Beyond the Pelvic Floor: Phenotype-Directed Whole-Person Care for IC/BPS

Overview

Despite decades of research, people with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) continue to face diagnostic delays, limited treatment options, persistent pain, and reduced quality of life. Patient advocates are calling for coordinated research, meaningful patient involvement, and care matched to individual needs.

The 2026 ESSIC and AUA guidelines emphasize phenotyping and a broader role for physiotherapy. But is pelvic floor tenderness a distinct phenotype, or a feature shared across phenotypes?

Join Carolyn for a free, one-hour lecture exploring these guidelines and a whole-person approach to IC/BPS. She’ll also share what’s new from ESSIC 2026, the leading international conference on the condition.

Learning Objectives

1. Critically examine pelvic floor involvement as a distinct IC/BPS phenotype.
2. Explore pelvic floor tenderness as a shared feature of chronic overlapping pain conditions.
3. Consider whole-person, lifestyle-based care beyond treatment focused on the pelvic floor.
4. Identify key elements of a coaching approach to physiotherapy.

 

This webinar is for pelvic health physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other practitioners who support people living with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) or persistent pelvic pain.

 

If you've noticed that pelvic floor-focused treatment alone isn't enough for some of your patients, this session will help you see where it fits within a broader, phenotype-directed plan of care. It's equally relevant if you work in orthopaedics or pain science and see patients with chronic overlapping pain conditions, where pelvic floor tenderness may be part of a bigger picture.

 

Whether you're newer to IC/BPS or have years of pelvic health experience, you'll leave with a clearer view of where current thinking is headed and practical ideas for bringing a coaching approach into your sessions.