Pelvic Health Foundations

This course is ideal for students who can travel to Melbourne relatively easily to get to the  4 x Friday afternoon sessions. 

The advantage of dividing the sessions over 4 weeks is that it allows for the consolidation of learning of a large amount of new information.

SESSION ONE

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) & Pelvic Floor UP training

Online Content

• Introduction to Normal Pelvic Health
• Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)Theory
• Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening
• Interpretation of the Subjective Questions
• One case study with answers

Face to face Content

• Hand Hygiene
• The practice of a SUI  subjective assessment
• Demonstration of Informed consent with student time to practice
• Demonstration of first stage of internal vaginal examination (External, EUS, Cervix and PF)
• Supervised practice of internal vaginal exam 1:4 ratio with a tutor
• Practical experience with exercise dosage progressions for Pelvic Floor muscle strengthening
• 2 case studies covering additional theory 

SESSION TWO

Urge Urinary Incontinence (UUI), Bladder Diaries & Pelvic Floor Muscle DOWN Training

Online Content

• Urge Urinary Incontinence and OAB Theory
• Bladder Diaries
• Pelvic Floor Muscle Down training
• Interpretation of Subjective Questions
• One Case Study with Answers

Face to Face

• UUI Theory Quiz
• The practice of an UUI  subjective assessment
• Demonstration of an internal vaginal exam  - adding in the bladder, urethra, anterior internal wall, and sweep of pelvic floor 
• Supervised practice of internal vaginal exam 1:4 ratio with a tutor
• Practical experience with pelvic floor muscle down training done as a group in all different positions with different cues - tutor facilitating
• Bladder diary examples x 5 covered
• Treatment for UUI - deferral techniques, TENS, medication, botox and check bowel and uterus.
• 2 case studies covering additional theory 

SESSION THREE

Bowel: constipation / Diarrhea and Dis-impaction Protocol and Defecation Dynamics 

Online Content

• Anatomy of the Large Bowel 
• Aperients Explained
• Treatment Techniques for Common Bowel Conditions
• Perianal Skin Conditions
• Interpretation of Subjective Questions
• One Bowel Case Study with Answers

Face to Face

• Bowel Theory Quiz
• Demonstration of Internal Vaginal Exam Adding in Posterior Shelf and Sidelie rectal prolapse Ax
• Practice the above internal vaginal exam again with 1: 4 tutor-student ratio
• Go through Aperients for bulking, softening, laxatives, rectal agents and antidiarrheals
• Practice defecation dynamics and assessing and teaching colleagues, 
• Times sits
• 2 x Bowel Case studies 

SESSION FOUR 

Prolapse

Online

• Prolapse and POPQ Lecture
• Surgeries for POP and SUI
• POP case study with Answers

Face to Face

• POP Theory Quiz
• Examination of all students to assess basic competency to perform an internal vaginal examination
• POP assessment on Valsalva of anterior wall, bladder and uterus /cervix and posterior wall
• Standing Assessment demonstrated.
• Prolapse Conservative Management - lifestyle and PFMT and Pessary management and Oestrogen 
• 2 x Prolapse Case Studies Discussed

See details

Students are required to enrol in and complete all four sessions to obtain their Certificate of Completion.

All course dates are subject to change due to minimum enrolment requirements and unforeseen circumstances.

Should you be unable to attend a session, you may change to an alternative date.

This course is for any female-qualified musculoskeletal physiotherapists, or osteopaths interested in Women's Pelvic Health Physiotherapy who would like to focus on this area. 

A requirement to attend this course is that you have at least two years of clinical experience (in either physiotherapy or osteopathy).

We also recommend you complete the APA - Women's Pelvic Health Physiotherapy - Level 1 - Part A online course before attending as well as the Level 2 Women's Pelvic Health Physiotherapy online learning.

Our learning objectives are detailed per session.

Learning objectives

Session 1

Stress Urinary Incontinence,

Subjective Assessment (SX), Objective Assessment (OX), Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Training (PFMT), Case Studies,

Session 2

Urge Urinary Incontinence (UUI), Overactive Bladder (OAB), Postnatal Urinary Retention,  Bladder Diaries, PFM Downtraining, Bladder retraining

Session 3

Bowel, Subjective Ax, Objective Ax, Aperients, Treatment for constipation, Case studies, Breast Care 

Session 4

Prolapse, Subjective Ax, Objective Ax, Treatments, Case studies, Quiz andPrac assessment

Course Schedule

Every session includes performing internal intimate assessments as well as acting as a patient and having these assessments performed on you. Informed consent is required prior to participation in every session and can be withdrawn at any stage during your training. 

Informed Consent information