Optimizing Postpartum Recovery: Culturally Adapted Strategies for Enhanced Pelvic Care

This session emphasizes the critical role of culturally sensitive, individualized pelvic care in promoting postpartum recovery. Dr. Ashwini Kale, founder of the Pelviheal Academy Of Rehabilitation and Research, who has extensive research through her Doctoral Research on “Postnatal physiotherapy in the Indian context : Cultural impact and outcome of culturally suitable interventions in primiparous women” will discuss how traditional practices can be thoughtfully integrated with evidence-based pelvic floor rehabilitation to create personalized care plans that align with each patient’s cultural background. By respecting and understanding postpartum customs, physical therapists can tailor exercise modifications that enhance physical healing while building trust and engagement. This culturally attuned approach supports not only the physical recovery but also the mental and emotional well-being of postpartum individuals.

Attendees will learn how to adapt pelvic floor therapy techniques to respect traditional practices, which improves patient adherence and outcomes. Practical guidance on implementing culturally adapted assessments and interventions in clinical settings will be provided, fostering a holistic approach to postpartum care. By honoring cultural values in postpartum recovery, therapists can bridge gaps between traditional practices and modern rehabilitation, enhancing the overall patient experience and effectiveness of care.

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss the significance of cultural sensitivity in postpartum pelvic health care.
2. Identify traditional postpartum practices that may influence pelvic recovery.
3. Develop strategies to modify exercises in alignment with cultural preferences while maintaining clinical efficacy.
4. Evaluate the impact of individualized, culturally adapted care on postpartum recovery outcomes.

About the Speaker

Ashwini Kale, PT, PhD

Dr. Ashwini Kale is the founder of ‘Pelviheal Academy Of Rehabilitation and Research’. She is working as a Professor in Anand College of Physiotherapy, Aurangabad. She is a recognized leader in pelvic floor rehabilitation in India and  has completed her PhD in Physiotherapy with her doctoral research on   “Postnatal physiotherapy in the Indian context : Cultural impact and outcome of culturally suitable interventions in primiparous women”.  She has completed her Fellowship in Urodynamics from Netherlands with a fully funded scholarship from Pfizer. She has completed her advanced course on paediatric pelvic floor rehabilitation from UMC, Netherlands.

Her achievements include international presentations, courses , multiple awards including the “Diversity Initiative Award 2023” at the APTA CSM 2023, and the establishment of Pelviheal Academy of Rehabilitation and Research.

She is the editorial board member of many prestigious journals and reviewer of pubmed indexed journals. She has to her name many national and international publications, book chapters and copyrights. She strongly advocates to bring pelvic floor rehabilitation to grassroot level in India by bringing awareness and overcoming cultural taboos. She has presented a paper in World Congress of Physiotherapy on the same topic.

She is working as a committee member working on a consensus project on ‘urinary tract affected by gynaecological pathology’ of the International Continence Society (ICS).  She has ongoing research projects in collaboration with International Urogynaecology Association (IUGA).