Carolyn Vandyken

• BHSc (PT)
• Owner, Physiotherapist at Physio Works Muskoka, Ontario, Canada

Background Altered body awareness and perception comprise a common feature of persistent pain. The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FreBAQ) was developed to assess body awareness and perception in people with back pain. There is no tool to measure these changes in people with persistent perineal pain. Objective To develop the Fremantle Peri...

Background Persistent pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP) and the resulting consequences may considerably influence a woman’s quality of life. The complexity of this condition requires a whole-person centered approach. In response to COVID-19 outbreak, telerehabilitation has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional in-person visits....

With life expectancy increasing globally, older adults around the world want to live active lifestyles with improved health and higher quality of life. Physiology of Exercise and Healthy Aging, Second Edition, examines the effects of the aging process on the major physiological systems and identifies the positive impacts of physical activity and re...

Introduction The assessment of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) overactivity is part of a comprehensive evaluation including a detailed history (medical, gynecological history/antecedent), appraisal of the psychosocial contexts of the patient, as well as a musculoskeletal and a neurological examination. Objectives The aims of this article are to review (...

Background Tenderness on palpation of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) is a clinical assessment tool used alongside other tests to identify PFM involvement in pelvic complaints including pelvic pain. Although reliability of PFM tenderness has been determined, validity has yet to be established. Objectives To assess convergent validity of PFM tender...

Introduction Overactive pelvic floor (OPF) muscles are defined as muscles that do not relax, or may even contract, when relaxation is needed, for example, during micturition or defecation. Conditions associated with OPF are multifactorial and include multiple possible etiologies and symptom complexes. The complex interplay between biological and ps...

Background. There is evidence to suggest that a large proportion of individuals seeking care for lumbopelvic pain also have pelvic floor muscle dysfunction (PFMD). Because the majority of physical therapists do not have the requisite training to adequately assess pelvic floor musculature, determining predictors of PFMD could be clinically useful. O...

Background: There is evidence to suggest that a large proportion of individuals seeking care for lumbopelvic pain also have pelvic floor muscle dysfunction (PFMD). Because the majority of physical therapists do not have the requisite training to adequately assess pelvic floor musculature, determining predictors of PFMD could be clinically useful....

Background: The prevalence, cost and disability associated with lumbopelvic pain continues to rise despite the range of available therapeutic interventions, indicating a deficiency in current approaches. A literature base highlighting a correlation between lumbopelvic pain and pelvic floor function is developing; however, the features that charact...

Introduction: The complexity of female sexual pain requires an interdisciplinary approach. Physical therapists trained in pelvic health conditions are well positioned to be active members of an interdisciplinary team addressing the assessment and treatment of female sexual pain. Changes within physical therapy practice in the last ten years have r...

This chapter presents a framework for the evaluation and treatment of pelvic pain and the overactive pelvic floor (OPF) from a biopsychosocial perspective. Level 1 evidence supports central pain mechanisms as a key feature of many pelvic syndromes including pain associated with the OPF. The treatment strategies presented in this chapter are designe...

Physical therapists have been instrumental in guiding the medical system away from “end-organ” focus in the assessment and treatment of persistent pelvic pain. However, for the most part physical therapists remain in a bio-medical model of treatment focusing on tissue dysfunction as a framework for the assessment and treatment of persistent pelvic...

Chronic pelvic pain is associated with physiological, psychological, and social challenges. Using current concepts from pain sciences and evidence-based treatment strategies, physical therapists are ideally positioned to be a critical part of a comprehensive treatment plan for chronic pelvic pain. We propose a framework for the understanding and ev...