Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy: The Practice-Ready Intensive

This practice-ready, entry-to-practice intensive is designed to equip clinicians with the foundational knowledge, hands-on skills, and clinical confidence needed to assess and treat patients presenting with common pelvic health conditions.

Led by an experienced FCAMPT physiotherapist, this course offers a unique approach by integrating pelvic health through an orthopaedic clinical lens. Participants will learn how to assess and treat the pelvic floor not in isolation, but as part of the entire musculoskeletal system – bridging the gap between orthopaedic and pelvic health practice.

This intensive combines essential theory with practical application, including pelvic floor anatomy, palpation skills, comprehensive subjective and objective assessment, and structured treatment planning. Emphasis is placed on clinical reasoning, patient communication, and real-world application, ensuring participants leave ready to begin building and treating a pelvic health caseload.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe pelvic floor anatomy and function across genders

• Understand common pelvic floor conditions seen in clinical practice and correlation with orthopedic conditions if relevant.

• Perform a comprehensive pelvic health subjective assessment

• Demonstrate safe, ethical, and consent-based external and internal pelvic floor examinations.

• Develop basic treatment plans using sound clinical reasoning.

Conditions covered:

• Stress incontinence
• Urge incontinence
• Urinary urgency and frequency
• Mixed incontinence
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Vaginismus
• Dyspareunia
• Pudendal neuralgia
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Dysmenorrhea
• Bladder Pain Syndrome
• Male pelvic pain: Chronic pelvic pain syndrome, prostatitis, testicular pain, penile pain

Course Instructor: Jigisha Parekh, PT, FCAMPT, CFIMS, Pelvic Health Physiotherapist

Course Location: Triangle Physiotherapy Erin Mills, 2520 Eglinton Ave W, Unit 205, Mississauga ON L5M 0Y4

Course Date for in-person weekend: June 20, 21, 2026

Fee: $1695.00 plus HST

Early Bird Fee: $1595.00 plus HST – Sign up before April 23, 2026 Use code: EBPEL26

The lecture component will take place live-online April 24-25, 2026, 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 April 26, 2026, at various set locations. Attendance of both sessions (lecture and practical) is mandatory.

SAVE $50 WHEN YOU REGISTER FOR BOTH THE LEVEL 2 AND LEVEL 3 COURSES TOGETHER

The discount will be applied automatically at checkout once both courses are added to your cart. This offer is only valid when both courses are purchased in a single transaction.

Course Description:

This comprehensive course offers physiotherapists, and other health care professionals, an in-depth exploration of the assessment and evidence-based treatment strategies for individuals suffering from pelvic pain using a biopsychosocial approach (BPS). 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.

Support resources, including assessment forms and patient handouts are included in the course cost.

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 biopsychosocial approach for the assessment and treatment of pelvic pain conditions
• Review pelvic floor anatomy, with regards to various pelvic pain conditions
• Become familiar with the proper terminology used in assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor
• Incorporate informed consent, trauma-informed care, and a culturally sensitive approach into all patient interventions
• Review proper infection control techniques involved in pelvic floor muscle evaluation
• Incorporate outcome measures for various conditions
• Discuss precautions and contraindications for specific modalities
• 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
• Establish appropriate patient centered goals and develop an evidence-based treatment plan and its progression for the management of pelvic pain conditions
• Treatment interventions will include patient education, pain science education, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, behavioural modifications, lifestyle modifications and self-care strategies
• Discuss the importance of a multidisciplinary approach
• Recognize the need for medical consultation and referral for conditions and presentations outside of your scope of practice
• Integrate these learnt concepts with the use of case studies
• All content covered will be immediately applicable in clinical practice

During the practical session, attendees will work in small groups, taking on roles as both the clinician and patient. With an excellent ratio of lab assistants to participants, attendees will receive guidance throughout the trauma informed practical portion in a safe and supportive environment. Lab assistants will be available to answer questions and ensure a supportive learning environment.

