Pelvic PT Rising

It's a question we're inevitably asked.  One we're not trained in how to answer.  And one that - most times - I think most pelvic rehab practitioners get wrong. "How long until I get better?" First we think about what they are really asking.  It's more about "are you the right person to help me" or "what is working with you going to look like." And...

In this case report from a male patient who scheduled a remote consultation, my biggest takeaway was the lack of functional assessment he had received. He was dealing with pelvic pain, urinary urgency/frequency, post-void dribbling, incontinence during exercise and pain with sitting. While he had been to two different pelvic PTs, and did have minor improvements, his life was still very different. ...

The behind-the-scenes stories, history and evolution of the first-ever conference both BY and FOR Pelvic Health - PelviCon! Talking with co-founder Jessica Reale about three weeks before the start of PelviCon 2022.  Hear her thoughts on the speaker lineup, what she's most excited for and the inside story of how everything came together! The in-person conference itself sold out in less than fo...

What do you do when you have a patient who doesn't believe you can help? Many times these are the patients we end up thinking about when we go home at night.  Or over our lunch break.  Or even during our next patient. They can make us feel inadequate, sap our energy or cause us to replay conversations in our heads. "What do I say in order to convince them I can help?" Many of these...

How do we treat more holistically?  Recognizing the pelvic floor - while incredibly important - is still just a part of a whole person. An example: pain is both a sensory and emotional issue.  If we ignore either aspect, we can't treat the whole person. In this incredible interview with Michelle Lyons we talk about her clinical philosophy, how to have a more holistic view of our patients, why...

What if you're missing out on the best job for you? You know we're biased, but we really believe more pelvic rehab practitioners should be actively seeking to work at cash-based clinics.  Some benefits include: Hour-long treatment times Way less documentation for insurance Motivated clients Wellness services No insurance company dictating your care Of course, there are always pros and co...

In order to treat sexual dysfunction, we have to have a clear understanding of sexual function. If we shift our thinking from just resolving symptoms to truly empowering our patients to improve their sex lives we can have a much greater impact. This is just one of the topics we dive into with Heather Jeffcoat, founder of Femina Physical Therapy , author of Sex Without Pain , current APTA Academy o...

How do we take more responsibility for our patient outcomes and use our doctorate level education?  We know we're uniquely qualified to see the big picture for our patients.  Spend time with them.  Understand their journey.  Treat them holistically.  Really use our doctorate-level education. Are we actually (or should we be) primary care providers for pelvic health issues? I believe we should...

Who is on your personal board of directors?  Where do you get feedback you can trust from those who know and care about you? In this fascinating interview, we dive into the idea of the personal Board of Directors with Amber Brown, as well as her clinical philosophy, the intersection of pelvic PT and birthwork, her passion for financial literacy and spearheading the Diversity Panel at PelviCon. Alo...

How do we take responsibility for the success of our patients?  Should we take responsibility? In this 'sode we discuss the unique position we have as pelvic healthcare providers to help our patients.  We have the time to spend with them to really see and understand their situation.  To watch them grow.  To progress over time. This is time the traditional healthcare system doesn't give. ...

How can we help patients make realizations for themselves as we build trust with them?  Even if they aren't ready to hear it yet? In this wide-ranging interview with Holly Tanner, we discuss her clinical philosophy, treatment techniques, her business pursuits and more! Holly has had such a unique career and exemplifies the different ways we can utilize our degrees.  She's started her own...

Are you doing all three types of downtraining with your patient? We often have a hazy understanding of what 'downtraining' really is.  Did you know there wasn't even a formal definition of it? In this 'sode we define downtraining and the three different types.  By using them together (and knowing which one to prioritize) we can get our patients better, faster. And actually be s...

As The Vagina Whisperer, Sara has done an amazing job creating a personal brand, educating patients and advocating for our field.   In this inspiring interview we dive into her clinical philosophy, her business journey and how she's managed to create an authentic personal brand that resonates. Love how passionate she is about helping moms in the early postpartum phase.  There's so much m...

Are we still using the biceps analogy for the pelvic floor?  Trying to explain the length-tension relationship?  There's a better way! In the Essential Pelvic Strengthening: Not Your Mama's Kegels course I teach we should be explaining the pelvic floor more as a trampoline. It's a more nuanced analogy that helps explain resting tone, how important the surrounding structure is, and h...

How can we make birth better for our pregnant patients?  And deal better with post-partum care? In this interview with Juan Michelle Martin, founder of JMM Solutions and PelviCon speaker, we discuss how our medical system treats birth as a disease process. With her background as both a pelvic PT and as a doula, Juan is passionate about changing the way we treat patients as they prepare for pregnan...

How do we make decisions consistent with our values, and not out of fear? In creating a new resource for you pelvic health 'wannabes' (we were all there once!), we realized one of the biggest reasons we make mistakes is because we give in to our fears. Starting a mobile practice when we want to have a brick & mortar.  Taking some insurance because we're afraid we can't get...

What does 'trauma informed care' mean in actual practice? It's a buzzword that we've all heard, but difficult to actually implement in practice.  In this interview with Dr. Krystyna Holland, founder of Inclusive Care and PelviCon speaker, we discuss what it actually means to 'do no harm' for our patients and always be improving. Trauma informed and inclusive care are...

Many of us are dealing with more patients than we can handle.  On one hand, this is great - a sign of our growing awareness and more patients getting the help they deserve.  On the other it can be a source of stress and frustration for us (and a poor experience for some of our patients). If you're an employee, how can you work within what you control to provide the best possible patient exper...

What kind of support system do you have as a clinician?  As a business owner? One of the most important aspects in business success is your support system.  Do you have someone who is a cheerleader?  What about an expert opinion for a coach? In this 'sode we discuss the importance of having a support system.   And there's a big difference between a cheerleader,  a coach and a mentor.  Ch...

How can we create lasting change for patients? That's just one of the topics we explore with Sarah Duvall, our guest on today's podcast and PelviCon speaker! We introduce the topics she'll be speaking about this year, talk about her journey in pelvic health, share some clinical pearls and listen to her journey in business. Sarah is a major force in our field, working to make sure we...

How can we get more practical with our patients? Are you ever guilty of using 'PT language' with your patients?  Overprescribing on your home exercise programs?  Getting excited about the anatomy and 'education' until you sometimes see a blank look on their face? In this 'sode we go into how to make things more practical for your patients, in meetings with other practition...

Should your patient's medical diagnosis - received from their physician - impact your evaluation or treatment?  First of all....how often is their medical diagnosis actually 'right'? And secondly....even if it is, does it tell us anything about how to do our own jobs? In this 'sode we go over how to make sure the medical diagnosis or history doesn't sway your own diagnosis...

How much clinical experience do you need to start a business?  The answer might surprise you. Many practitioners are held back from starting their own practice because they don't have 'enough' experience.  But what does that mean?  And does more experience mean more clinical success? The answer is much more about confidence.  And experience doesn't necessarily confer confidence...

In this case report of a patient with chronic prostatitis, we go through his case history and how he saw two pelvic PTs without relief. The biggest common denominator?  Not frequently conducting an internal pelvic floor assessment to actually assess what was going on.  In fact, over the course of 20 visits this patient had an internal assessment twice.  Twice! So how often should we be performing...

What length of time is appropriate for an initial evaluation?  We really feel the minimum length for an eval is one hour.  If you're in a setting where that isn't being provided it's something to fight for.  Patients deserve to have the time to tell their story and still get a full evaluation on the first day. When you have your own practice it can be tempting to further extend the...