Dry Needling and Pelvic Health: Advanced Concepts and Neuromodulation is a lab intensive, hybrid course designed with the pelvic health practitioner in mind.  This course is an innovative approach to treating clients with pelvic floor dysfunction commonly associated with pelvic pain, incontinence, voiding dysfunction and/or sexual pain or dysfunction.  This advanced dry needling course will instruct participants in the application of dry needling to female and male pelvic floor musculature and associated neuroanatomical structures including the thoracolumbar spine, trunk, abdomen, pelvis and hip joint complex.  This course will also discuss and integrate the concept of and techniques associated with neuromodulation.  Additionally, there will be a comprehensive review of anatomy, a strong emphasis on safety and precautions, ample lab time to optimize dry needling techniques, as well as dialogue surrounding clinical integration and relevant evidence.

 

Course Level: Advanced

​

Previous Dry Needling Experience Required: Yes, one of the two foundational courses

​

Course Objectives

1. Course participants will demonstrate competency with anatomy, palpation and the application of safe and effective dry needling to the muscles covered and will understand indications, contraindications, precautions and possible complications associated with dry needling.

2. Participants will understand the rationale for selecting dry needling and neuromodulation electrical stimulation parameters to achieve optimal clinical outcomes using clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice.

3. Participants will gain a strong appreciation of neuroanatomy and dysfunction in the central and peripheral nervous system as it relates to pelvic health dysfunction.

4. Participants will practice the application of neuromodulation with dry needling to the muscles covered and associated neuroanatomical structures to improve identified neuromuscular dysfunction.

​

Course Eligibility Requirement

This course will be a hybrid course, one day online and two days live.  Students will have access to the online course content for one month prior to their course date.

 

The course will only be offered to licensed clinicians and qualified students enrolled in graduate programs in states where dry needling is within the practice act for state licensure.

​

Online Course Content

The online course content includes recorded lectures on neuromodulation, utilization of electrical stimulation with dry needling, neurophysiological mechanisms associated with dry needling interventions, safety + protection, common pathologies associated with pelvic health rehabilitation for complex conditions with a heavy emphasis on neuroanatomy alongside exposure to the techniques you will learn on the weekend intensive.

​

Live Weekend Intensive Lab Content

There will be 5 labs during the live weekend intensive:

1. abdominopelvic

- iliacus

- iliopsoas

- pectineus

- femoral nerve neuromodulation

- ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve neuromodulation

- genitofemoral nerve neuromodulation

- bladder dysfunction neuromodulation (urgency/frequency)

- bowel dysfunction neuromodulation (constipation)

2. thoracolumbar

- thoracic multifidus

- thoracolumbar multifidus

- quadratus lumborum (sidelying)

- abdominal wall (sidelying)

- thoracolumbar neuromodulation (pelvic pain/sympathetic dysregulation)

- ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve neuromodulation (sidelying)

3. percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS)

- flexor digitorum longus

- tibialis posterior

- flexor hallucis longus

- abduction hallucis

- PTNS (overactive bladder, anal fissures)

4. male/female pelvic floor

- bulbospongiosus

- ischiocavernosus

- transverse perinei

- obturator internus

- puborectalis

- pubococcygeus

- iliococcygeus

- coccygeus

- pudendal nerve neuromodulation

5. lumbopelvic + neuromodulation

- lumbosacral multifidus

- medial piriformis

- superior/inferior gemelli

- quadratus femoris

- sciatic nerve neuromodulation

- posterior femoral nerve neuromodulation

- inferior gluteal nerve neuromodulation

- electrical pudendal nerve stimulation (EPNS)