Doctor of Physical Therapy Continuing Education

The Lebanon Valley College faculty is impressed by our local clinical community and are here to help take your career to its next phase. Our continuing education programs highlight the skills that best serve your patients and the learning experiences that impact you as a clinician.

We’ve created professional development continuing education opportunities based on:

  • Flexible educational delivery options (online, lecture-based, webinars, lab-intensive, home study, and hybrid models) geared around your busy personal and professional life
  • Optimized learning opportunities that will make you a better clinician
  • An educational curriculum grounded in current evidence, patient values, and the “art” of Evidence-Bases Physical Therapy Practice
  • Experience gained by career professionals and academics.

We welcome any questions you have regarding our career-enhancement professional development programs.

 

Mission

To provide innovative and high-impact continuing education learning experiences that enhance clinical practice in our clinical community, drive professional development of LVC faculty and students, and cultivate clinical relationships creating a competitive advantage for our health professional programs.

Continuing Education Schedule

Contact Joshua Prall, assistant professor of physical therapy, with questions.

Course Title: Level 1: The Physical Therapy Approach To Anyone Experiencing Urinary Incontinence – Combined Online/In-Person – July 2024

Level 2: The Role of Physiotherapy in The Treatment of Anyone Experiencing Pelvic Pain Through a Trauma Informed Lens – Combined Live-Online/In-Person – September 2024

  • The lecture component of the course will take place live-online July 12–13, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET (Toronto). By attending live, you’ll be able to harness the benefits of live discussions, timely feedback, and a collaborative environment.
  • In-Person Labs are to be completed in-person on July 14, 2024, at various set locations. Attendance of both sessions (lecture and practical) is mandatory.
    • Canada: Vaughan, ON / Perth, ON / Westmount, QC / Calgary, AB / Duncan, BC / Dartmouth, NS / Paradise, NL.
    • USA: Annville, PA

Course Description: This comprehensive course focuses on the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of individuals experiencing incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Designed for physiotherapists and other health professionals seeking to expand their knowledge in pelvic health, this course will equip participants with Level 1, Grade A evidence-based strategies to properly rehabilitate the pelvic floor. The course will help participants gain skills, beyond teaching externally driven pelvic floor exercises, to help enhance client outcomes.

This course is designed to teach physiotherapists, and other health professionals, how to evaluate the pelvic floor by learning specific examination and treatments for these conditions. This is a lecture and lab-based course, and all pre-recorded lab videos will be played (total of 3 days). Support documents, including assessment forms and patient handouts are included in the course cost.

Through completion of this course, participants will:

  • Acquire knowledge of anatomy and physiology of micturition, as well as pertinent pathologies for the different types of incontinence (stress, urge, mixed).
  • Acquire knowledge of the different types of pelvic organ prolapse (cystocele, rectocele, uterine/vaginal vault prolapse).
  • Acquire knowledge of the urodynamic and urological investigation procedures, as well as medical and surgical treatments for urinary incontinence.
  • Perform an evaluation of the pelvic floor vaginally and rectally.
  • Establish and perform a treatment plan and its progression for the management of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
  • Master a variety of treatment techniques, including pelvic floor exercises, biofeedback, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, manual therapy, behavioural interventions, and lifestyle modifications.

Join us for an immersive learning experience that will empower you to provide effective interventions for individuals dealing with incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, ultimately enhancing their quality of life and overall well-being.

Audience: This course is open to physiotherapists, physiotherapy students, naturopathic doctors, naturopathic students, registered nurses, midwives, and medical doctors. Labs include internal palpation.

Prerequisites: None – beginner level course

Please Note: This course is both lecture format and practical labs with vaginal and rectal palpation. For the practical component, registrants will be in groups of 2-3 and will be practicing the skills/techniques on each other.

Register here for Level 1.

