Pelvic Health Archives - Ontario Physiotherapy Association

Anatomy Refresher

Presented by the London District of OPA

In partnership with Western University we are offering an opportunity to attend a 4 hour workshop in the anatomy cadaver lab to refresh your anatomy knowledge.

The workshop will take place on Western Campus on June 19 from 12-4pm. It will be guided as well as have time for self-directed learning.

This is the first time this anatomy lab has been opened to the community and we are thrilled to share this experience with you!

Instructors

Dorota Klubowicz

Dorota Klubowicz is a physiotherapist and owner of St. Marys Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Clinic with a special interest in women’s health, education, and mild traumatic brain injury. She co-leads the Virtual Concussion Program, a fully funded initiative supporting individuals with mild traumatic brain injuries, and is working on developing a new brain injury program for women survivors of domestic violence. In addition to working on completing her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences, focusing on women’s health and pain, Dorota actively contributes to her community as VP of Finance for the Ontario Physiotherapy Association’s London District and as a board member for the St. Marys Wellness Center.

Tina Ziebart

Tina Ziebart is an Assistant Professor at Western University in the School of Physical Therapy. She is also a physiotherapist. Tina has built her career around teaching exercise to people with osteoporosis, both through research and clinically. Dr. Ziebart’s research program is looking to further understand the benefits of exercise in people with osteoporosis, exercise adherence in older adults, and the influence of disuse in special populations on the bones.

Cost

The London District of OPA is generously covering half of the cost to access this learning opportunity.

$60+HST for OPA members

$75+HST for non-members

Registration deadline is June 15. There are limited spots available. There will be a waitlist to ensure all the spots are filled by June 19.

Register Today!

OPA Members: Login prior to registering for member pricing.

Non-Internal Introductory Pelvic Health Course

Participants who register for this course have the option to attend the course live-online and/or watch the recording later. The recording will be available to all registrants for a 6-week period and access is provided on the next business day following the course. This allows participants who may not be able to attend live-online to still benefit from the course content.

To Kegel or Not: That is the Question!!

Pelvic floor problems are prevalent in more than 2/3 of women with LBP/PGP, and 1/3 of men with LBP

Is this an important fact affecting your outcomes for chronic LBP?

Course Description

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) can include increased tone and decreased tone muscle problems. It is not all about Kegels! How can you tell if your patient is over-recruiting their pelvic floor if you cannot do an internal exam? Not all clinicians want to perform this type of exam, or it may not be in your scope of practice. Learn what the evidence says about linking pelvic floor dysfunction to chronic low back pain, pelvic girdle pain, and hip pain, and learn what you can do about it in your practice. Help your patients to regain control of these important muscles! Sexual function and bladder/bowel function are arguably some of the most important activities of daily living that your patients need to recover. Don’t let your discomfort be the barrier to your patient’s recovery; we will make it fun and non-threatening!

Support resources are included in the cost of this course.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Understand the relevance of Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) when treating orthopaedic conditions- specifically LBP, SIJ dysfunction, PGP, and hip pain
Learn basic anatomy of the pelvic floor musculature and physiology of the lower urinary tract system (LUTS)
Understand pelvic floor conditions as they relate to a weak pelvic floor and an overactive pelvic floor
Learn how to ask patients important questions about sexual function
Learn non-internal management strategies for pelvic floor retraining
Create an individualized exercise program and progression for clients with increased or decreased pelvic floor tone
Use behavioural techniques to help retrain a variety of dysfunctions of the urinary and bowel system
Practice externally driven techniques for assessing and treating pelvic floor dysfunction
Understand when to refer to a specially trained physiotherapist for incontinence, prolapse, and pelvic pain

Audience: This course is open to all healthcare and wellness professionals.

Prerequisite: None

Date/Time: June 14, 2026, from 10:30am-6:30pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone.

Clinical Update: SUI and POP Research and Management Review

Course Description:

This online, 4-hour course, will take you through an updated and in-depth review of proposed mechanisms, prevalence, risk factors and treatment options for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse for your clients who are assigned female at birth. Integrating the latest research recommendations, international consensus statements and treatment pathways, this course will get you up-to-date so that you can make evidence-informed treatment recommendations and your clients can make truly informed decisions for their healthcare journeys. Everything from watch-and-wait, conservative management including pelvic floor muscle training, manual therapy and pessary use will be reviewed, as well as high-level overviews of medical management such as medication, injection and surgical options.

Objectives

Provide updated and in-depth information for the following:

Pelvic organ prolapse

Clinical vs anatomical presentation and definitions
Pelvic anatomy and involved structures
POP-Q measurements and clinical implications
Prevalence, Natural History and Risk Factors
Treatment including: Pelvic floor muscle training, hypopressives, general exercise, manual therapy, pessary use, surgical options

Stress Urinary Incontinence:

Prevalence, Risk Factors, Progression
Pelvic anatomy and involved structures
Pressure augmentation and urethra closing pressure
Subtype 1: Urethral Hypermobility
Subtype 2: Intrinsic Sphincter Deficiency
Treatments including: Pelvic floor muscle training, medical bulking agents, pharmacological options, intravaginal devices including pessaries, surgical options

Prerequisite: Level 1 or an entry level pelvic health course is recommended. Information & skills taught must be used within scope of practice.

