Did you know that Herman & Wallace provides continuing education courses for other weekdays than Saturday?

There is a wide selection of courses that fall on other weekdays. From Pelvic Floor Level 1 scheduled March 20-21, 2022 on Sunday and Monday to our specialty courses such as Working with Physiatry for Pelvic Pain scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

Are you interested in attending a satellite lab course, but don't see a satellite available? Do you know a clinic that would be able to host? Feel free to reach out to us through the Host A Course form online.

Generally, H&W is looking for locations to host that have the following:

1. Room for about 10-14 therapists to gather (with social distancing)
2. Space for folks to sit six feet apart during lecture
3. Roughly one lab table for every two participants (5 tables for a 10 person group)
4. The following AV equipment:
5. LCD projector and table for projector

• • Laptop with Zoom downloaded - plugs into the projector and plays the instructor teaching live on Zoom
  • Projection screen
  • Speakers - Bluetooth or plug into the laptop. These do not have to be fancy, but they need to be loud enough that everyone can hear

We look forward to seeing you in one of our courses in the upcoming year!

It’s back-to-school time for Herman & Wallace! H&W courses are provided in one of two formats: remote courses, and satellite lab courses.

Our team here at H&W has been working hard to schedule courses throughout the rest of this year and into 2022. If you are looking for the perfect course, then check the course catalog. We are adding course events to the schedule every week. There are several brand new course options on the schedule.

New Satellite Lab Courses:

Satellite lab courses allow participants and teaching assistants to gather in small groups to view lectures and practice hands-on labs. The satellite lab course also has an option where you can register with a partner and attend remotely together as a Self-Hosted Satellite.

• Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging - Orthopedic Topics November 12-13, 2021
• Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging - Women's Health and Orthopedic Topics November 12—14, 2021
• Biofeedback for Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction December 4-5, 2021

New Remote Courses:

Remote courses allow registrants to attend entirely from home or another safe location. Registrants in remote courses can often attend the course "solo" and do not need to find a partner or small group. In terms of COVID-19, remote courses are our safest option for those who want to eliminate their potential exposure to other registrants.

• Shockwave Treatment: Therapeutic Interventions in Pelvic Health & Demystifying the Research September 12, 2021
• Oncology of the Pelvic Floor Level 2A October 2-3, 2021
• Weightlifting and Functional Fitness Athletes October 16, 2021
• Transgender Patients: Pelvic Health and Orthopedic Considerations October 30, 2021
• Fertility Considerations for the Pelvic Therapist November 7, 2021
• Doula Services and Pelvic Rehab Therapy December 4, 2021
• Pudendal Dysfunction: The Physician's Perspective January 9, 2022
• Perinatal Mental Health: The Role of Pelvic Rehab Therapist February 5, 2022

Don't see the course you are looking for? Check out the full course list on the Herman & Wallace Continuing Education Courses page.

The following post comes from Dawn Sandalcidi PT, RCMT, BCB-PMD author and instructor of the Pediatric Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction course, and the more recent follow-up course, Pediatric Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Dawn has developed a pediatric dysfunctional voiding treatment program in which she lectures on nationally. She has further studied pediatric conditions in post graduate work at Regis University. Dawn has published articles in the Journal of Urologic Nursing, the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy, and the Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy.

Growing up, I was blessed to be around children with Cerebral Palsy (CP), which stimulated my desire to become a physical therapist, a career that I love more now than when I started nearly 38 years ago!

Did you know….

The incidence of Cerebral Palsy in Nepal is estimated to be over 60,000. The Self -Help Group for CP estimate that 80% of children (and adults) also present with bowel and bladder leakage which significantly affects their quality of life and leads to infections and other medical complications. Additionally, a recent pilot study revealed an incidence of urinary leakage in school children aged 10-16 years at 73%, as compared to 6-13% in developed countries. This has shown me a clear and meaningful need to help CP kids in Nepal who are tragically affected.

Pictures from http://www.cpnepal.org/about.html

Through a partnership with the University in Nepal, I will be training Nepali Physical Therapists how to treat children with bowel and bladder issues. Nepal currently does not have any trained providers - this training will provide sustainability as these providers will be able to treat multiples of children with bowel bladder issues, in addition to strategies for prevention. The plan is also to visit several villages with a Self-Help Group for Cerebral Palsy children to educate families and caregivers how to manage incontinence and constipation in these children.

