Continuing Education Courses > Menstruation and Pelvic Health

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Menstruation and Pelvic Health

Non-Hormonal, Non-Surgical, and Non-Prescription Interventions to Improve the Menstrual Experience

  • Description

  • Objectives

  • Schedule

  • Instructors

Price: $575.00
Experience Level: Beginner
Contact Hours: 19 hours

The Menstrual Cycle is one of the most natural of all human processes and is experienced by half of the population of the world. At any given time, 800 million women, youth, and men worldwide are menstruating. The Menstrual Cycle occurs roughly once a month for roughly 35 to 40 years in a lifetime. That ends up being almost 3000 days, or about 8 years of menses. Many menstruators experience “period shaming” and other forms of socialized stigma around the Menstrual Experience. It is therefore important to become familiar with this experience and provide care to patients that takes into account their Menstrual Experience.

This two-day remote continuing education course is designed for clinicians who want to obtain an advanced knowledge and skills to educate patients on non-hormonal, non-surgical, and non-prescription interventions for improving the Menstrual Experience. Developed by Nicholas Gaffga, MD, MPH, FAAFP and presented together with Amy Meehan, PT, DPT, MTC, this course is geared towards the pelvic rehab provider looking to impart Menstrual Interventions that:

1) Put control in the hands of people who menstruate to identify and carry out the interventions that are appropriate to them,

2) Use a holistic approach and advanced knowledge and familiarity with body and mind

3) Emphasize healthy practices that can positively impact the Menstrual Experience and beyond, in areas such as mental health and chronic diseases

4) Discover root causes of issues, rather than quick fixes, to have benefits that are sustainable across the lifespan.

This course consists of four pre-recorded didactic sessions followed by two half-days of live interactive sessions which are designed to serve as a “Menstrual Forum.” Topics covered in the prerecords include a review of common Menstrual Symptoms and lifetime milestones of menstruation, the anatomic structures and hormonal signaling involved in the Menstrual Cycle, as well as an introduction to the concepts of Period Positivity and Period Negativity, and Menstrual Mindfulness. The two live remote days consist of four hours each of interactive sessions and didactic content.

The course includes more than 20 original resource documents and visuals, including: Commonly reported Menstrual Symptoms, Positive Aspects of the Menstrual Experience, Menstrual Interventions, Cultural Menstrual Milestones, Menstrual Voices, Blueprints for a ‘Go Bag’ and a ‘Period Palace’, Catalytic Menstrual Glossary, and Menstrual Inspiration for the Fridge.

This course also includes five original documents for participants to fill out to better understand and improve the Menstrual Experience: My current Menstrual Experience, My Ideal Menstrual Experience, My Repository of Positive Memories, My Collaborative Agreement with Partners and Close Friends, and My Individualized Combination Menstrual Action Plan (ICMAP).

To incorporate mindfulness into the live sessions,we will have an intentional rest at each hour

 

Audience:

Pelvic Health Physical Therapists or other health professionals at any level of their career. It is not a prerequisite to have a regular Menstrual Cycle or a Menstrual Cycle at all in order to attend and participate in this course.

Prerequisites:

- Basic knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the Menstrual Cycle
- Willingness to engage and re-conceptualize challenging aspects of the Menstrual Experience
- All pre-recorded lectures in Teachable for this course must be watched before the Live Component of the course. See the Schedule tab for the current list of pre-recorded videos
- It is not a prerequisite to have a regular Menstrual Cycle or a Menstrual Cycle at all in order to attend and participate in this course

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
  1. Explain the importance of a forum to discuss the Menstrual Experience
  2. Define and describe the characteristics of Period Negativity and Period Positivity
  3. Identify the anatomic structures and hormonal signaling involved in the Menstrual Cycle
  4. Describe the phases of the Menstrual Cycle from the perspective of the uterus, ovary, and emotions
  5. Define key Menstrual Interventions to manage Physical Symptoms, Emotional Symptoms, Menstrual Blood flow, and vaginal discharge
  6. Describe monthly events and lifetime milestones experienced over a lifetime of Menstruation
  7. Describe variations in vaginal flow throughout different phases of the Menstrual Cycle and the functions of cervical mucus
  8. Describe benefits of practicing mindfulness, Menstrual Mindfulness, Menstrual Tracking, and carrying out a Menstrual Diary
  9. Describe advantages, disadvantages, and use of multiple Menstrual Products in different ways on different days of menses to more effectively manage Menstrual Flow
  10. Describe normal variation in vaginal discharge (consistency, color, and odor) during different parts of the Menstrual Cycle
  11. Describe differences between vaginal bleeding while using and not using hormonal contraception
  12. Define the Luteal Phase and explain why it can be challenging.
  13. Describe techniques to initiate conversations and communicate more effectively with friends, family, physicians, and non-menstruators about Menstrual Issues

