External Approaches to Pelvic Health: Education, Exercise, Empowerment

Overview

You’re a provider in the health and fitness industry, and have clients who are women. You’ve heard a lot of ‘buzz’ and have seen social media posts about the pelvic floor, the ‘core’, and a bunch of ‘dos’ and ‘dont's, and you don’t really know where to start. Maybe you’re an Athletic Therapist, Physiotherapist, Chiro, Osteo, Massage Therapist or Naturopathic Doctor, and you have clients who are curious about exercise and their pelvic health through pregnancy and menopause. Maybe you’re a Fitness Coach or Trainer and have clients asking about their ‘ab separation’ and how they heard that loaded activities like lifting heavy weights and jumping are ‘bad’ for their pelvic floor. Maybe you have bladder leaking or prolapse concerns yourself. 

You know there are Pelvic Physios out there, but surely there is SOMETHING you can do for your clients (and yourself) without having to do an internal vaginal exam. (Spoiler - this is what this course is all about!)

Learning Objectives

In External Approaches to Pelvic Health: Education, Exercise, and Empowerment, we cover:

• Pelvic Floor Anatomy
• Urinary Incontinence (and how to manage it through to skipping and running)
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse (what is it, management options)
• Diastasis Rectus Abdominus (myth-busting, assessment, and exercises included!)
• Supporting your clients through pregnancy and postpartum changes, including exercise recommendations
• Menopause - what it is, what it isn’t, and what you can do to THRIVE
• Biopsychosocial approach to Pelvic Pain conditions
• The importance of client-guided care approaches 
• How to collaborate and network with other healthcare providers, and when to refer to a specialist

The main goal is to introduce you to assessment and a movement-based treatment approach that can be integrated into your current approach for common pregnant, postpartum, and pelvic health concerns. The main topics will include Diastasis Rectus Abdominus, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Urinary Incontinence, and how to guide your client through movement & exercise while managing these conditions throughout the lifespan.

By the end of the course, you will be confident in assessing diastasis rectus abdominus, and the pelvic floor through external palpation. You will build off your existing knowledge of exercise, movement, and lifestyle approaches to health with additional knowledge about the pelvic floor, core, and their related concerns. You will be able to offer accurate, up-to-date insight, education, and safe and appropriate movement-based treatment recommendations for your female clients regarding pelvic health concerns and common transitions throughout the lifespan (pregnancy, postnatal, & menopause). 

Audience

Health and fitness students/professionals: Athletic Therapists, Massage Therapists, Personal Trainers, Coaches, Osteopath, Physiotherapists, Naturopathic Doctors & Chiropractors

Testimonials

"This course is a fantastic blend of practical strategies, a thorough review of evidence, and a comprehensive approach to pelvic health. Jenny and Ashley provoked thoughtful discussion and reflection on how to support patients from a client-centered perspective to achieve their goals and individualize care. The skills and strategies we learned can be applied immediately into practice. I strongly recommend this for NDs working with any stage of women’s health and/or athletes to gain confidence in their skills and stay up to date on the latest research relating to diastasis, pelvic pain, incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse." 
- Dr. Amy Dobbie, Naturopathic Doctor

"Jenny and Ashley were very knowledgeable and up to date on the current research. As an orthopedic physiotherapist, this course provided me with strategies I could immediately incorporate into my practice for managing patients with pelvic health concerns."
-Alison Wiggers, Physiotherapist

"Very helpful in getting a better understanding of many aspects of pelvic health conditions. I was surprised to learn that a lot of what a pelvic health Physio does are external approaches which is something that many of us can also do!"
-Steacy Huff, Chiropractor, Certified Athletic Therapist