I need your help to accomplish this!

I will be donating a 3-day training for PT’s and several caregiver trainings for this project. With your help I can secure needed supplies, bring physical therapists from remote villages to the course and help with travel expenses.

The Prometheus Group has generously donated an entire biofeedback system with pediatric animation to the hospital, but additional lead wires and electrodes are needed to run the system.

What’s needed?

• Supplies for treatments
• Electrodes for 1 child $4.60 x 100 =$460
• Additional lead wires and adaptors - $340 per set – 2 sets per year= $680.00
• Airfare and Travel Expenses (Hotel, etc.) to help offset the costs of - $3,750.00

My goal is to raise approximately $6,000 to help improve the quality of life for these children.
Your Support Will Make a Great Impact:

• $50 will help pay for electrodes for 10 children
• $150 will bring a physical therapist from a remote region to the course
• Any $ amount will help me educate the therapists in Nepal to sustain the program and treat thousands of children = PRICELESS

A donation of any size will make a difference and will be tremendously appreciated. Please consider donating an amount that feels comfortable to you and know that you are impacting the health, well-being and quality of life for Nepalese children.

This is a personal mission - I’m asking for a personal donation (which unfortunately is not tax-deductible) to help me make a difference in the lives of these children. My hope is to train the physical therapists in Nepal who will in turn continue to train others. Training the trainers is the most sustainable way for me to begin this grass-roots process.

I need to be funded by February 29!

3 Options for donations
1. Venmo @Dawn-Sandalcidi- no fees
2. https://fundly.com/nepal-2020-1 (fees apply)
3. Mail a check directly (no fees) to:
 3989 E. Arapahoe Rd #120
 Centennial, CO 80122

Thank you so much for your consideration!
Dawn Sandalcidi

Update: Please note that this course is now only offered online through the instructor's website. For more information visit https://pelvicpainrelief.com/laser/

Herman & Wallace is announcing a new course on laser therapy for pelvic pain! The Pelvic Rehab Report caught up with the instructor, Isa Herrera.

Low-Level Laser Therapy for Female Pelvic Pain Conditions will be taking place in New York City, NY on October 3-4, 2015

Laser Therapy For Female Pelvic Pain was developed by Isa Herrera MSPT, CSCS for Herman and Wallace specifically for women’s health clinicians. Ms. Herrera is the author of 4 books, including the breakthrough book, Ending Female Pain, A Woman’s Manual, now in its 2nd Edition. Ms. Herrera has appeared on several national TV and radios shows including on MTV True Life, The Regis and Kelly Show and NBC’s Today Show. She lectures nationally on the topic of women’s health and has been a passionate advocate about pelvic health for over 10 years.

Can you describe the clinical/treatment approach/techniques covered in this continuing education course?

Laser Therapy For Female Pelvic Pain Conditions (LTFPP) is a two-day intensive course that provides the clinician with hands-on experience and treatment protocols using low level laser for the relief female chronic pain conditions that include vestibulodynia, vaginismus, bladder, coccyx and scar pain.

“This class is one in which pelvic floor therapists bring their foundational knowledge of anatomy, neurology and previous training and learn to apply it to laser therapy. “ says Ms. Herrera. “In this class I will share with you my treatment protocols that I have used at my healing center for the last ten years. These treatment protocols are safe and help provide pain relief, reducing injury damage and loss of function. Your patients will oftentimes see immediate results,” she continued.

What inspired you to create this course?

“Clinicians deal with female chronic pain on a daily basis that can be problematic to treat and manage. There is an arsenal of tools, exercises and techniques at their disposal, but many times using a proven modality can help to accelerate the pain-relieving process for the patient. I created this course not only to help the women out there who suffer everyday with debilitating pain, but also to help clinicians achieve even more success with their treatments.”

What resources and research were used when writing this course?

- Atlas Of Clinical Anatomy-Frank Netters
- Grays Anatomy
- Ending Female Pain, 2nd edition, Isa Herrera
- Herman and Wallace PF 1, PF2, PF3
- V Book by Elizabeth G. Stewart and Paula Spencer
- Travell and Simmons Volume 2. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual. The Lower Extremities
- Current Research Articles on Low Level Laser Therapy

Why should a therapist take this course? How can these skill sets benefit his/ her practice?

