Sacral Nerve Manual Assessment and Treatment - Remote Course

This two-day online course for the experienced pelvic rehab therapist will address problem-solving assessments for the major contributory nerves from the sacral plexus to the pelvis in an organized, systematic fashion. Peripheral sacral plexus nerves included in this course are (sciatic, superior and inferior gluteal, coccygeal nerves, inferior dural tube, pudendal nerve, dorsal clitoral/penile branch, perineal branch, and inferior rectal or hemorrhoidal nerves), which run anterior to the sacrum and coccyx. 

This course will cover extensive anatomy and differential diagnosis and objective findings for specific nerves of the sacral plexus.  It will also include around 30 key lab techniques to launch your journey into manually treating the nerves of the sacral plexus, with research-based approaches to manual nerve treatment.  Significant time will be devoted to mapping nerves and refined, precise palpatory techniques to find and assess the nerve.

Nerves transmit pain messages. When nerves are compressed, they can cause pain or weakness. Pelvic rehab is traditionally centered around muscles, but muscles are at the will of the innervating nerve. Frequently the nerve is overlooked as the source of pain or weakness. Unfortunately, the patients who receive diagnoses such as neuropathic pain or nerve entrapment are presented with few options. Pelvic neural pain can be mimic or be the actual cause of vulvodynia, labial pain, gluteal and low back pain, SI pain, lower abdominal and bladder pain, pubic symphysis pain, as well as many other syndromes and weakness, such as hypertonicity in the pelvic floor or anorgasmia.

Participants will need to have a model/person to practice on who is not in the class, as the pacing is designed for one learner and one non-learning model. Please see the schedule below for which sections will require a live model.

Note: all labs for this class are external.

This first sacral course will be around 45% Lab and 55% lecture and pre-study.  It is a modification of the prior 3-day sacral nerve class to allow for distance learning during Covid.  All lab techniques for this class are external.  The didactic approach will be self-paced in the two weeks prior to class (8 hours), and the live zoom class time will be two partial days of lab and discussion Q and A

This class will be the pre-requisite for a future 2 day in-person advanced sacral nerve lab-intensive, which will be offered separately in 2021, or when travel is once again safe and possible. The second class will include internal and external labs.  A date has not been set for the second class.

Prerequisites:
Participants must have prior experience with internal vaginal assessment. Pelvic Floor Level One and intermediate coursework, Pelvic Floor Level 2A or other intra-rectal mapping course is a required pre-requisite.

Highly Suggested Text:
Gray's Anatomy for Students - Available at a 25% Discount for Herman & Wallace registrants with promo code 70484. Registrants who already own a copy of this or a corresponding textbook are not required to purchase an additional one.