Specialty-Focused Curriculum
Designed specifically for pelvic health physical therapy practice.
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CAPP–Pelvic Level 2 Course
Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Level 2: Bowel Dysfunction in Adults
Build the knowledge and clinical reasoning needed to evaluate and conservatively manage pelvic floor dysfunction-related bowel conditions in adults.
Interactive Learning
Engage with expert faculty and fellow clinicians in real time.
Required CAPP Course
Part of the CAPP–Pelvic and CAPP–Pelvic Male pathways.
Evidence-Informed Content
Connect current concepts with practical clinical decision-making.
Course Information
Everything You Need to Know
Select a section below to review course content, requirements, progression pathways, and participation policies.
Overview
Develop Greater 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. Prerequisites include either PH1 Webinar, PH1 Combined, or PH1 Male Webinar.
In this course, physical therapy professionals receive instruction on anatomy, pathophysiology, and physical therapy evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction-related bowel dysfunction in adults.
Topics include anorectal anatomy, physiology of digestion and defecation, fecal and anal incontinence, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, clinical modalities, and biofeedback for anorectal disorders.
Anatomy & Physiology
Review anorectal anatomy, digestion, defecation, and bowel continence mechanisms.
Common Conditions
Explore constipation, fecal and anal incontinence, IBS, and defecatory disorders.
Clinical Application
Apply evidence-informed conservative management and biofeedback principles.
Learning Objectives
What You Will Be Able to Do
Upon completion of the PH2BD Adult Webinar, participants will be able to:
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Examination and Evaluation
- Differentiate normal bowel physiology from common pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying adult bowel dysfunction, including constipation, fecal and anal incontinence, 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.
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Diagnosis and Prognosis
- 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 behavioral, psychosocial, dietary, neuromuscular, and structural influences that may affect prognosis and guide referral and management decisions.
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Intervention
- Select evidence-informed conservative management strategies, including patient education, behavioral interventions, dietary considerations, bowel habit retraining, abdominal therapies, biofeedback principles, and adjunctive modalities.
- Differentiate the indications, proposed mechanisms, and current evidence supporting conservative interventions for constipation, fecal incontinence, IBS, and dyssynergic defecation.
- Develop an evidence-informed plan of care that integrates examination findings, clinical reasoning, and patient goals.
Eligibility & Prerequisites
Review Course Requirements Before Registering
- 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 include either PH1 Webinar, PH1 Combined, or PH1 Male Webinar.
- Orthopedic and musculoskeletal coursework is recommended before attending.
- Six months or more of experience regularly managing pelvic health patients, or working alongside experienced pelvic health physical therapists, is strongly recommended.
- Limited experience may significantly affect course comprehension and skill attainment.
Equivalent coursework completed through another organization must include both vaginal and rectal assessments.
CAPP eligibility reminder: External, non-Academy courses may allow progression through course levels but do not meet CAPP eligibility requirements.
This course is required for those pursuing the Certificate of Advanced Practice in Physical Therapy in Pelvic Health (CAPP–Pelvic).
To remain eligible for the CAPP program, all required courses must be completed directly through the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. Participation in this course does not obligate you to pursue CAPP and the course may be taken independently.
Recommended Learning Pathway
Build Your Skills Step by Step
This sequence is intentionally structured to build confidence and prepare you for each subsequent course.
1PH1Webinar + Lab or PH1 Combined
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2PH2BDAdult Bowel Dysfunction
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3PH2PPPelvic Pain Webinar
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4PH2 LabIn Person
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5PH3Choose one advanced webinar
PH3 options include Hybrid, Neuro, Pediatric, or Male Webinar.
1PH1 MaleWebinar
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2PH2BDAdult Bowel Dysfunction
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3PH Male LabIn Person
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4PH2PP MaleIn Development
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5PH3 MaleIn Development
Flexible Scheduling Option
Complete Your PH1 and PH2 Webinars First
Some participants complete the prerequisite webinars before attending PH1 Lab and PH2 Lab during the same weekend.
CAPP–Pelvic Option
- PH1 Webinar
- PH2BD Adult Webinar
- PH2PP Webinar
- PH1 Lab
- PH2 Lab
- PH3 — choose one
CAPP–Pelvic Male Option
- PH1 Male Webinar
- PH2BD Adult Webinar
- PH2PP Male Webinar — in development
- PH Male Lab
- PH3 Male Advanced Topics — in development
Important: PH2 content builds directly on PH1 concepts. Complete the PH1 and PH2 Labs within 12 months of attending the final PH1 and PH2 webinars.
Policies & Course Preparation
Know What to Expect Before the Webinar
Attendees must be present throughout the duration of the course.
Contact hours will be forfeited and the attendee will be dismissed if the attendee:
- Misses two or more lecture hours
- Misses any part of the Case Study Presentation and related group activities
To advance to the next course level, an attendee who misses the required content must retake the course at their own expense. Extenuating circumstances are considered case by case.
Participants must actively engage throughout the webinar. Course credit may be forfeited if a participant is not responsive when called upon.
Planned break times are included in the schedule. Faculty may announce additional breaks. Technical problems involving Zoom or the Learning Center should be reported immediately to hello@aptapelvichealth.org.
Participants are generally asked to keep cameras on for attendance, case discussions, and interactive activities.
A participant who needs to briefly turn off the camera—for example, to breastfeed—may privately message the Teaching Assistant through Zoom chat.
- PC or laptop; some participants prefer two monitors
- Zoom desktop application
- Stable Wi-Fi or wired internet connection
- Microphone
- Webcam, which should remain on except during breaks
Unless otherwise noted, the Academy does not independently seek CEU approval in every state. Participants are responsible for submitting CEU applications to their respective state boards.
The Academy will assist by supplying required course documentation. Historically, participants have consistently encountered no difficulty obtaining approval after submission to their state boards.
Important: Before registering, review the Academy’s Event Terms & Conditions.
Review Event Terms & Conditions
By registering, participants agree to policies addressing:
- Attendance, cancellation, transfer, and refunds
- Media release and medical disclosure requirements
- Lab participation expectations and medical model guidelines
- Other event policies and procedures
Registration may be canceled if the participant is ineligible or the course is canceled. The Academy is not responsible for travel or lodging expenses.
The material is just FAR better than similar courses offered by other organizations and companies.
PH2BD Course Participant
Participant Experiences
What Course Participants Are Saying
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
Very intense and informative course. LOTS of information. My first webinar. Better than I expected. All presenters had a thorough knowledge of the topic and how to use the Zoom platform.
PH2BD Course Participant
The webinar format worked great and I had no issues with it. I think people asked more questions because the chat box was so convenient and easy to use.
PH2BD Course Participant
I was surprised how well the webinar format worked. I really liked being able to do the lectures from home and spend less time traveling and more time with my family.
PH2BD Course Participant
I loved this webinar. It is great to be able to get up and move without disturbing others. It was also a safe environment to discuss this topic.
PH2BD Course Participant
There were a ton of chat questions and the assistants were able to field them online while the instructor taught the lectures.
PH2BD Course Participant
I have taken a lot of courses outside the Academy and have been a Teaching Assistant for other companies that presented similar content, and this just does not even compare.
PH2BD Course Participant
The way they did the virtual breakout rooms and the overall presentation of the course material worked perfectly. I appreciated this webinar option much more than attending in person.
PH2BD Course Participant
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.