“This class is for the clinician that is working in the field of women’s health and who typically treats female chronic pain conditions. Clinicians looking for a non-invasive modality, one that is easy to operate and provides reliable and effective treatment options, will see great value in this course. This course provides the clinician with protocols and applicable information on the safe usage of low level laser therapy for female pelvic pain,” says Herrera.

We are thrilled to announce that Herman and Wallace instructor, Carolyn McManus, MPT, will co-present an educational session with internationally recognized pain researcher Etienne Vachon-Pressseau, PhD at APTA’s NEXT meeting in Chicago on June 13. Dr. Vachon-Presseau is an assistant professor at the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain at McGill University and has led pioneering research into stress-associated brain changes in patients with persistent pain.

In a presentation entitled, When Stress Complicates Care for Your Patient in Pain: Evidence-Based Mechanisms and Treatment, Dr. Vachon-Presseau will discuss the latest research and theory illuminating the role of stress in the maladaptive neuroplastic brain changes observed in patients with chronic pain. Carolyn will discuss direct clinical applications of this marterial and highlight research on the role of mindfulness in the self-regulation of stress and pain. She will share a practical model for integrating mindfulness into physical therapy for the treatment of persistent pain conditions.

We are excited that Carolyn has been offered this honor to co-present at NEXT with a world renown researcher in the field of pain and contribute her insights from an over 30-year career specializing in mindfulness and pain. She will offer her popular course, Mindfulness-Based Pain Treatment, in Portland OR, July 27 and 28 and in Houston TX, October 26 and 27. We recommend these unique opportunities to train with Carolyn, a nationally recognized leader trailblazing the successful applications of mindfulness into the field of physical therapy. Hope to see you there!

The number of individuals who identify as transgender is growing each year. The Williams Institute estimated in 2016 that 0.6% of the U.S. population or roughly 1.4 million people identified as transgender (Flores, 2016). This was a 50% increase from a 2011 survey which estimated only 0.3% or 700,000 people identified as transgender (Gates, 2011). Though these numbers are growing each year, due to increased visibility and social acceptance, it is presumed that these numbers are underreported due to inadequate survey methods, stigma/fear associated with “coming out” and deficient definitions of the multitude of options for gender identity (Flores, 2016).

With the rise of individuals who identify as transgender, gender non-binary and intersex, healthcare professionals have equally seen an influx of patients who require care throughout their discovery and transition. Though medical intervention for these individuals is not new, the first documented surgery was in 1922 to Dora Richter, it has often been segmented and lacking in evidence-based treatment strategies (“Dora Richter,”2019). In 1979 The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) was founded and published their first version of the Standards of Care (SOC) for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People (“WPATH,” 2019). Currently, WPATH is on their seventh version of the SOC which is opening doors for the treatment of this population.

Though organizations such as WPATH have attempted to standardized care, the patient experience and reception of quality care are significantly lacking. In 2015 the National Center for Transgender Equality performed a groundbreaking survey of 27,215 respondents with the aim to “understand the lives and experiences of transgender people in the United States and the disparities that many transgender people face” (“About,”n.d., para. 1). This survey revealed that 33% of individuals who saw a health care provider had at least one negative experience related to being transgender (National Center for Transgender Equality, 2015). Negative experiences included; being refused treatment, verbal harassment, physically or sexually assault, and teaching the provider about transgender people in order to get appropriate care (National Center for Transgender Equality, 2015). Alternatively, 23% of respondents did not see a doctor when they needed to because of fear of being mistreated as a transgender person (National Center for Transgender Equality, 2015). Though these statistics are staggering and affronting there is hope for a better future.

Research for the care of these patients, specifically related to pelvic floor physical therapy, is on the rise. In the Annals of Plastic Surgery, an article was published with the purpose to capture incidence and severity of pelvic floor dysfunction pre-surgery, monitor any progression of symptoms with standardized outcome measures and highlight the role of physical therapy in the treatment of patients undergoing vaginoplasty (Manrique, et al., 2019). While in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology a retrospective case series similarly focused on physical therapy pre and post-operatively highlighting dilator selection and success, pelvic floor dysfunction including bowel and bladder as well as reported abuse history (Jiang, Gallagher, Burchill, Berli, & Dugi, 2019). Through articles such as these clinicians can expect an uptick in calls questioning if they treat these patients. This begs the question of, "How can you best prepare?"

