient outcomes. Barrier-breaking strategies of integrating psychologically informed practices into our treatment approach for persistent pain is a key competency of the modern, evidence-informed clinician.

Upon completion of this course, participants will learn:

Instructors

Level 2:

Amanda Homen & Susannah Britnell

Level 3:

Carolyn Vandyken, BHSc (PT), Registered Physiotherapist

Carolyn graduated from McMaster University in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy and has practiced in a wide variety of clinical settings, focusing primarily on orthopedics. She has been a McKenzie credentialed physiotherapist since 1999 and has been a member of the Canadian College of Medical Acupuncture since 2002.  She received a certificate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Healthcare Professionals from Wilfred Laurier University in 2016. Her clinical focus changed to Pelvic Health and Incontinence in 2001.

Carolyn was the co-founder of Pelvic Health Solutions, a Canadian-based post-graduate teaching company. She sold her interest in this company in 2019.

Carolyn is the co-owner of Reframe Rehab, a teaching company engaged in breaking down the barriers internationally between pelvic health, low back pain and pain science. 

Carolyn presents extensively internationally on pelvic health, low back pain and central pain mechanisms.  She has published several framework articles on integrating central pain mechanisms into clinical practice, a pain education book, and several chapters in textbooks on pelvic pain and central sensitization.  She is actively involved in research with Dr. Sinead Dufour at McMaster University, as well as Dr. Judith Thompson at Curtin University.  She has published multiple studies on the connection between low back pain and pelvic floor dysfunction as well as co-created a screening questionnaire for sensory-motor dysregulation in perineal pain.

Carolyn won the prestigious Woman of Distinction award from the YWCA in 2004 for her work in pelvic floor rehabilitation. Carolyn won the distinguished Education Award from the Ontario Physiotherapy Association in 2015.  Carolyn was recently awarded the Medal of Distinction from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association in 2021 for her work in pelvic health and pain science.

She co-owns her practice in Muskoka, Physio Works Muskoka along with her daughter, Brittany Vandyken.