spotlight! social Heal Pelvic Pain Get Involved Conference Taking CAPP Pelvic 1

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1 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3 spotlight! Placing the focus on the future of women s health physical therapy Want a career in Women s Health physical therapy? what to look for in an academic program Book Review Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein, MPT Second Annual SOWH Fall Conference Taking CAPP Pelvic 1 AS A STUDENT social Get Involved WITH THE SSIG AT NSC! September 2013

2 An anatomy class that includes dissection of the pelvic floor The women s health PT community in the surrounding area Assistance with women s health continuing education courses Want a career in Women s Health physical therapy? what to look for in an academic program by Liz Weamer, SPT The day I decided to switch careers from being a professional musician to being a women s health physical therapist, I had my friend ask her women s health PT what I needed to do in order to become one. First, she said, you go to PT school. What s PT school? I thought. Can t I just go to women s health school? Clearly, I had some learning to do. With the help of the internet, I came up with a list of physical therapy programs. But did it matter which one? By pure coincidence, I happened to live near a PT school that offers a women s health elective course and has a few other women s healthfriendly aspects. I chose that one. Now in my third year at University of Illinois at Chicago s DPT program, I know a little bit more about how this whole becominga-women s-health-pt thing works--at least about the role that your school choice plays. To start, here s How do you become a women s health physical therapist? First, you go to PT school. an oversimplified explanation of the two basic pathways that lead to becoming a women s health physical therapist (WHPT) after you finish PT school: The first pathway is by taking weekend continuing education courses to gain special knowledge and experience in the field (the number of courses you take is up to you and, sometimes, your employer). The second, more heavyduty pathway is to become a board certified women s health clinical specialist, which is a highly distinguished credential and requires a significant amount of time and groundwork. The process of becoming board-certified can be accelerated by first doing a women s health residency- -a wonderfully intensive educational opportunity in and of itself. However, though doing a residency and becoming board certified are awesome ways to prepare for a career in WHPT, they may not be an option for everyone. Choosing a physical therapy degree program that addresses certain aspects of WHPT can get a student headed in the right direction, regardless of which post-school pathway they choose. This article is meant to provide not a set of requirements, but simply a list of suggestions of what to look for in a physical therapy program if you are a prospective WHPT student, or to push for if your current program doesn t already offer it. Susan Shultz (my fellow Midwest SSIG representative) and I sought input from current DPT students about what aspects of their school they have found most helpful in preparing them for this field. Here s what they had to say: In our informal survey of SSIG members, this was the item that received the most votes. Historically, the pelvic floor has been glossed over or ignored altogether by gross anatomy instructors at most PT programs. These days, however, schools are starting to recognize the importance of this learning experience, and some of them have made the pelvic floor a regular part of the course. If you are already in school and your anatomy course did not cover it, it s worth approaching your instructor about getting a special session with a hemisected pelvis--even if you already finished anatomy. Just ask if you can get access to a cadaver when the class below you is taking anatomy, and maybe even offer to make a pelvic floor anatomy lab presentation to other interested students. A women s health elective course This is the factor that sold me on my school, as UIC is one of the few programs in the area that offers a women s health elective course. If you are uncertain of whether the schools you are considering have a women s health course, ask! Not every school includes this information on their website. Among the schools who do offer the course, there is a variety of depth, with some offering more hands-on experience and some providing a broader view of women s health at large. My UIC course covered topics like menopause, pregnancy, sex, LGBT issues, birth control, domestic violence, cancer, the female triad, incontinence, prolapse, and pelvic pain, while also providing us the opportunity to perform pelvic floor muscle exams on live models--the highlight of my academic career thus far! One of the most important factors in your journey towards becoming a WHPT is the opportunity to speak with and possibly observe current WHPTs. I say possibly because, due to the private nature of the sessions, students are often not allowed to observe (something I would love to see changed). If you know of at least one or two practitioners near your school who would be willing to help answer questions or show you around their clinic, consider that a major boon to your educational experience. You can establish a connection with these PTs simply by calling or ing them, or by introducing yourself at a women s health-related conference in your region. Ask around your school s faculty to see if anyone can put you in touch with alumni who became WHPTs. Some schools have established relationships with local WHPTs, who serve as guest lecturers in certain courses. If you can t seem to connect with any local therapists, sign up to receive a long-distance WHPT mentor through the Mentorship Program of the Section of Women s Health. A women s health clinical internship This is a big one. As one of our respondents said of women s health physical therapy, you don t really learn it until you do it. Ask your school if they have existing relationships with women s health clinical instructors, and if they don t, do everything you can to establish one. The process of securing clinical internships can take awhile, so get on this as early as possible! However, if you are not able to get an internship in women s health, don t fret. There are other ways of gaining pelvic floor experience (see below). Continuing education courses are an excellent way to get hands-on experience in pelvic floor PT in a way that is far more specialized than most academic courses can provide. These weekend courses are designed primarily for practicing physical therapists, but 3rd-year PT students can also participate. When I was not able to get a women s health clinical internship, I took a weekend pelvic floor continuing education course instead, which my WHPT mentor told me still puts me ahead of the game. Again, continuing education courses are one of the main ways in which to specialize in women s health. While these courses are not directly affiliated with PT degree programs, some schools are willing to facilitate this opportunity for their students. For instance, your school might be able to negotiate a bigger discount for you, suggest a university travel grant that would help with gas money, or simply give you an excused absence in order for you to attend. Other considerations Additional things to consider are the inclusion of pelvic floor and other women s health disorders in musculoskeletal and neuromuscular dysfunction courses, excused absences to attend women s health or other related conferences, and freedom to focus on women s health in certain school assignments. For instance, while one of your classmates might choose the paper topic, Advances in ACL rehabilitation, yours could be Neuromuscular re-education of the pelvic floor. So, are all PT schools created equally when it comes to women s health? No. Does that mean that going to a school without any sort of women s health-related aspects will prevent you from becoming a WHPT? Absolutely not. Anyone with a passion for women s health can take charge of their own education and get the experience they need. This might mean talking to current students to find out if the program you are considering offers what you re looking for, or, if you are already enrolled somewhere, speaking to your teachers or administrators about creating more learning opportunities. In the latter case, I suggest you offer to help organize the changes yourself. Think of it this way: taking your school s women s health elective looks good on a resume. Starting your own women s health elective course at your school looks amazing on a resume. My advice is to be your own biggest advocate, and get the educational experience that s right for you. Liz Weamer, Doctor of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago midweststudent@womenshealthapta.org 2 3

