ABPTS WMS study guide
ABPTS WMS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Women's Health Clinical Specialist certification is a board certification offered through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) for licensed physical therapists who have built substantial clinical experience and knowledge in women's health. It is designed for therapists whose practice centers on pelvic health, obstetric and postpartum care, and musculoskeletal conditions that disproportionately or uniquely affect women across the lifespan. The ABPTS WMS study guide has 6 sections and about 1,597 words.
01Examination, Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Prognosis in Women's Health
This domain tests whether you can move logically from data collection to a defensible clinical judgment. Know the components of a women's health history: obstetric history (gravidity, parity, delivery modes, birth weights, perineal trauma), gynecologic and surgical history, menstrual and hormonal status, bowel/bladder/sexual function, and psychosocial screening.
329 words, about 2 min02Intervention and Management in Women's Health Physical Therapy
This domain asks you to select, dose, and progress interventions with a clear rationale. Core content includes pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT): teaching correct contraction (avoiding substitution by gluteals, adductors, or abdominals), dosing for strength versus endurance versus coordination, and progression principles.
280 words, about 1 min03Musculoskeletal and Pelvic Health Across the Lifespan
Expect questions spanning adolescence through older adulthood. Know pelvic girdle pain presentations (anterior and posterior), symphysis pubis dysfunction, sacroiliac dysfunction, coccydynia, and lumbopelvic mechanics, plus how hormonal transitions-menarche, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause-alter tissue behavior and symptom expression.
265 words, about 1 min04Obstetric and Postpartum Physical Therapy
Know the antenatal and postpartum timeline and what is expected versus concerning. Antenatally, focus on activity modification, pelvic girdle pain management, breathing and pressure management, and preparation for labor within scope.
244 words, about 1 min05Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Continence
Distinguish stress, urgency, mixed, and overflow incontinence, plus fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, by mechanism and symptom pattern. Understand urethral support and sphincteric contributions to continence, the role of intra-abdominal pressure transfer, and how levator function, connective tissue, and nerve integrity interact.
228 words, about 1 min06Professional Practice, Ethics, and Evidence-Based Practice
This domain tests judgment as much as knowledge: informed consent for sensitive pelvic examinations, appropriate use of chaperones, draping and communication, documentation of internal examinations, and scope-of-practice boundaries. Know how to handle patient refusal, trauma-informed care principles, and confidentiality in telehealth and shared records.
251 words, about 1 min