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.
Two-part format course:
The lecture component of the course will take place live-online January 17-18, 2025, 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 - to be completed in-person on January 19, 2025, at various set locations. Attendance of both sessions (lecture and practical) is mandatory.
Canada: Vaughan, ON / Westmount, QC / Abbotsford, BC / Kelowna, BC / Paradise, NL.
USA: Farmington, MI
Course Description
This comprehensive course focuses on the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of adults experiencing incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Designed for physiotherapists and other health professionals seeking to expand their knowledge in pelvic health, this course will equip participants with Level 1, Grade A evidence-based strategies to properly rehabilitate the pelvic floor. The course will help participants gain skills, beyond teaching externally driven pelvic floor exercises, to help enhance client outcomes.
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.
Through completion of this course, participants will:
- Acquire knowledge of anatomy and physiology of micturition, as well as pertinent pathologies for the different types of incontinence (stress, urge, mixed)
- Acquire knowledge of the different types of pelvic organ prolapse (cystocele, rectocele, uterine/vaginal vault prolapse)
- Acquire knowledge of the urodynamic and urological investigation procedures, as well as medical and surgical treatments for urinary incontinence
- Perform an evaluation of the pelvic floor vaginally and rectally
- Establish and perform a treatment plan and its progression for the management of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse
- Master a variety of treatment techniques, including pelvic floor exercises, biofeedback, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, manual therapy, behavioural interventions, and lifestyle modifications
Join us for an immersive learning experience that will empower you to provide effective interventions for individuals dealing with incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, ultimately enhancing their quality of life and overall well-being.
This course combines lecture-based instruction with hands-on practical labs. During the practical session, attendees will work in small groups, taking on roles as both the clinician and patient. With an excellent ratio of lab assistants to participants, attendees will receive guidance throughout the practical portion. Lab assistants will be available to answer questions and ensure a supportive learning environment.
If you are unable or uncomfortable acting as a patient model for any reason, you are required to bring someone (such as a friend, family member, or colleague) to practice on, as there is no guarantee that another participant will volunteer to act as a model more than once. Please notify info@pelvichealthsolutions.ca if you will be bringing someone to practice on.
Audience: This course is open to physiotherapists, physiotherapy students, naturopathic doctors, naturopathic students, registered nurses, midwives and medical doctors. Labs include internal palpation.
Prerequisites: None - beginner level course
Registration Form
Schedule
Date/Time:
Live-Online Lecture - January 17-18, 2025, from 10:30am-7:00pm ET (Toronto)
In-Person Labs – to be completed in-person on January 19, 2025, at various set locations. Attendance of both sessions (lecture and practical) is mandatory.
Canada: Vaughan, ON / Westmount, QC / Abbotsford, BC / Kelowna, BC / Paradise, NL.
USA: Farmington, MI
Instructor
PHS Team
Resources
The resources listed below are included in the cost of the course and will be provided to each participant in electronic, PDF format upon successful completion of the course.
Documents:
Education
- AIRBAGs and potty talk
- Bladder irritants – urge
- Bladder re-training
- Complete evacuation
- Constipation
- Double voiding
- Electrical Stimulation
- Fibre – insoluble
- Fibre – soluble
- Fibre solutions
- ILU massage
- Medications
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Post-prostatectomy instructions
- Post-void dribble
- Screening questionnaire
- Female pelvic floor
- Male pelvic floor
- Urge delay
- UTI prevention
- Vulvar care
Exercise/Stretches
- 8 minute core challenge
- Breathing
- Considerations for RD
- Constructive rest
- Core progressions
- Developing awareness of core muscles
- Face the day
- Functional core progressions using pelvic floor muscles
- Go to exercises
- Strengthening exercises for the pelvic floor
Resources
- Bladder diary
- DASS scoring
- Fibre diary
- Sample introductory letter pelvic health
- Symptom monitor
- Sample assessment report
- Protocol for response to adverse reactions
- Pelvic floor objective assessment
- Pelvic muscle electrical stimulation
What people are saying
The level I Physical Therapy Approach to Female and Male Urinary Incontinence went above and beyond my expectations. I went into the course with the goal of getting a general overview of urinary incontinence in women and men. I had no idea how much I’d learn and that I would feel comfortable enough to start practicing.
The course material’s depth and breadth was just the right amount. The instructors were outstanding. They were extremely knowledgeable, patient and helpful. They were able to explain complex issues using diagrams, jokes, and coloured pictures. At one time, they had 8 people up at the front of the room holding different colors of theraband intricately, so we could understand the anatomy better.
The resources provided in the course handbook were invaluable. The handbook included assessment sheets, marketing ideas, evidence-based articles, websites, outcome measures, and apps (just to name a few).
The practical component of the course really helped me to solidify my learning. We had approximately 11 hours during the course of hands-on experience. Being able to implement assessment and treatment techniques on different partners helped me to feel more comfortable and confident with the female anatomy and also with assessing and treating urinary incontinence.
I’ve been practicing manual physiotherapy for 17 years. This was my favourite course, and it left me excited to take the next level.
– Sara G
An excellent first step in pelvic health physiotherapy training. Comprehensive course notes with the most current research references. Superb teaching with dynamic instructors who are willing to share their knowledge base and ample lab time to practice and learn from the instructors and lab assistants.
– Sheela Z
I thoroughly enjoyed and learned an incredible amount during this course. This was my first pelvic health course and I was anxious about learning anatomy, physiology, and clinical patterns associated with urinary incontinence in one weekend. However, the anatomy and physiology were reviewed extensively in multiple different forms. The assessment and treatment techniques were demonstrated and ample opportunity was given to practice and ask questions. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in pelvic health.
– Lauren M
I went into the Level I course, The Physical Therapy Approach to Female and Male Incontinence, with limited knowledge and understanding of pelvic health. After the course, I felt prepared and confident to use the knowledge and skills I learned from the course in my clinical practice. The course instructors were experienced and supportive of my learning. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in integrating pelvic health into their practice!
– Devonna T