Bassini (Gis Frpp Aifi): “Physiotherapy essential strategy for treating pelvic-perineal dysfunctions”

In Bologna the conference 'Bridging the Gap of Pelvic Skills', with national and international speakers

BOLOGNA – The second Conference of the GIS Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation of the Pelvic Floor (GIS FRPP) of the Italian Association of Physiotherapy (AIFI) entitled ‘ Bridging the Gap of Pelvic Skills’, or ‘bridging the gaps, bridging the distances’.

Open to physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and doctors, the event represented a unique opportunity for discussion between national and international physiotherapists on areas of great interest for pelvic floor physiotherapy.

“The congress – Dr. Elia Bassini, president of the GIS FRPP, explains to the Dire agency – had the aim of addressing those topics in which we could find gaps within pelvic rehabilitation -perineal. It was a real success and we are very satisfied with what emerged from this event, in which over 150 people took part”.

An event, therefore, also with an international flavor that was tinged with the colors of Spain and the United States: Sarah Hagg, an American physiotherapist from Chicago, took part in the capital of Bologna and gave a talk on the management of patients with pelvic pain persistent, and Paula Igualada Martinez, a Spanish physiotherapist who works at the University of London and coordinator of physiotherapists at the ICS, who held a report and a practical workshop with the use of the ultrasound, therefore with the support of ultrasound in physiotherapy.

“In the first session – highlights Elia Bassini – we talked about the aspect of pelvic-perineal rehabilitation in the neurological field and the physiatrists Luisa De Palma and Laura Pelizzari and the physiotherapist Elena Bertolucci focused on issues such as neurogenic bladder, neurogenic intestine and sexuality in the spinal cord injured patient”.

The second session was dedicated to the legal part, to the professional legal aspects.

“Very often – states Bassini – pelvic-perineal physiotherapists ask the GIS to clarify the doubts they have regarding their skills with respect to professional fields and the responsibilities and risks of the pelvic-perineal physiotherapist. And therefore, with the doctor lawyer Saverio Potenza and with his physiotherapist colleague Mauro Tavarnelli we talked about the aspects of informed consent, responsibility, professional profiles and the different professions that revolve around pelvic-perineal rehabilitation.

During this session the GIS FRPP presented two official documents that it had been working on for some time and which were approved by the Federation of Physiotherapists’ Orders: the first is the ‘Position statement on Pelvi-perineal Physiotherapy’ , edited by an exceptional working group led by Carla Sforza, which is already on the AIFI website and is available to all members, and the second is the form for informed consent to the specific treatment for physiotherapy pelvi-perineal, which will be published on the AIFI portal in the coming weeks”.

“We then had a masterful reading focused on nutraceuticals – continues Elia Bassini – an area increasingly in communication with pelvic-perineal rehabilitation. Another extremely valuable session was that relating to the management of pelvic organ prolapse, during Paula Igualada Martinez took the floor, shining the spotlight on the role of the physiotherapist in these clinical pictures, and Professor Elisabetta Costantini, urologist, who instead focused on the aspect of surgery”.

Last session of the Bologna congress dedicated to chronic pelvic pain.

“The report by physiotherapist Giacomo Rossettini focused on the nocebo placebo effect in physiotherapy and on contextual factors in the management of chronic pain, while his colleague Michele Marelli placed emphasis on the aspect of psychologically informed physiotherapy. Space and finally, to Sarah Haag, who gave a masterful lecture on the management of persistent pelvic pain. From these reports, the importance of the biopsychosocial approach and management for patients with chronic pelvic pain emerged.

The practical workshop held by Paula Igualada Martinez brought the curtain down on the Bologna event.

“An extremely beautiful workshop – concludes the president of the Gis Physiotherapy and rehabilitation of the pelvic floor (FRPP) – because in addition to the theoretical introduction on the management of the patient by the physiotherapist both in the pre-birth, pregnancy and possible post-partum injuries, we carried out a practical part thanks to the use of the ultrasound, an extremely valuable tool in assisting the physiotherapist in the rehabilitation of these situations”.

At the end of the congress, the new National Executive Committee of the AIFI GIS FRPP was elected, composed of Fabrizio D’Urso (President), Elia Bassini, Arianna Bortolami, Angela De Vanna, Chiara Fabbri, Silvia Giagio, Benedetto Giardulli, Anna Romano , Weronica Solomon.