Course Title: Level 2: The Role of Physiotherapy in The Treatment of Anyone Experiencing Pelvic Pain Through a Trauma Informed Lens – Combined Live-Online/In-Person – September 2024

Date/Time/Location:

  • The lecture component will take place live-online September 20-21, 2024, from 10:30am to 7:00pm ET (Toronto). By attending live, you’ll be able to harness the benefits of live discussions, timely feedback, and a collaborative environment.
  • In-person labs will be completed in-person on September 22, 2024, at various set locations. Attendance of both sessions (lecture and practical) is mandatory. 
    • Canada: Vaughan, ON / Perth, ON / Westmount, QC / Calgary, AB / Edmonton, AB / Abbotsford, BC / Duncan, BC / Kelowna, BC / Saskatoon, SK / Halifax, NS / Paradise, NL.
    • USA: Farmington, MI / Austin, TX / Annville, PA

Course Description: This comprehensive course offers physiotherapists an in-depth exploration of the assessment and evidence-based treatment strategies for individuals suffering from pelvic pain. Topics covered in this course include (but are not limited to) the evaluation and hands-on treatment for the following conditions that contribute to pelvic pain: vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD), clitoral phimosis, dyspareunia, vaginismus, lichens sclerosis (LS), genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), pudendal neuralgia (PN), bladder pain syndrome (BPS), interstitial cystitis (IC), chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), dysmenorrhea, endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Physiotherapists will gain knowledge in the pathophysiology, signs, and symptoms that lead to these impairments, the functional limitations, and disabilities they cause and outcome measures that can be used in the clinic. Learn the skills necessary to provide effective care, empowering clients to regain their quality of life.

This course is designed to teach physiotherapists and other health professionals how to evaluate the pelvic floor by learning specific examination and treatments for these conditions. This is a lecture and lab-based course, and all pre-recorded lab videos will be played (total of 3 days). Support documents, including assessment forms and patient handouts are included in the course cost.

Included in the cost of this course is access to a 1-day recorded course that focuses on understanding the impact of trauma on physical and emotional health and the barriers trauma may present to a patient’s experiences in healthcare, particularly pelvic floor physiotherapy. Over the duration of the course, we will explore the two most common types of traumas impacting pelvic health – childhood sexual abuse and birth trauma. We will explore how physiotherapists can apply a trauma-informed lens to their pelvic practice resulting in greater awareness, understanding and sensitivity for patients identifying as survivors of trauma. Through this increased sensitivity, physiotherapists, and other health professionals, will better support their patients and in turn, observe higher levels of trust, adherence, and cooperation from their client base.

Through completion of this course, participants will:

  • Understand the conditions/definitions of vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, persistent genital arousal disorder, clitoral phimosis, dyspareunia, vaginismus, lichens sclerosis, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, pudendal neuralgia, bladder pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis, chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Understand the common symptoms, impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities associated in anyone experiencing pelvic pain.
  • Review the literature supporting the role of physiotherapy in the treatment of pelvic pain conditions.
  • Review pelvic floor anatomy, with regards to various pelvic pain conditions.
  • Improve palpation skills, vaginally and rectally, of the specific pelvic floor muscles in all three layers.
  • Perform internal and external, vaginal and rectal myofascial and soft tissue treatment techniques specific to pelvic pain conditions.
  • Describe specific client-related education and behavioural instruction related to pelvic pain conditions.
  • Understand and develop an appropriate treatment plan which includes a home exercise program for pelvic pain.
  • Recognize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach.
  • Integrate these learnt concepts with the use of case studies.

The 1-day trauma video is recommended to be watched prior to the course. This section of the course will discuss/include:

  • Why is a trauma-informed lens important for healthcare providers?
  • Defining childhood sexual abuse and/or sexual assault
  • How to recognize trauma: Signs and Symptoms
  • Neurobiology of Trauma: How is the brain and emotional functioning affected?
  • How does childhood sexual abuse or sexual assault shape or redefine a patient’s identity, sense of self, and body image?
  • Defining birth trauma
  • How does birth trauma affect pelvic floor recovery?
  • Birth Trauma vs. Post-Partum Mood Disorders: Similarities and Differences
  • Disclosures of Trauma: Appropriate and Inappropriate Responses by Healthcare Workers
  • Coping techniques for patients

Join us for an immersive learning experience, using a trauma-informed lens, that will empower you to provide effective interventions for individuals dealing with pelvic pain.

Audience: This course is open to physiotherapists, physiotherapy students, naturopathic doctors, naturopathic students, registered nurses, midwives, and medical doctors. Labs include internal palpation. 

Prerequisite: Level 1 (or equivalent to be approved by PHS – please email info@pelvichealthsolutions.ca for approval).

Please Note: This course is both lecture format and practical labs with vaginal and rectal palpation. For the practical component, registrants will be in groups of 2-3 and will be practicing the skills/techniques on each other.

Register here for Level 2.