3 social By Robyn Szablewski, SPT, social.into social media that is! As physical therapy news and research move towards electronic outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, is it important that we increase our presence as well to communicate with physical therapy students and practicing clinicians alike. Right now, our social media goals focus on increasing participation on Facebook, and creating active participation on Twitter. With the launch of our Twitter we have over 50 followers and hope to reach 200 followers by the end of As our followers grow, we will be launching SSIG Sundays, a weekly Twitter chat about a new women s health topic each week. These chats are already present on Twitter for #SolvePT and #DPTStudent and have been a wealth of information for anyone who is interested in participating. Robyn Szablewski, SPT Doctor of Physical Therapy University of Pittsburgh Class of 2015 PPTA Representative Social Media Chair-Student Special Interest Group, Section on Women's Health, APTA alt rns24@pitt.edu With the National Student Conclave coming up this fall, and Combined Sections Meeting happening in February, these social media opportunities are fantastic ways to get to know others from around the US before these national meetings. Imagine the value of these conferences when you have your own meetings outside the itinerary to meet with people who share strong interests that parallel with your own. I am encouraging you all to start checking into our Facebook and Twitter accounts more than just once a month or longer, which was the most common response to the survey I sent out a few months ago. With each Like or Tweet, we are getting one step closer to being the SSIG in the spotlight that everyone knows about. The more exposure we can get, the more interested students we can reach out to and bring into our group so they too can find a place to explore their interest in women s health PT. With the popularity of smart phones and tablets, it s easier than ever to participate in social media. So, next time something crosses your mind, post it on Facebook. Search for a relevant hashtag on Twitter. Either way, turn to social media and let it work for you. What you will find may be more than just an answer to a question. During my 6-month internship, I was given the opportunity to shadow a Women s Health PT for a few days. While I was perusing her library in her office, she suggested that I take a look at Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein, MPT. After a glance of the book s bold subtitle, I knew I had to read it: A Proven Stretching, Strengthening, and Nutrition Program for Relieving Pain, Incontinence, IBS, and other Symptoms WITHOUT SURGERY. Stein begins her book with an overview of male and female pelvic floor anatomy and the common dysfunctions and diagnoses associated with the pelvic floor i.e. prolapsed organs, bowel and bladder incontinence, skin conditions, sexual dysfunctions, and other musculoskeletal pains. With the applicable anatomy and physiology explained, Stein then presents two kinds of exercise programs, one called the End-the- Pain Routine, the other called the Strengthening-the- Muscles Routine. The End-the-Pain Routine focuses mainly on muscle relaxation techniques e.g. diaphragmatic breathing and the pelvic floor drop and on stretching the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and the surrounding hip musculature. Once PFM relaxation is achieved, the routine advances to strengthening of the core and hip stabilizers. The Strengthening-the-Muscles Routine is centered on the activation of the transverse abdominis (TA) and the PFM, the latter achieved through Book Review Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein, MPT by Eileen Malong, SPT Eileen Malong, Northeast Representative,Arcadia University DPT Class of 2014 emalong@arcadia.edu Kegel exercises. The program is then progressed by superimposing lower extremity activities during TA activation/kegels and by moving from performing the exercise from supine position to standing. After this point in her book, Stein starts to discuss topics that in my opinion do not get as much exposure as, say, incontinence or sexual dysfunction. For example, Stein teaches one how to self-administer the ILU massage, which targets the colon and helps relieve gastrointestinal distress e.g. constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, Stein briefly discusses the subject of PFM disorders in children and the possible interventions to treat such dysfunctions. Ultimately, Heal Pelvic Pain was written as a public resource, but its patient-friendly terminology is actually to our advantage in that it offers educational cues when trying to teach patients how to perform certain exercises. Also, the book offers a great assortment of topics related to pelvic health for men, women, and children, making it a good source of information for PTs and SPTs who are curious about pelvic floor dysfunctions. This is especially important since the specialty of Women s Health is still presented minimally throughout the DPT didactic curriculum. Here s a caveat: Heal Pelvic Pain is a compilation from one author, and her resources are moderate in quantity. That being said, combining this book with current research and literature will make it a good start in developing your own Women s Health reference library. Stein A. Heal Pelvic Pain: The Proven Stretching, Strengthening, and Nutrition Program for Relieving Pain, Incontinence, IBS, and Other Symptoms Without Surgery. New York: McGraw Hill;

