Introduction Pelvic Bowl Pain & Disorders for the Massage Therapist

Functional issues within the structures of the pelvic bowl can impact overall health and produce pain. These conditions are often overlooked by massage therapists both during intake and treatment because more knowledge is needed to associate pain patterns with pelvic bowl structures and conditions. As more medical professionals begin to diagnose and treat pelvic bowl and organ disorders, we will identify where massage therapists fit into the course of treatment and our scope of practice in this area.

By the end of the class participants will be able to:

● Clearly explain, identify, and self-palpate abdominopelvic anatomy

● Interpret medical histories and conditions that relate to the pelvic bowl and weave that information into their general medical history client intake

● Clearly discuss pelvic bowl disorders and formulate discussions with clients in the context of a massage therapy session

● Be able to identify and discuss the biopsychosocial components of pelvic bowl disorders and their context within a massage therapy session

● Demonstrate how to label and (when possible) self-palpate the female/male anatomy in the abdominopelvic cavity

● Demonstrate an understanding of how to associate pelvic related medical conditions with the appropriate anatomy and stay within the scope of practice

● Demonstrate an understanding of how abdominopelvic anatomy relates to the rest of the body

● Demonstrate the awareness of when to refer out to other health care professionals and how to discuss collaborating with other health care professionals