The answer is simple, attend continuing education. It is where you can not only learn evidence-based evaluation and treatment but also connect with other providers and mentors that care for these patients. In 2020 Herman & Wallace will be offering a continuing education course that serves this exact purpose. Keep your eyes on next years offerings, as spaces will surely fill quickly.

About. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2019, from http://www.ustranssurvey.org/about
Dora Richter. (2019, May 09). Retrieved May 15, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dora_Richter
Jiang, D. D., Gallagher, S., Burchill, L., Berli, J., & Dugi, D. (2019). Implementation of a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Program for Transgender Women Undergoing Gender-Affirming Vaginoplasty. Obstetrics & Gynecology,133(5), 1003-1011. doi:10.1097/aog.0000000000003236
Manrique, O. J., Adabi, K., Huang, T. C., Jorge-Martinez, J., Meihofer, L. E., Brassard, P., & Galan, R. (2019). Assessment of Pelvic Floor Anatomy for Male-to-Female Vaginoplasty and the Role of Physical Therapy on Functional and Patient-Reported Outcomes. Annals of Plastic Surgery,82(6), 661-666. doi:10.1097/sap.0000000000001680
National Center for Transgender Equality. (2015). Annual report of the U.S. Transgender Survey. Retrieved May 15, 2019, from https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-Executive-Summary-Dec17.pdf
Wpath. (n.d.). Standards of Care version 7. Retrieved May 15, 2019, from https://www.wpath.org/publications/soc

Erin Matlock, who struggles with ulcerative colitis, one day opened her Delzicol capsule to find her pervious medication inside.

The Bulletin, a newspaper in Central Oregon, published a piece about Matlock?s change in medication titled, ?Blocking generics.?? This piece examines the financial benefits pharmaceutical companies gain from patenting new prescriptions just before they face competition from generic manufacturers: ?With no new clinical trials, the company secured an expedited review from the FDA and got Delzicol approved six months before Asacol was due to go off-patent. ?By pulling Asacol from the market, they could get doctors to begin writing prescriptions for Delzicol and patients established on it well before a generic Asacol arrived.?

For years, Matlock took Asacol to help treat her condition.? Until it stopped being manufactured.? Her doctor told her about a new prescription from the same manufacturer called Delzicol.? Now she has the choice between taking twelve Delzicol pills (which she finds more difficult to digest) a day and spending $25 a month or taking four Apriso pills (another mesalamine-based medicine) a day while paying $125 dollars a month.

Matlock?s struggles are not uncommon.? Many patients who suffer from ulcerative colitis require medication, and even surgery, to treat their symptoms.

Although there is no known cure, correctly applied therapy has been known to markedly reduce symptoms and even lead to long-term remission.

Herman & Wallace offered their first on Bowel Pathology and Function in Stony Brook, NY last April and is in the midst of confirming dates for another course in 2014.? Keep a look out for updates!

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) dramatically effects a patient’s livelihood.  UC is often confused with Crohn’s Disease, another major inflammatory bowel disease.  While they do differ in origin, both diseases share similar symptoms, such as blood in a patient’s stool.  Furthermore, like Crohn’s Disease, UC tends to affect young people (those between the ages of fifteen and thirty).

Chronic and often severe, UC has no known cure and, in rare cases, can even be life-threatening to the patient.

The Daily Mail posted a news article about Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher, who recently underwent his third surgery for UC.  Over the last few years, Fletcher has frequently struggled to stay fit.  He has played just thirteen games since December 2011.

Multiple surgeries, as in Fletcher’s case, are not uncommon.  UC spreads and deeply infects the lining of a patient’s colon and rectum.  Although there is no known cure, correctly applied therapy has been known to markedly reduce symptoms and even lead to long-term remission.

Herman & Wallace offered their first on Bowel Pathology and Function in Stony Brook, NY last month and is in the midst of confirming dates for another course in 2014.  Keep a look out for updates!