4 Taking CAPP Pelvic 1 AS A STUDENT By Kristen Swain, SPT Get Involved WITH THE SSIG AT NSC! By Sarah Kohls, SPT Attention all students going to National Student Conclave in Louisville October 24-26th! There are many ways to get involved with the Section on Women s Health (SOWH). Not only can you attend the annual SSIG social event (time and location TBA), but you can also volunteer to help out at the SOWH booth. Even if you re too busy to donate time, the opportunity to meet and Second Annual SOWH Fall Conference Applied Clinical Reasoning: Anatomy, Physiology and Manual Therapy October 18-20, 2013, in San Antonio, TX *The new student rate is now $150! network with other students with similar interests is invaluable. You can receive more information on the numerous opportunities that come with involvement in the SSIG after becoming a member of our quickly growing section. National conferences are when recruitment efforts are highest, so it is the perfect time to explore the possibility of taking involvement in a national organization to the next level. For more information or questions please contact: Sarah Kohls, SSIG Director of Programming: studentprogramming@womenshealthapts.org Learn More and register at: In June of this year, I was lucky enough to attend the Pelvic Physical Therapy Level 1 course in Washington D.C. at Georgetown University. In the days and weeks leading up to the course, I felt very nervous and excited. I did not know what to expect and was afraid I wouldn t be prepared for the three-day class due to my limited academic knowledge of the topic. Fortunately, spring semester ended one-month prior to the course and I was able to maintain my studious attitude. The weekend-long course covered information pertaining to pelvic organ prolapse, bladder testing, biofeedback, pelvic floor dysfunction, etc. The program provided a wealth of information and each night students were sent home with a sizeable portion to review. Nonetheless, the instructor progressed at a steady pace and I believe no one could ever be fully prepared to absorb so much information in such a small time frame, nor could they ready themselves for the lab portion of the class. We were all expected to fully participate during the labs, which meant we were to play both therapist and patient in order to pass. As you can guess, patient meant leaving very little to the imagination below the waist. Thankfully, the labs were surprisingly comfortable and I was able to feel at ease right away. This was possible due to the professional yet laid-back demeanor of the instructors and my fellow classmates who were all willing to help one another understand each concept covered as fully as possible before moving on to the next phase. This class was not easy to take as a rising third year, but my worries were put to rest when practicing Physical Therapists commented that this was one of the most difficult courses they had taken. After taking this course I would recommend any 3rd year student interested in Women s Health to consider taking this course and I urge them to understand their pelvic floor anatomy, read the required articles, and approach the class with an open mind. I learned valuable information and was able to obtain the Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Physical Therapy (CAPP-Pelvic). Now, I am one step closer to my dream career as a Women s Health Physical Therapist. Kristen M Swain, SPT Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2014, Marymount University Southeast Regional Representative, APTA Women s Health SSIG k0s84950@marymount.edu 6 7

5 SPOTLIGHT! PLACING THE FOCUS ON THE FUTURE OF WOMEN S HEALTH PHYSICAL THERAPY VOL 2 ISSUE 3 Future SPOTLIGHT! BECOME CAPP-PELVIC CERTIFIED Future Pelvic 1 Course Dates September Longmont, CO November 8-10 Towson, MD To Register Visit: To submit an article for future publications of SPOTLIGHT! PLEASE CONTACT Kaylene Kroemer the SSIG Director of Communications studentcomm@womenshealthapta.org FUTURE ARTICLE SUBMISSION DUE DATES Feburary 1st for Winter Newsletter VISIT THE STUDENT SPECIAL INTERST GROUP WEBSITE TODAY! Women s Health Career Board Check out the Section on the Women s Health Career Board NEWLETTER DESIGN BY: Lauren Hernandez hernanlr@iu.edu Connect with employment opportunities and explore the specialized niche of Women s Health PT 8