Audience: This course is open to physiotherapists, naturopathic doctors, registered nurses, midwives and medical doctors.

Date/Time: June 1, 2026, from 5:00-9:00pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone.

Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging for Pelvic Health

Course Description:

Ultrasound imaging allows for valid, reliable, efficient and non-invasive measurement of motor control deficits of the deep stabilizing muscles that are associated with neuromusculoskeletal disorders in the Lumbopelvic region. The ability to qualitatively assess motor control as well as visually train muscle function has been shown to lead to improved clinical decision-making and patient performance.

Participants in this one-day remote course will be instructed in the basic science and clinical evidence for the use of rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) for addressing lumbopelvic dysfunction. We will explore the relevant anatomy, landmarks, and ultrasound probe technique required for evaluation of tissue morphology, motor control behaviors, as well as motor pattern training for the anterior and lateral abdominal wall, pelvic floor, and lumbar multifidus. The pelvic floor, bladder and midline contents of the pelvis will be addressed in two ways including transabdominal and transperineal approach for male and female patients. This course offers live lectures followed by live-model demonstrations providing interaction, questions, and real-time observation of RUSI. Participants must have a solid grasp of pelvic floor function and rehabilitation of the muscles of local control, prior ultrasound experience or equipment is not required.

Goals and Objectives

Understand current clinical applications of rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) in the scope of physical therapy
Understand basic imaging principles and terminology
Understand how RUSI can be utilized for evaluation of aberrant motor control strategies
Understand the basic science and equipment required to perform rehabilitative ultrasound imaging
Be able to Identify relevant sonographic landmarks for the abdominal wall, pelvic floor, bladder and lumbar multifidus on an ultrasound image
Understand how RUSI can contribute to clinical decision making to improve the management of patients with a variety of lumbopelvic dysfunctions

Audience: This course is open to registered health professionals for whom the use of ultrasound techniques are within the scope of practice.

Prerequisite: Good working knowledge of the muscles of local control. Access to ultrasound equipment OR experience with ultrasound is not required.

Date/Time: June 28, 2026, from 10:00am – 7:30pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone.

Biopsychosocial Reframed

This course is designed to be attended live during the specific dates and times listed. By attending live, you’ll be able to harness the benefits of live discussions, timely feedback, and a collaborative environment.

Course Description:

Do you get frustrated with your persistent pain patients who don’t respond to your biomechanical approach? Transitioning to a biopsychosocial framework has been a challenge for many clinicians despite the competency of our biomechanical training. When patients have a sensitive nervous system, measuring psychosocial distress as objectively as we measure range of motion, muscle strength, proprioception and joint mobility is important when profiling their sensitive nervous system.

This course will teach you how to reframe your persistent pain patients by treating the “whole person” using a psychologically informed framework.

The use of distress questionnaires (SAD CLLIFSS) and skills training for the psychosocial components is lacking in many physiotherapy-based training programs.

This course teaches you how to use distress questionnaires to assess the drivers of central sensitization. Clinicians need to do better than simply prescribe yoga and meditation to their patients with a sensitive nervous system. Explore the strong evidence behind matching evidence-informed treatment techniques such as pain education, yoga, qi gong, meditation, sensory-motor retraining, expressive writing exercises and cardiovascular exercise to each patient’s “driver” of their sensitive nervous system in order to improve patient outcomes. Barrier-breaking strategies of integrating psychologically informed practices into our treatment approach for persistent pain is a key competency of the modern, evidence-informed clinician.

Upon completion of this course, participants will learn:

To move beyond “talking” about a biopsychosocial model of care to truly incorporating this model into your practice.
To define central sensitization and how to measure the characteristics of central sensitization in your clinical practice.
To understand a clinical framework for treating persistent pain that expands on your current biomechanical skills (from new grad to seasoned clinician).
How to assess various drivers of a sensitized nervous system and to “match” evidence-informed psychosocial skills to these drivers.
Novel movement exercises including six qi gong routines for the upper body, lower body, breathing and pelvic organs to help to address sensory-motor changes as well as generalized tension.

This is a lecture-format and lab-based course. Included in the cost of the course are handouts and resources for each of the techniques learned. The audiovisual resources presented during this course for meditation, progressive relaxation exercises and qi gong will be made available as free downloads but can also be purchased through Embodia Academy for easier patient prescription.

Audience: This course is open to all healthcare professionals.

Prerequisites: None

Date/Time: May 31, June 7, 14 & 21, 2026, from 6:00pm – 9:00pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone. Course runs over 4 sessions.

