Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Identifying, Screening, and Referring

0.6 Contact Hours / 0.06 CEU

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction is an umbrella term for several different diagnoses. Physical therapists who are aware of how the pelvic floor is closely related to the spine and hips are better equipped to fully address their patients’ complaints. Pelvic floor physical therapists are able to treat the entire musculoskeletal system and also address pelvic health issues such as bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction. Many quality of life issues that are frequently treated by pelvic floor physical therapists may be missed during an initial evaluation purely due to clinicians’ lack of knowing how to screen for them. For example, a teenage gymnast or elderly post-prostatectomy patient may also be experiencing urinary incontinence. Another example is a patient post-MVA who may experience coccydynia along with cervicalgia from whiplash. In this course, you’ll learn what to ask your patients during an evaluation to determine if they might be experiencing a pelvic floor issue. You’ll also be able to provide basic education to the patient and help them seek a pelvic floor physical therapist.

Target group: PT

Education Level: Basic

Program Agenda-pelvic floor dysfunction

Clinicians will:

1. know what Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) consists of

2. be able to ask questions appropriately during an initial evaluation to screen for PFD

3. know which questions to ask patients to help identify possible PFD

4. know how to make an appropriate referral for a pelvic health specialist5. Clinicians will know how to provide basic patient education on PFDs to help patients understand when to seek a specialist

• Financial: The instructor(s) receive an honorarium for presenting this course.
• Non-financial: The instructor(s) have no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
• Partial credit is not available. For online courses, passing module assessments and completing the course evaluation is required to earn continuing education credit. For live courses, attendance is confirmed by signing the attendance sheet at the course; ensure name and professional license number are accurate, and initial both morning and afternoon attendance.