Wendy Sword, Professor in the School of Nursing at McMaster University, and her colleagues have recently published a study in which they looked at the relationship between mode of delivery and risk for post-partum depression. An interesting correlation that the authors found shows that having urinary incontinence in the first 6 weeks after childbirth doubles the risk for having post-partum depression. In McMaster University's post about this research, it is pointed out that up to 20% of new mothers experience post-partum depression, and this can interfere with the mother's self-care, with bonding between the mother and child, and with the care needed by the infant. Early detection and treatment of post-partum depression is critical.

In this research, 1900 new mothers were studied, up to 1/3 of them had c-sections as the mode of delivery. At 6 weeks post-partum, nearly 8% of the mothers had post-partum depression. The depression was not identified as being related to one mode of child delivery over another. The 5 strongest predictors of post-partum depression were identified as: 1) mother's age less than 25, 2) mother requiring hospital readmission, 3) non-initiation of breast-feeding, 4) good, fair, or poor self-reported health by the mother, and 5) urinary incontinence.

Dr. Sword recommends that providers ask patients about continence status early in the post-partum period, as patients may be embarrassed to bring it up, and also because incontinence is often dismissed as a common issue post-partum that will likely improve. When patients are referred to rehabilitation for continence issues, we often find that the symptoms have persisted for years, sometimes decades, unfortunately. During our marketing visits and education of the community, we can also encourage patient providers to send the patients to rehabilitation as early as possible. It is often at the 6 week appointment that the patient can be screened for such concerns, and this is when many of our referrers are comfortable sending a patient in for a check of the pelvic muscles.

A recent article titled "Pain, Catastrophizing, and Depression in Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome" describes the variations in patient symptom report and perception of the condition. The article describes the evidence-based links between chronic pelvic pain and anxiety, depression, and stress, and highlights the important role that coping mechanisms have in reported pain and quality of life levels. One of the ways in which a provider can assist in patient perception of health or lack thereof is to provide current information about the condition, instruct the patient in pathways for healing, and provide specific care that aims to alleviate concurrent neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction.

Most pelvic rehabilitation providers will have graduated from training without being informed about chronic pelvic pain syndromes. And as most pelvic rehabilitation providers receive their pelvic health knowledge from continuing education courses, unless a therapist has attended coursework specifically about male patients, the awareness of male pelvic dysfunctions remains low. If you are interested in learning about male pelvic health issues, the Institute introduces participants to male pelvic health in the Level 2A series course. The practitioner who would like more information about male patients can attend the Male Pelvic Floor Function, Dysfunction, and Treatment course that is offered in Torrance, CA at the end of this month.

The authors in this study point out that chronic pelvic pain is not a disease, but rather is a symptom complex. Despite the persistent attempts to identify a specific pathogen as the cause of prostatitis-like pain, this article states that "…no postulated molecular mechanism explains the symptoms…" As with any other chronic pain condition, research in pain sciences tells us that behavioral tendencies such as catastrophizing is not associated with improved health. The authors utilized a psychotherapy model in developing a cognitive-behavioral symptom management approach and found significant reductions in CPP symptoms. The relevance of this information for our patient population includes having the ability to screen our patients for depression, to recognize tendencies to catastrophize, and to implement useful strategies for our patient.

What does your facility currently use as a depression screening tool? Having this information at hand when communicating with a referring provider is very helpful. Explaining the biology of the vicious cycle of emotional stress and pain responses can help a patient understand why following up on a referral to a psychologist or counselor may be helpful towards his health. Identifying catastrophizing as the patient who is hypervigilent about symptoms, ruminates about his condition, expresses an attitude of helplessness, or magnifies the threat of the perceived pain can aid in identification of the patient who needs more than a few stretches, a TENS unit, or manual therapy.

A new course offered this year by the Institute will provide excellent foundational background information as well as practical patient care techniques about emotional and psychological principles that influence chronic pain. This course, Integrating Meditation and Neuropsych Principles to Maximize Physical Therapy Interventions, is instructed by Nari Clemons, a physical therapist who excels in pelvic rehabilitation, and Shawn Sidhu, a psychiatrist with a special interest in mind body medicine. The course is offered only one time this year, in September in Illinois, so sign up early!