Cesarean Birth & Rehabilitation

Course Description:

Cesarean births make up approximately one third of childbirth deliveries in Canada. However, there remains limited and often conflicting post-operative guidance for patients which can leave them feeling unsure of how to navigate their recovery following a Cesarean section. Insufficient guidance on when and how to return to exercise as well as appropriate exercise progression can be overwhelming and often result in patients (or practitioners!) doing too much too soon OR avoiding exercise unnecessarily. Physiotherapists and rehab professionals have much to offer in supporting individuals through this journey and help bridge the gap in current care practices.

This course will provide the practitioner with a practical overview of the Cesarean birth experience as well as evidence-informed tools & approaches to help patients optimize recovery. We will also explore a wide variety of exercise ideas through all stages of recovery.

Objectives:

learn what a Cesarean birth is (and is not!)
review post-operative restrictions & red flags
review evidence-informed recommendations for enhancing recovery after surgery
learn early post-op pain management techniques & protective strategies
exposure to evidence-informed use of modalities in cesarean recovery
understand differences in post-operative complications & dysfunction between modes of delivery (vaginal & cesarean)
explore a variety of exercise ideas (including for runners and weight lifters) throughout all stages of recovery
- 0-6 weeks postpartum
- 6 week ‘clearance’ and beyond
be exposed to medical considerations for future births (e.g. VBAC)
explore the role physiotherapy can play in preparing patients for Cesarean birth or VBAC
explore prevalent biopsychosocial impacts:
- impact of C-Section on breastfeeding
- emotional & psychological impacts; birth trauma
explore barriers to recovery and advantages of implementing Telehealth in this population

Practical review and demonstration of:

cesarean scar management, mobility and de-sensitization techniques.
breastfeeding positions after a Cesarean birth
protective strategies in the first 6 weeks postpartum
“exercise” ideas for the first 6 weeks after birth
exercise at 6 weeks and beyond
case example for the telehealth platform

Audience: Open to all healthcare and wellness professionals.

Prerequisites: None

Date/Time: June 17, 2026, from 5:00pm – 9:00pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone.

Level 1: The Physical Therapy Approach For Anyone Experiencing Urinary Incontinence – Hybrid (Live-Online/In-Person)

Two-part format course:

The lecture component of the course will take place live-online July 3-4, 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 – to be completed in-person on July 5, 2026, at various set locations. Attendance of both sessions (lecture and practical) is mandatory.

Course Description:

This comprehensive course focuses on the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of adults 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 3-day 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 begins with two-days of live-online online lecture, featuring comprehensive videos of all techniques, followed by an in-person practical session (practical locations available are listed above).

Support resources, 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 and prolapse
Become familiar with the proper terminology used in assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor; learn to differentiate the difference between increased and decreased pelvic floor muscle tone
Incorporate informed consent, trauma-informed care, and a culturally sensitive approach into all patient interventions
Discuss proper infection control techniques involved in pelvic floor muscle evaluation
Incorporate outcome measures for various conditions
Discuss precautions and contraindications for specific modalities
Perform an evaluation of the pelvic floor vaginally and rectally
Establish appropriate patient centered goals and develop an evidence-based treatment plan and its progression for the management of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse
Gain skills in a variety of treatment techniques, including patient education, pelvic floor exercises, functional training, biofeedback, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, manual therapy, behavioural interventions, and lifestyle modifications
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

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.

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.

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

University of Alberta Faculty of Rehab Medicine Online Micro-Courses

Elevate your practice this Fall with the University of Alberta Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. Starting September 2026, we are offering a wide selection of specialized 6-week online micro-courses designed for the busy clinician.

New for Fall 2026:

Introduction to Dry Needling in Rehab Practice

Expand Your Expertise In:

Vestibular & Concussion Management
Neurorehabilitation
Women’s Pelvic Health
Chronic Pain Management
Spinal Cord Injury Management
Common Conditions in Pediatric Rehab … and more!

Advance your career with flexible, evidence-based learning from a leader in rehabilitation education.

Learn More & Register: uab.ca/pd

Questions? Contact us at frmcpe@ualberta.ca

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 Pessary Course – Hybrid (Live-Online/In-Person)

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.

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.

Anatomy Refresher

Presented by the London District of OPA

Instructors

Dorota Klubowicz

Tina Ziebart

Cost

Register Today!

Non-Internal Introductory Pelvic Health Course

Clinical Update: SUI and POP Research and Management Review

Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging for Pelvic Health

Biopsychosocial Reframed

Cesarean Birth & Rehabilitation

Level 1: The Physical Therapy Approach For Anyone Experiencing Urinary Incontinence – Hybrid (Live-Online/In-Person)

University of Alberta Faculty of Rehab Medicine Online Micro-Courses

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy: The Practice-Ready Intensive

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy: The Practice-Ready Intensive

The Pessary Course – Hybrid (Live-Online/In-Person)

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