Dry Needling + Pelvic Health: Pregnancy + Postpartum Considerations is a lab intensive, hybrid course designed with the pelvic health and orthopedic practitioner in mind who treat a perinatal population.  This course is an innovative approach to treating the neuromusculoskeletal conditions commonly associated with the pregnancy and postpartum periods.  This dry needling course will address physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy, dysfunctions such as pregnancy and postpartum pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, pregnancy-related carpal tunnel syndrome, pregnancy-related plantar fasciitis, labor induced peripheral neuropathy, postural dysfunction, headaches and much more!  We will instruct participants in the application of dry needling to the extremities, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbosacral spine and pelvic floor musculature.  This course will provide 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.

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Course Level: Foundational

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Previous Dry Needling Experience Required: No

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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 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 electrical stimulation with dry needling to the muscles covered and associated neuroanatomical structures to improve identified neuromuscular dysfunction.

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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.

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Online Course Content

The online course content includes recorded lectures on dry needling foundations, neurophysiological mechanisms associated with dry needling interventions, safety + protection, common pathologies associated with pelvic health rehabilitation for pregnancy + postpartum patients with a heavy emphasis on neuroanatomy alongside exposure to the techniques you will learn on the weekend intensive.

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Live Weekend Intensive Lab Content

There will be 5-6 labs during the live weekend intensive:

1. head + neck

- superior obliquus capitis

- rectus capitis posterior major

- temporalis

- masseter

- upper trapezius

- sternocleidomastoid

2. cervicothoracic + scapula

- cervicothoracic junction multifidus

- pectoralis major

- deltoid

- infraspinatus

- teres major

- latissimus dorsi

3. upper extremity

- biceps

- triceps

- brachialis

- brachioradialis

- forearm extensors

- supinator

- forearm flexors

- pronator

- abductor pollicis longus

- extensor pollicis brevis

4. female pelvic floor

- bulbospongiosus

- ischiocavernosus

- transverse perinei

- obturator internus

- puborectalis

- pubococcygeus

- iliococcygeus

- coccygeus

- cesarean section scar

5. trunk

- rectus abdominis

- internal oblique

- external oblique

- transverse abdominis

- lumbar multifidus

- sacral multifidus

- quadratus lumborum

- gluteus medius

- gluteus minimus

6. lower extremity (this lab is ONLY on 3 day model)

- tibialis anterior

- extensor digitorum longus

- extensor hallucis longus

- fibularis longus

- fibularis brevis

- gastrocnemius 

- soleus