If you are unable or uncomfortable acting as a patient model for any reason, you are required to bring someone (such as a friend, family member, or colleague) to practice on, as there is no guarantee that another participant will volunteer to act as a model more than once. Please notify info@pelvichealthsolutions.ca if you will be bringing someone to practice on.

This course is designed to evaluate the pelvic floor by learning specific examination and treatment techniques for these conditions, including vaginal and anal palpation. This course includes two days of live-online lecture, featuring comprehensive videos of all techniques, an in-person practical session, and 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. We recommend viewing the recorded course prior to the start of the live-online lecture.

Over the duration of the recorded trauma 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.

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.

Prerequisites: 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.

The lecture component will take place live-online June 6, 2026, from 10:30am to 6:30pm ET (Toronto). By attending live, you’ll be able to harness the benefits of live discussions, timely feedback, and a collaborative environment.

In-person practical will be completed in-person on June 7, 2026 in Vaughan, ON. Attendance of both sessions (lecture and practical) is mandatory.

Course Description:

Pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence are common concerns that Pelvic Health Physiotherapists and other health care providers see frequently with their clients who were assigned female at birth. As medical systems transition towards conservative management, pessary use is recommended as a first-line symptoms management option for those with POP and SUI both in Canada and internationally.

This course combines the most recent, evidence-based recommendations with hands-on and practical information for where pessaries fit into client care and how to integrate them into your clinical practice. Instructors Jenny and Cara have performed hundreds of pessary fittings and give in-depth, behind-the-scenes perspectives and clinical pearls to help you offer pessary care for your clients. Whether you want to offer pessary fittings in your clinic, work with clients for pessary maintenance after a fitting, or just learn more about pessaries so you can educate your clients who are suitable for pessary use, this course is for you.

Access a complimentary guide for pessary setup in the clinic here.

Course objectives:

• Briefly review up-to-date management options for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence so you know where pessaries fit into recommended care pathways (see Clinical Update course for in-depth research review)
• Overview of the POP-Q exam, how to perform the simplified POP-Q and vaginal tissue scan in clinic in a trauma-informed manner
• Comprehensive, research-based summary regarding pessary recommendations, indications, contraindications, effectiveness and ongoing management
• Overview of different pessary sizes and styles, clinical reasoning for which pessary size and styles to try with a given client
• How to work with other health care providers to ensure adequate pessary clearance and ongoing care
• Charting and interprofessional communication recommendations
• Practical considerations for how to set up a pessary service in your clinic, including overview of single-patient disposable model or sterilization of pessary fitting kits with an autoclave
• Lab will involve working in groups of 2-3 to do speculum exams, simplified POP-Q assessment, and pessary fittings for ring and cube on each other, and perform gellhorn insertion/removal on a pelvic model.

**Participants for this course are from different professions, provinces, and countries. It will be each registrant’s responsibility to look into prevention and infection control for their practice. You are encouraged to verify the legislation in your province or country to ensure that fitting pessaries is within your scope of practice as well as the specific regulations about infection control (cleaning and sterilizing in clinic or outside).

This course combines lecture-based instruction with hands-on practical labs. During the practical session, attendees will work in small groups, taking on roles as both the clinician and patient. With an excellent ratio of lab assistants to participants, attendees will receive guidance throughout the practical portion. Lab assistants will be available to answer questions and ensure a supportive learning environment.

If you are unable or uncomfortable acting as a patient model for any reason, you are required to bring someone (such as a friend, family member, or colleague) to practice on, as there is no guarantee that another participant will volunteer to act as a model more than once. Please notify info@pelvichealthsolutions.ca if you will be bringing someone to practice on.

Audience:

This course is recommended for experienced clinicians who have the ability to perform internal exams – Pelvic Health Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Physicians, Physician Assistants, Naturopathic Doctors

Prerequisite: 

Prerequisite: Level 1 and experience/confidence in performing internal examinations. Pessary fitting is an advanced skill and it is not recommended to take the course if you are still becoming accustomed to performing internal exams.

Live-online lecture: Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 10:30am-6:30pm ET (Toronto)

Practical: Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 9:00am-4:00pm ET in Vaughan, ON.