Pessary use in Physiotherapy with Dr. Patricia Neumann, PhD, FACP

Patricia Neumann, PhD, FACP, is a Specialist Women’s, Men’s & Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2010. She has a clinical and research interest in pelvic floor dysfunction, including incontinence, particularly post-prostatectomy incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and chronic pelvic pain.

Trish was awarded a PhD from UniSA in 2006 and she has an ongoing association with the Centre of Allied Health Evidence (iCAHE) as an adjunct senior lecturer. She has collaborated with iCAHE to produce a clinical practice guideline entitled: Guidelines for the Use of Support Pessaries for the Management of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (2102), which is also available through the NHMRC Guidelines portal (click underlined title above for guidelines). She has authored a chapter on the physiotherapy use of pessaries in Evidence-based Physical Therapy for the Pelvic Floor (2015 2nd edition, Bö et al Eds.). With the goal of establishing credentialed training for physiotherapists wanting to use pessaries in clinical practice, Trish has worked to set up a Professional Certificate at UniSA on the Conservative Management of Pelvic Organ Prolapse, which started in July 2017. This Short Course provides an opportunity for physiotherapists and other health professionals to develop advanced skills in the clinical management of pelvic organ prolapse, including the use of pessaries and real-time transperineal ultrasound. Details about this UniSA short course are available at (click link below):

http://www.unisa.edu.au/Health-Sciences/Programs-and-Courses/Short-courses/ProfCert-POP/

Trish also consults to Flex Rehabilitation Clinic and to South Terrace Urology, where she is director of physiotherapy services for men undergoing robotic assisted radical prostate surgery. Her research in this area has been published in the Australian and New Zealand Continence Journal. She has collaborated with the South Australian Prostate Cancer Clinical Outcomes Collaborative to investigate the effect of pre-operative levator ani function on the urinary outcomes of a large cohort of men undergoing RARP surgery. The results of this study were presented at the Asia-Pacific Prostate Cancer Conference, Melbourne 2016.

She has a special interest in Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP) and now works with the newly formed multidisciplinary collaboration, Adelaide Pelvic Pain Network, (formerly Pelvic Pain SA) which provides integrated services for men and women with CPP. She has particularly championed the cause of men with CPP.

Today we discuss the role vaginal support pessaries play in the scope of physiotherapy, the available evidence, how helpful they can be for specific pelvic floor dysfunctions, but also the caution we must take in not only our prescription but our public promotion. Trish also discusses the new University course she is running on pessaries and pelvic organ prolapse (see the link below).

Hope you enjoy!

The episdoes will be available in iTunes, Stitcher and Soundcloud.

Links:

Personal Website: www.patricianeumann.com.au

Uni SA course - Professional Certificate in Conservative Management of Pelvic Organ Prolapse

iCAHE and CFA Pessary for POP Algorithm Management Pathway

Pubmed link to Articles by Patricia Neumann

This episode was brought to you by: