Advance Your Practice
Develop stronger clinical reasoning for constipation, fecal and anal incontinence, IBS, and anorectal dysfunction.
CAPP–Pelvic Level 2 Course
PH2BD Adult Webinar
Bowel Dysfunction in Adults
Build the clinical confidence to evaluate and conservatively manage adults with bowel dysfunction through evidence-informed pelvic health physical therapy.
Course Highlights
Designed for Pelvic Health Clinicians
Continue Your CAPP Journey
Complete one of the required Level 2 courses in the CAPP–Pelvic and CAPP–Pelvic Male certificate pathways.
Learn From Anywhere
Participate live from home while interacting with Academy faculty and fellow pelvic health professionals.
Live: Interactive webinar Pathway: Required Level 2 course Approach: Evidence-informed content Faculty: Academy instructors
Course Overview
Grow Your Confidence in Adult Bowel Dysfunction Care
PH2BD (Adult) is part of the Level 2 courses in the CAPP–Pelvic and CAPP–Pelvic Male certificate series.
In this course, we teach physical therapy professionals lectures on anatomy, pathophysiology, and physical therapy evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction-related bowel dysfunction in adults.
Topics covered include anorectal anatomy, physiology of digestion and defecation, fecal and anal incontinence, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and the application of clinical modalities and biofeedback for anorectal disorders.
Why Take PH2BD?
Turn Complex Presentations Into Clearer Clinical Decisions
01
Understand Complex Bowel Disorders
Differentiate common presentations involving constipation, fecal and anal incontinence, IBS, dyssynergic defecation, rectal sensation, and obstructed defecation.
02
Strengthen Clinical Reasoning
Connect patient history, bowel habits, stool characteristics, outcome measures, red flags, anatomy, neuromuscular control, and pelvic floor function.
03
Apply Evidence-Informed Strategies
Explore education, behavioral interventions, bowel habit retraining, dietary considerations, abdominal therapies, biofeedback principles, and adjunctive modalities.
04
Advance Your CAPP Journey
Complete a required Level 2 course in the CAPP–Pelvic and CAPP–Pelvic Male certificate pathways.
Is PH2BD Right for Me?
This Course May Be a Strong Fit If You...
✓ Treat or expect to treat adults with bowel dysfunction.
✓ Want stronger clinical reasoning for constipation and incontinence.
✓ Are progressing through a CAPP certificate pathway.
✓ Want evidence-informed conservative management strategies.
Participant Experiences
What Course Participants Are Saying
Use the arrows or dots to navigate through participant feedback.
I have to say that it was just outstanding. I last took the original PH2 course in 2006 and so much has changed. Instructors and lab assistants have been amazing and helpful. The ratio of instructors and participants is perfect.
— PH2BD Course Participant
Learning Objectives
What You Will Be Able to Do
Upon completion of the PH2BD (Adult) Webinar, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate normal bowel physiology from common pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying adult bowel dysfunction, including constipation, fecal and anal incontinence, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and disorders of gut–brain interaction.
- Interpret subjective history findings, bowel habits, stool characteristics, outcome measures, and red flag symptoms to guide clinical decision-making and determine when medical referral is warranted.
- Recognize the contributions of anorectal anatomy, neuromuscular control, rectal sensation, and pelvic floor function to bowel continence and defecatory disorders.
- Differentiate common bowel dysfunction presentations, including functional constipation, IBS-C, dyssynergic defecation, rectal hyposensitivity, overflow incontinence, urge and passive fecal incontinence, and structural causes of obstructed defecation using current diagnostic frameworks.
- Identify impairments and contributing factors—including behavioral, psychosocial, dietary, neuromuscular, and structural influences—that may affect prognosis and guide referral and management decisions for adults with bowel dysfunction.
- Select evidence-informed conservative management strategies for adults with bowel dysfunction, including patient education, behavioral interventions, dietary considerations, bowel habit retraining, abdominal therapies, biofeedback principles, and adjunctive modalities based on patient presentation.
- Differentiate the indications, proposed mechanisms, and current evidence supporting conservative interventions used in pelvic health physical therapy for constipation, fecal incontinence, IBS, and dyssynergic defecation.
- Develop an evidence-informed plan of care that integrates examination findings, clinical reasoning, and patient goals to guide conservative management of adult bowel dysfunction.
Requirements
Review Eligibility and Prerequisites
This course is open to:
- Licensed Physical Therapists (PTs)
- Licensed Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs)
- Second- and third-year Physical Therapy Students (SPTs)
- Second- and third-year Physical Therapist Assistant Students (SPTAs)
No other professional types are permitted for this course.
Prerequisites for PH2BD (Adult) include either PH1 Webinar, PH1 Combined, or PH1 Male Webinar.
- Participants are recommended to have some orthopedic and musculoskeletal coursework in their curriculum before attending the course.
- Experience of six months or more in regularly managing patients with pelvic physical therapy, or working in a clinic with other experienced pelvic physical therapists, is strongly recommended prior to attending this course. Lack of experience may greatly inhibit participant comprehension and skill attainment.
If you have taken similar or equivalent coursework to our PH1 Webinar, PH1 Combined, or PH1 Male Webinar as a prerequisite through another organization, the coursework must include both vaginal and rectal assessments.
CAPP eligibility reminder: If you use external, non-Academy courses to progress through the levels, you will not be eligible for the Certificate of Advanced Practice in Physical Therapy in Pelvic Health (CAPP–Pelvic).
Recommended Learning Pathway
Build Your Skills Step by Step
This sequence is intentionally structured to build your confidence and clinical skills—preparing you for each subsequent course so you can get the most out of every learning experience.
1 PH1 PH1 Webinar + Lab
or PH1 Combined
or PH1 Combined
2 PH2BD Adult Bowel Dysfunction Webinar
3 PH2PP Pelvic Pain Webinar
4 PH2 Lab In person
5 PH3 Choose one advanced course
PH3 options: Hybrid Webinar, Neuro Webinar, Pediatric Webinar, or Male Webinar.
1 PH1 Male Webinar
2 PH2BD Adult Bowel Dysfunction Webinar
3 PH Male Lab In person
4 PH2PP Male In development
5 PH3 Male Advanced Topics; in development
Looking to Maximize Travel or Scheduling?
Complete Your PH1 and PH2 Webinars First
While not the typical pathway, some participants complete the prerequisite webinars before attending PH1 Lab and PH2 Lab during the same weekend.
- PH1 Webinar
- PH2BD Adult Webinar
- PH2PP Webinar
- PH1 Lab
- PH2 Lab
- PH3 — choose one
PH2PP may be taken before PH2BD as long as both are completed before PH2 Lab.
- PH1 Male Webinar
- PH2BD Adult Webinar
- PH2PP Male Webinar — in development
- PH Male Lab
- PH3 Male Advanced Topics — in development
Important: Come prepared for a fast-paced experience because PH2 content builds directly on PH1 concepts. You must complete the PH1 and PH2 Labs within 12 months of attending the final PH1 and PH2 webinars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Register
Yes. PH2BD Adult Webinar is one of the required Level 2 courses in the CAPP–Pelvic pathway. It is also included in the CAPP–Pelvic Male pathway.
Yes. You may take the course independently as long as you meet the course eligibility and prerequisite requirements.
Similar outside coursework must include both vaginal and rectal assessments. However, using outside courses to progress through the levels will make you ineligible for the CAPP–Pelvic certificate.
Six months or more of regularly managing pelvic physical therapy patients, or working in a clinic with experienced pelvic physical therapists, is strongly recommended. Orthopedic and musculoskeletal coursework is also recommended.
Take the Next Step
Build Greater Confidence Treating Adult Bowel Dysfunction
Continue your CAPP journey and deepen your evidence-informed clinical approach through PH2BD Adult Webinar.