Upcoming H&W course in the UK!

At the end of this month, Herman & Wallace instructor Michelle Lyons, BSc Physio, PT, MISCP will be teaching our Pelvic Floor Level One course at Coventry University in the United Kingdom.

H&W teamed up with Gerard Greene, MSc (Manip Physio), MMACP, MCSP, PG Cert HEd to put on this course. Below is a guest blog from our friend across the pond, Gerard, about his experience putting on an H&W PF1 event:

There has been a lot of buzz and excitement in UK Physiotherapy circles about the first Herman & Wallace PF1 course.

The majority of Physiotherapists attending this course will be from England, but we also have participants flying in from Northern Ireland, Portugal and Cypress. The participants have a range of clinical backgrounds, including working in the UK National Health Service (NHS), private hospitals and private practice. There will also be some University- based Physiotherapy lectures. What will really make the PF1 course unique will be the attendance of some Midwifery Lecturers. It is hoped that the Physiotherapy/ Midwifery synergy on the course will lead to some joint projects in 2014, which will only further improve patient care and outcomes.

Women’s Health in the UK has been getting increasing profile in both the media and the professional literature with two key publications recently on NICE guidelines for Stress Incontinence and a Cochrane review for management of Pregnancy related pelvic and LBP.

As the course organiser, I was able to generate a lot of energy and momentum around the course through the use of social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. Although the Twitter community around pelvic rehab and women’s health physiotherapy is well established in the USA and Australia, it is in it’s infancy in the UK.

Patterson Medical, the biggest supplier of Physiotherapy and rehab equipment in the UK, will be supplying the EMG devices so that participants can learn to use this modality.

Michelle and I also share an Irish connection, as we both graduated from Physiotherapy School in Dublin, Ireland in 1994; Michelle from University College Dublin and me from Trinity College Dublin. Although both Universities were seen as traditional rivals, in the Physiotherapy world this common ground has been a real bonus in the development of our professional relationship. Michelle is a recognized expert in Women’s Health Physiotherapy and she and I have worked closely in organizing the UK course, as well as further plans for the development of Women’s Health Physiotherapy education and training in the UK in 2014. Working with instructor Michelle Lyons, and H&W team members Siv Prince and Derek Huff has been a very positive and energizing experience, and I’m already looking forward to the next joint event.

Gerard has a musculoskeletal physiotherapy background and has taught and delivered Physiotherapy courses in Ireland, N Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Turkey and Jordan. Gerard is looking forward to doing some further teaching in the Middle East and the USA next year. He also lectures on the MSc Manual Therapy Programme in Coventry University which has a national and international reputation for excellence. H&W is very much looking forward to working with him on this course and in the future!