This is an online course offered through Embodia Academy.
Description:
The rehabilitation clinician is trained to provide treatment to restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent disability. Sexual activity is a valuable part of a person’s function and can be impacted by physical as well as psycho-social changes that occur in illness and disease processes. All medical providers should be aware of multiple dimensions of sexual health and also the domains that can be addressed to resume a meaningful sex life and satisfactory sexual experiences. Pelvic Physical Therapists can be instrumental in addressing the mechanical and ergonomic adaptations needed to participate in sexual relations regardless of multiple system involvement. In addition, clinicians working with patients must also be sensitive and possess cultural competency skills in order to establish successful patient rapport in a very sensitive area of function.
This two day course will cover female and male sexual function introducing basic anatomic, physiological, and ergonomic considerations, as well as adaptations and rehabilitation after surgical interventions. The purpose of the course is to educate the health care professional working in pelvic health in use of a patient-centered interview, evidence based evaluative techniques, and treatment approaches for addressing musculoskeletal impairments that affect sexual participation. We will also discuss how to approach patients with sexual concerns or dysfunction from a biopsychosocial perspective and how to screen for psychosocial and medical conditions that require appropriate referral to other disciplines. The attendee will become familiar with different outcome measures used in sexual medicine. This course overviews numerous variations in sexual expression so that the therapist can be familiar with same sex, heterosexual, transgender and aging populations.
Through completion of this course, participants will:
- Describe and compare/contrast the female and male sexual response cycle
- Explain the domains of sexual function
- Identify origins of sexual attitudes and beliefs
- List risk factors associated with common sexual dysfunction conditions
- Understand sexual activity from an anatomic, physiologic and ergonomic perspective
- Describe orthopedic modifications for ergonomics and body mechanics during sexual activity
- Understand surgical procedures and pharmacological management of sexual dysfunction
- Become familiar with usefulness of FSFI, VQ, Marinoff, Kinsey, PFDI-20 questionnaires
- Explain the components of interviewing and history taking with sexual conditions
- Become familiar with PLLISIT model of addressing sexual concerns
Schedule
Online course:
To register, please use this link: https://embodiaacademy.com/courses/78-let-s-talk-about-sex-addressing-sexual-function-with-your-patients-pelvic-health-solutions
Instructor
Instructor: Karen Brandon, DSc PT WCS BCB-PMD
After completing her Bachelors in Experimental Psychology and Masters in Physical Therapy in 1996 from Loma Linda University, Dr. Karen Brandon pursued her Doctorate of Science in Physical Therapy to further her interest in research and clinical teaching. She was part of freshman class of Board Certified Women’s Health Specialists in 2009. In addition to varied models of private practice experience, she has also been an administrator for physical therapy department where she served on the institution-wide utilization review boards.
She divides her time now by teaching quarterly course work at Loma Linda University in Women’s and Men’s Health Studies, and Orthopedics as well working as a Clinical Specialist at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Fontana CA where she is the Regional Clinical Practice Coordinator for Pelvic Rehabilitation for 15 large hospital based clinics.
She enjoys staying connected with other professionals by serving as the Southwest Regional Representative to the American Physical Therapy Association for Women’s Health, and a site coordinator for Pelvic Floor Sexual Medicine Group of Southern California. She has presented posters and platform lectures at international interdisciplinary meetings for groups such as IPPS, ISSWSH, and national groups such as APTA, AUGS and AAGL. She served as an item writer and an exam content expert for the ABPTS Board Examiners.
Recently she co-edited a journal edition in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation focused on sexual health in seniors. She is guest lecturer at the University of California, Irvine, Riverside and Los Angeles.
Her interest in expanding services in Women’s and Men’s Health has taken her internationally to educate other health care professionals in China and Brazil.