NOTE: Times below are listed in Pacific time zone
For assistance converting the times below to your local time zone, use this link:
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter-classic.html

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Before Day One
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These video lectures in Teachable must be viewed in-full prior to the course
Total video lecture time: 11 hours

1) The Compelling Menstrual Journey (2 hours)
2) Structures and Processes of the Menstrual Cycle (3 hours)
3) Menstrual Symptoms and Disorders (3 hours)
4) Interventions to Improve the Menstrual Experience (3 hours)

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Day One
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7:30 am PST - Zoom opens 30 mins before course for registration and setup
8:00 am PST - Course begins / Live Session 1: Coming Together to Build a Community 9:20 - Live Session 2: Perceiving Familiar Things in a New Light
10:40 - Live Session 3: Managing Menstrual Blood
12:00 - Adjourn

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Day Two
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7:30 am PST - Zoom opens 30 mins before course for registration and setup
8:00 am PST - Course begins / Live Session 4: Menstrual Mindfulness 9:20 - Live Session 5: A Menstrual Journey
10:40 - Live Session 6: Period Positivity
11:40 - Final Thoughts and Next Steps
12:00 - Adjourn

Niko Gaffga, MD, FAAFP, MPHNiko Gaffga, MD, FAAFP, MPH

I am a family medicine physician working in the primary care outpatient setting in the Atlanta area. I graduated in 2005 from the Family Medicine Residency program at the University of Arizona where I received training in pediatric medicine, adult medicine, women’s health, and delivered more than 100 babies. Over the years I have developed interest and expertise in women’s health and designing innovative strategies to deliver high quality health care to women. I have worked in the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Africa and have become a strong proponent of improving the Menstrual Experience.

The idea for this course was born many years ago when I realized limitations many clinicians, including myself, have in providing effective Menstrual Health to our patients. Although I have never experienced a Menstrual Cycle myself, I have dedicated my career to listening to the words and experiences of my patients. I use my knowledge as a generalist physician to identify effective Menstrual Solutions from diverse areas of medicine. I believe that improving the Menstrual Experience is fundamental to helping women and men who menstruate to participate in the activities they wish to participate in. It also makes society a richer place to receive the benefit of their contributions. I developed this course to share the knowledge and experience I have developed over the years. I want to be a spark for participants to re-envision the Menstrual Cycle and improve their own Menstrual Experience and that of their patients.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family, playing tennis, listening to music, spending time in nature, and taking courses from the Teaching Company.

Amy Meehan, PT, DPT, MTCAmy Meehan

Amy Meehan, PT, DPT, MTC earned her Bachelors degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Biology from Georgia Southern University in 2007. She then earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The University of St. Augustine in 2010, which has a highly reputable program in orthopedics and manual therapy. She earned extra certification in Manual Therapy (MTC) in 2011, which included an extensive series of joint and myofascial manipulation courses. Amy has extensive knowledge in Women’s Health, taken Herman & Wallace’s Pelvic Floor Series courses, is a Senior Teaching Assistant with Herman & Wallace and is currently in the process of obtaining her Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification (PRPC). She has met all requirements to perform Dry Needling to include the pelvic floor. She is also a CAPPA Certified Childbirth Educator to be able to further assist and educate her prenatal and postpartum patients.

Amy currently works in Atlanta, GA, specializing in women’s health with a strong emphasis on pelvic floor disorders. She is enthusiastic about health and fitness and loves guiding women throughout all stages of womanhood. She has a special interest in empowering women to learn about their bodies from periods, postpartum and beyond. Her mission is to revolutionize the dialogue and treatment around women’s health.