Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Therapy Course

Eighty-five percent of women will have a baby in their lifetime. That means whether you consider yourself a pelvic floor physical therapist, you are working with females who are experiencing pelvic floor complaints. Women are no longer being told to rest during their pregnancies and into their postpartum period. They are athletes, fitness athletes, who are looking to us as rehabilitation professionals to help guide them through this very unique time in their life. The primary objective of this course is to help you work with the female fitness athlete and effectively manage the unique needs and considerations of this highly driven population.

Each unit will go over different components of the pregnant and postpartum journey. These include changes in physiology during pregnancy, labor and delivery, early post-partum and later post-partum considerations to common musculoskeletal complaints and exercise considerations for each phase. Through online learning, community discussion, and weekly meetings the instructors will interact with the cohort as students attend meetings and submit assignments which range from interview-style discussions to breakdowns of clinical assessments. The Live meeting sessions will give students the unique ability to ask questions of the instructors, go through case examples and discuss the considerations and issues that may arise with this population.

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Course

You do not need to be, or aim to be, an internal pelvic floor physical therapist to take this course. This course will teach cover pelvic floor anatomy, introduce pelvic floor assessment concepts and give you the tools to know when to refer to internal pelvic floor. We, as orthopedic clinicians, need to have a working knowledge of the pelvic floor.  By the end of this course, clinicians will be confident in triggers for regression of exercise during pregnancy, triggers for progression of exercise postpartum and have the clinical tools to help treat musculoskeletal complaints common in the pregnant and postpartum period.

This is an 8-week ONLINE course. All content (videos, resources, etc.) is delivered through our online learning platform with discussion facilitated through a private Facebook page. Live video conference calls take place weekly to discuss content and dive deeper into the material. Attendance at the live sessions is certainly encouraged however all sessions are recorded and made available to be viewed whenever is convenient for the learner. At no point throughout the class is it mandatory that you are available at a set time, so there should be minimal interruption to your work and life schedule.

Schedule

Week 1

• Pelvic floor dysfunction

Week 2

• The menstrual cycle and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)

Week 3

• Pregnancy physiology, pregnant-related complications, and the evidence for exercise

Week 4

• Early postpartum care

Week 5

• Menopause and the active individual

Week 6

• Pelvic floor considerations for resistance training

Week 7

• Pelvic floor considerations for bodyweight movements (Yoga, Pilates, gymnastics, and calisthenics)

Week 8

• Pelvic floor considerations for impact (Running, jumping, "boot camp", and sport

Course Objectives

• Master pelvic floor anatomy and physiology.
• Recognize menstrual cycle phases and sex hormones and their athletic performance impact.
• Understand exercise physiology, including pregnancy-related complications and the use of exercise for management.
• Provide early postpartum care for core and pelvic floor.
• Gain understanding of the menopausal effects on female health, exercise, and genitourinary syndrome.
• Integrate core and pelvic floor considerations for bodyweight exercises like gymnastics, calisthenics, and yoga.
• Treat pelvic floor dysfunction in endurance athletes (e.g., runners) and strength training athletes (e.g., weightlifters, high intensity exercisers).