This continuing education course is a three-day (8 hours of online content, followed by a 2-day in-person course) intermediate-level seminar designed as a next step in completing the clinicians’ ability to more comprehensively evaluate and treat the female and male pelvic floor. The participant will have the opportunity to learn about two common bowel dysfunctions, fecal incontinence and constipation, and how the pelvic rehabilitation provider can play a crucial role in overcoming these issues that affect quality of life so dramatically. In the US, adult estimates of fecal incontinence is over 8%, and greater than 15% in people over age 70. (Whitehead, 2010) According to the National Institutes of Health, constipation affects up to 15% of people, and is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints that affects 42 million people. (Constipation, 2013) Pelvic rehabilitation providers are able to teach patients how to significantly improve quality of life through simple behavioral techniques and approaches that optimize abdominopelvic health.

Participants will learn how to evaluate the patient who presents with bowel dysfunction including fecal incontinence and constipation, and also with defecation disorders such as paroxysmal puborectalis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and fecal urgency. Knowledge of pelvic anatomy expands into the gastrointestinal system with detailed instruction about the rectum and anal canal, anal sphincters, and with instruction in important physiologic principles such as the gastrocolic reflex, sampling response, and intrinsic defecation reflex. There are other conditions that can cause pain or bleeding such as hemorrhoids, fistulas, fissures, and proctalgia fugax; the clinician will learn how to apply skills of external and internal pelvic muscle assessment (via the anorectal canal) for these conditions.

Many pelvic rehabilitation providers attend this course to learn clinical skills for coccyx pain and for pudendal neuralgia, two conditions that are included on Day 2 of this continuing education course. As either condition can contribute to chronic pelvic pain, this course provides significant lab time so that participants will have the opportunity to practice any new skills. Day 3 of the course introduces the participant to pelvic rehabilitation of the male patient with an emphasis on topics of male pelvic anatomy, urinary incontinence, prostatectomy, and male pelvic pain. The content in this course prepares the therapist to work with male pelvic conditions by reinforcing what is common to the care of both men and women, as well as teaching that which is unique for the male patient. Current medical evaluation (with tests such as defecography, manometry), medical management (for anorectal pain and for colorectal conditions), and evidence-informed clinical interventions will be instructed.

Please note, the Pelvic Floor series of courses typically fill up about 2-3 months before the scheduled course date. It is highly recommended that participants register well in advance to reserve their seats. If you need your employer to send a check for your registration payment, please click the Request Invoice button on the course event page to reserve your seat. It is expected that participants will only register for satellites in which they are within driving distance, and adhere to all state and local COVID guidelines, including wearing a mask at all times during the course. 

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