Recap: Assessment & Treatment of Visceral Mobility for Lower Quadrant Dysfunction in Fuzhou, China

Pelvic Floor Continuing Education Course | Pelvic Education Alliance

Pelvic Floor & More: Assessment & Treatment of Visceral Mobility for Lower Quadrant Dysfunction Course

Fuzhou, China | Culture & Background

Situated in the lower reaches of the Min River, Fuzhou is the capital city of Fujian Province. Located in the eastern part of Fujian, it serves as the economic, political, cultural and transport center of the province, according to the Travel China Guide.

In between teachings, we had the pleasure of exploring the beautiful, clean, and safe city, courtesy of the incredibly hospitable Fujian citizens. More on this below.

What’s Different About This Year’s Chinese Course

Two years ago, we taught the Chinese Olympic Committee of Physical Therapists about advanced manual techniques for the pelvis and lower quadrant. In that instance, course participants included both physical therapists headed down an orthopedic track, and also those seeking a pelvic floor specialization. In essence, it was an orthopedic and pelvic floor combined course. We spoke about treating the pelvis generally, highlighting the substantial connection between pelvic floor and orthopedic conditions.

For the past two years, we have made our way to Fuzhou, China to work with the residency at People's Hospital of Fujian Provence and Rehabilitation Hospital of Fujian Provence, in conjunction with the University of Southern California. Last month, instructors from Nesin Therapy services (learn more about how Nesin ties into the Pelvic Education Alliance here) set out to enhance treatment skills for more niche patient populations—this time teaching primarily through a pelvic health lens. Specific topics covered included pregnancy, postpartum recovery, urinary incontinence, and pelvic pain (to name a few)! We worked with physical therapists across four residencies, between two different hospitals. We were interested in bringing elements of critical thinking, physical assessment, and treatment techniques that these physical therapists could bring into the workplace immediately following the completion of our coursework.

“In the United States it’s common for a physical therapist to be able to seek more advanced training, once graduated, in speciality areas such as manual therapy, pelvic health and sports rehabilitation. Our goal is to assist in making these same opportunities available to our Chinese counterparts, while in turn learning techniques that compliment our care.”

— Michelle Nesin, Co-Founder of PelvicEA

We want to take a moment to sincerely thank USC Clinical Instructor Dr. Lilian Chen-Fortanasce for bringing us to China for the past 3 years. None of this would be possible without her shared vision for superior physical therapy practices and global education. Read more about her here.

The Course

visceral mobilization course | pelvic education alliance

After this first leg of instruction concluded, it was time for our 4-day course on Visceral Mobilization. This particular section included 36 participants from around Southeast China, many who traveled from far distances to participate.

Why visceral mobilization? We have found that many people are unaware of how the mechanics of the organs can become restricted; further, we wanted to teach how this restriction contributes to orthopedic dysfunction, orthopedic problems of the back and the pelvis, and/or to pelvic pain.

Let us tell you, these physical therapists work hard. Being able to find time to travel to (and afford) continuing education courses is not a luxury accessible to many physical therapists here. Quality course work is not easy to come by in this part of the world, so to be able to deliver tangible tools to these hard-working, talented physical therapists is such a gift. There is truly an undeniable appreciation for knowledge.

They were so eager to practice that they were lying down on the floor, or even stacking chairs into “tables” so they could practice the new techniques they were learning. During every break, or at the end of the day, at least 1/4 to 1/2 the class were still there practicing—including at the end of the course! They learn with unassailable passion.

Stand Out Moments

While we are there to teach, we are also being taught. Through both cultural and personal interactions, here are some moments we are likely never to forget.

One participant told us how long she had been waiting for a course like this:

“I’ve been waiting 7 years to take this course. I was first exposed to Visceral mobilization when I was doing an internship in the United States, so it was something I knew I wanted to learn a lot more about because I saw some amazing results. There are no groups providing visceral courses here. I was so excited to see this course come here.”

In general, the work ethic was remarkable:

As mentioned above, there is a noticeable appreciation for knowledge, and a clear acknowledgment of their gratitude for the opportunity to learn about this topic. Compared to the United States, these course participants tended to be meticulous about note-taking, and a bit shy to start practicing. They seemed to prefer perfecting their technique before being viewed or evaluated by the instructor. Still, the group was extremely fun-loving and their eager energy made for an outstanding course experience for students and instructors alike.

There is a strong sense of community:

We were welcomed to Fuzhou so colorfully. They wanted to share everything with us—parks, dining, architecture…you name it. They put their culture on full display, with every intention of making certain that we loved it as much as they do. A warmhearted culture, we quickly realized that they would stop everything they’re doing to help you. One day, a gentleman even stopped in the park and spent generous time showing us around the park.

People also take great pride in the cleanliness of their city. The streets, parks, and surrounding areas are very well kept. We even witnessed one man scale a tree just to clear out a couple dead branches.

The city is huge—and safe!

The feeling of walking around this city at night is nothing like you would experience in a city of this size in the United States. Fuzhou is considered by the Chinese to be a small-to-medium-sized town, home to 7.9 million people. For reference, New York City hosts 8.3 million. Imagine a city as large as NYC being considered extremely safe!

What’s Next?

We are thrilled to share that will indeed be returning to Fuzhou next summer. To stay up-to-date with courses happening in the U.S., be sure to subscribe for news and updates.

About Us

international pelvic floor physical therapy courses

The Pelvic Education Alliance (PelvicEA) is fueled by its mission to fuse together the worlds of orthopedic and pelvic floor physical therapy.

We believe that physical therapists treating the pelvis need expertise in both orthopedics and pelvic floor physical therapy in order to treat their patients through a wider lens with a more integrated approach.