Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Level 1 Combined
PH1 Combined
24.25 Contact Hours
24.25 Contact Hours
Overview
In this in-person course, Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, and 2nd Year/3rd Year Student Physical Therapists* will learn and apply basic skills necessary to treat patients with pelvic health dysfunction with primary emphasis on underactive pelvic floor muscle conditions.
Course participants will work in groups of 2-3 as both clinicians and patients. This course is an alternate 100% in-person option to taking the PH1 Webinar and PH1 Lab.
Course participants of all genders may be present in the room during the completion of examinations. Please see the Requirements regarding lab participation expectations and model instructions.
Topics
- Anatomy of the pelvic girdle
- Physiology of micturition
- Dysfunctions of the lower urinary tract
- Dysfunctions of the pelvic muscles
- Patient history examination
- Testing and treatment interventions for the patient with underactive pelvic floor muscle conditions.
- Urogynecologic surgeries
- Medication
- Prevention of pelvic floor dysfunction
- Documentation
Included
- 🕒 24.50 Contact Hours
- 📓 Printed lab manual, 2D Diagram
- ✔️ Supervised lab activities
- 📑 Certificate of Completion
- 🥇Shareable Digital Badge
Certification Affiliation
This course must be completed after you have successfully completed and passed the PH1 Webinar course in order to complete the PH1 course level as a whole. This course is also affiliated with the Academy's Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Health Physical Therapy (CAPP-Pelvic) Program. While the CAPP-Pelvic certification is optional to pursue, we encourage all eligible and are already actively taking CAPP-Pelvic affiliated courses to pursue it to earn the CAPP-Pelvic distinction.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
Examination / Evaluation
- Identify and examine the anatomy of the pelvic girdle
- Describe the function of the lower urinary tract and female pelvic organs.
- Demonstrate proper infection control techniques involved in pelvic floor muscle examination.
- Perform an external evaluation of the female genitalia verbally identifying bones, ligaments,muscles and other structures.
- Perform an internal pelvic examination identifying muscles, ligaments, bony prominences with identification of pelvic floor muscle origins and insertions.
- Demonstrate proper technique in testing muscle strength of the levator ani muscles.
- Demonstrate proper technique in testing for pelvic organ prolapse.
- Demonstrate proper use of handheld EMG biofeedback to assess pelvic floor musculature.
Diagnosis / Prognosis
- Differentiate between under active pelvic floor muscles and overactive pelvic floor muscles.
- Demonstrate an understanding of bladder tests and measurements (bladder diary, urodynamic testing, pad testing, etc.) that are used in the process of differential diagnosis.
- Demonstrate the ability to compose a plan of care including functional goals, prognosis and length of care for the patient with under active pelvic floor conditions.
- Explain red flags related to treatment of the pelvic floor and understand when to refer to another healthcare provider.
- Understand urogynecologic surgeries and their effect on prognosis and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.
- Demonstrate understanding of various medications and their effects on the bowel and bladder and identify how that may affect prognosis for a patient with pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.
Intervention
- Explain the effects of pelvic floor under activity and proper technique of pelvic muscle exercises for rehabilitative purposes.
- Explain the relationship between the abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor muscles as they relate to activities of daily living.
- Describe the various interventions available to strengthen the muscles of the patient with an under active pelvic floor and clinically reason when and why the various interventions might be used.
- Demonstrate proper use of a handheld pelvic floor muscle electrical stimulation unit and explain its appropriate uses for a patient with pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.
- Describe techniques that can be used to train (retrain) the bladder and when each intervention might be used.
Requirements
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT
- Licensed Physical Therapist (PT)
- Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)
- 2nd Year Physical Therapy Student (SPT)
- 3rd Year Physical Therapy Student (SPT)
- No other professional types are permitted for this course. No exceptions will be made
PREREQUISITES
- None.
- We recommend students have some orthopedic and musculoskeletal coursework in their curriculum prior to attending the course.
LAB PARTICIPATION
If you have any medical conditions you wish to report prior to your course participation or if you want to bring a medical model to stand in your place during the course, you must complete the designated forms in your Course Learning Center. If you are bringing a Medical Model for an in-person course that requires internal examinations, it is your responsibility to review model guidelines and complete the Medical Model Form with your medical model at least 7 DAYS prior to the course. If we do not have your medical model form by the start of the course, you and your medical model will be removed from the course.
- Report Medical Conditions | Please fill out this form only if you have medical conditions to disclose.
- Medical Model Form | Medical Model Guidelines
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
If you require special accommodations to fully participate in this upcoming course, please send us a message to discuss your needs and make necessary arrangements.
If you are bringing a Medical Model for an in-person course that requires internal examinations, it is your responsibility to review model guidelines and complete the Medical Model Participation Consent & Liability Waiver Form with your medical model at least 7 DAYS prior to the course. If we do not have your medical model form by the start of the course, you and your medical model will be removed from the course.
Medical Model Form | Medical Model Guidelines
WHAT TO BRING
- Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that is comfortable for you to move in during the lab activities (some attendees bring a sweater or pullover as temperatures in the auditoriums and classrooms can often fluctuate)
- Laptop and charger (if you wish to take notes electronically; printed lab manuals will be provided by the Academy)
- Snacks and refreshments (the Academy provides some light refreshments but you are welcome to bring your own as well)
- Pencils and/or pens (useful for lab activities and worksheet activities)
- Hair ties (if you have long hair, we recommend for you to tie it in a ponytail during the lab activities)
- Nail filer (due to the physical interaction between attendees, we recommend for you to file your nails prior to lab activities)
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
- Course participants of all genders may be present in the room during the completion of examinations.
- Appropriate draping and positioning will be performed; however, visual assessment and palpation of external and internal anatomy are required for safe examination practice.
- External and internal examinations performed in the course pose a no greater risk than a standard gynecologic or colorectal examination.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT
Attendees must be present throughout the duration of the course. Contact hours will be forfeited and the attendee will be dismissed if the attendee:
- Misses two (2) or more lecture hours
- Misses any part of the Case Study Presentation and related group activities
To advance to the next course level, the attendee who missed the above will have to retake the course at her/his/their own expense.
Should extenuating circumstances arise, it is the responsibility of the participant to notify a course faculty member of the need to leave. Consideration for course completion will be made on a case-by-case basis.
CEU APPROVAL
Unless otherwise noted in the course description, the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy does not independently seek approval for course Continuing Education Unit (CEU) numbers in each state. It is the responsibility of each participant to submit their own CEU applications within their respective states. We are committed to assisting you in obtaining and supplying any required documentation for your CEU application. Historically, our course participants have consistently encountered no difficulties in securing approval for continuing education credits (CEUs) upon submission to their state's board.
Testimonials
"I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I felt very comfortable especially from traveling across the country for this course. I have signed up for level 2 pain and I am excited to grow my career with all of these levels."
"Really enjoyed the course."
"The course was a great foundation for my pelvic health clinical rotation."
"Class was very informative and the instructors were very attentive to each student in class, really enjoyed this course."
"The course was very informational, enlightening, and provided me with the skills required to commence pelvic health therapy as a PT."
"I thought the instructors were incredible. They were very knowledgeable, and they kept things light. It was really nice to hear their experiences and have their support. They taught the material very well. You could see how passionate they were about the material, and that's always contagious."
"This may be the best continuing education class that I have taken. It was so well organized and I feel like I left the course with skills ready to use the next day in the clinic. There was enough repetition of material through lecture and practice that I was able to actually integrate the material throughout the weekend and with the course prerequisites that I didn't feel like I was overwhelmed. I can't wait for my next course."
"Great information! The instructors were highly knowledgeable and personable when completing the course. Overall the experience was wonderful and I am so glad to have gotten the chance to participate. Great experience!!!"
"I really enjoyed the course. It was thorough and the instructors really brought out the material in an engaging way.
All three teachers were incredibly patient and attentive. They gave great insight on the field of physical therapy and tremendous wisdom regarding women's health/pelvic floor PT. I learned an incredible amount and always felt like I was in a safe and nurturing environment with them. Course sequence was sensible and strategic and lab was extremely useful."
"I really enjoyed everything about the course. I feel that it was well organized and well led, with great discussions and perspectives."
"I thought this class was very well planned and the days were structured well. I feel like I learned a lot and was able to retain information."
"I really enjoyed the built in time for questions as well as the opportunity for conversation throughout the lecture time."
"I feel I made the best choice by choosing APTA for pelvic health courses. The syllabus was well organized and you provided all the material we needed. Starting from the anatomy to conditions, examination, treatment and lab, everything was excellent. i enjoyed all the days of the course and the content. Can not wait till I register for PH2 PH3 and getting my CAPP."
"This course was excellent! All three instructors were incredibly helpful. I really appreciated how much they seemed to care about us learning the skills and how patient they were with everyone."
"First of all, Thank you for making this class lively and educational. I learned so much and truly feel ready to start treating!
"The course was very thorough and involved a significant amount of information covered in 3 days. Although it was intense, the environment was warm and relaxed which eliminated the stress level I was experiencing prior to the course in the beginning. I learned a lot and was able to retain quite a bit as well, eager to carry this knowledge to my treatment setting. I do look forward to PH2 in the near future."
"Overall I definitely give the course material and presentation a 5/5!"
"I was super impressed with all 3 instructors! Our group had a lot of questions and they patiently answered all of our questions and had others jump in to respond as needed. They seemed to work really well together. They made me feel comfortable during the lab portion and I felt like I was able to ask for guidance and they were very supportive as I was learning the new techniques. I love how they added humor in and also gave a lot of sayings to help remember concepts...super helpful! I feel like the lab/ hands on portion was invaluable.
"I thought the material presented was very comprehensive and very well presented. Overall I thought this was an awesome course and am looking forward to PH2."
"The hands on and palpation/ assessment skills were well explained and I feel competent in performing this pelvic exam."
Schedule
- Day 1: 7:30 am–5:30 pm
- Day 2: 7:30 am–5:30 pm
- Day 3: 7:30 am–3:00 pm
- Breaks are included: 15-minute morning break, 1-hour lunch break, and 15-minute afternoon break
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Lab Participation
Please watch these helpful videos to prepare yourself for the lab course.
Lab Expectations
Using a Medical Model in Lab
Self-Care During Lab
How Lab Works
CAPP-Pelvic Certification Pathway
Pricing
Please note that early-bird rates expire 30 days prior to the scheduled course. Want to qualify for member pricing? Join the Academy today!
| Type | Early-Bird | Regular |
|---|---|---|
| PT Member | $800 | $875 |
| PTA Member | $605 | $680 |
| SPT Member | $605 | $680 |
| Non-Member | $920 | $995 |
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