Back in April, for Black Maternal Health Week, our local organization, the Hudson Valley Birth Network– a group of birth professionals including Physical Therapists, Midwives, Doulas, Mental Health practitioners and other specialists- screened the powerful documentary “Aftershock”. Many of us were so struck by what we saw that we decided to gather in our community to take action to help end this crisis, one that thankfully seems to be gaining more recognition as of late but really has not been given the attention and funds it warrants. The sad fact is that the US is one of the most dangerous p ..read more

I had been interested in having a role in healthcare ever since I was young; as I was quick to learn about the healthcare system’s inequities and tendencies for discrimination.  Especially as a Black woman, I always knew that I wanted to make a difference. It was when I began to research and learn about the staggering and alarming statistics of Black women within maternal health that I learned that Black women are three to four times more likely to die a pregnancy-related death as compared with White women. 1 I was shocked, heartbroken, and left determined to make a change. This is why I ..read more

The pelvic region is very personal and the social custom – or expected behavior – of respecting this privacy is essential. However, this customary politeness can verge on making “down-there” a taboo, even in conversations with medical professionals! Our social habits exist to strengthen communities, but this particular practice is not helpful when it causes one to ignore – or not even acknowledge – something important. Pelvic dysfunction can be swept under the rug as “normal,” and individuals can be told to, or feel that they must, “just deal with it.” For some, the sacrifice of changing one’s ..read more

In today’s post, I wanted to share my journey into pelvic health with you all. Technically, my pelvic health journey started with my undergraduate career as a Division I women’s soccer player. However, my appreciation for this profession started recently as a Doctor of Physical Therapy student. Before physical therapy school, I had little exposure to pelvic health rehabilitation. My sister was pregnant with her first child at the time, so I knew pelvic health physical therapy was associated with peripartum care – but that was the extent. Nonetheless, despite my limited understanding of the fie ..read more

I started my physical therapy journey in Taiwan, where the field of rehabilitation is slightly more complicated than in the US. Due to medical regulations, the lack of direct access and the presence of National Health Insurance, physical therapy can only be accessed as a second-line treatment after patients seek advice from physicians or MDs first. Patients are often prescribed medications and given advice from doctors without being sent to physical therapy. Physical therapists are often not involved in women’s health related problems such as prolapse or incontinence. Pelvic floor education in ..read more

Loving a specialty as a student is not always easy. I found my passion for pelvic health as a 2nd year student. I stumbled into one of the many pelvic health talks at CSM and was instantly hooked. I spent a greater part of my last year as a student taking courses from the APTA Academy of Pelvic Health and finding ways to learn more about pelvic health through podcasts and free resources online. Frankly, I felt like keeping my passion alive was the only reason I was able to complete physical therapy school. So if you’ve found something that you’re even remotely interested in as a student, explo ..read more

When I first got interested in physical therapy I was not aware of all the different avenues a person could go in the field; all I knew was outpatient orthopedics and I was content in that area. I began working as a tech at 16 years old for a clinic in Chicago and I loved every second of it. I made the assumption that once I was a physical therapist I would end up working in orthopedics. However, my professors at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have done a wondrous job of exposing me and my classmates to the many different areas of physical therapy (PT). MUSC has hosted guest l ..read more

My upbringing as a first-generation Filipino American comprised of a rich culture embedded in Catholicism that somehow coalesced with deeply proud LGBTQ roots. Yes, these two things can coexist, though in a hot mess type of way. For starters, my community was a safe space for freedom of bodily expression, non-traditional family units, and yearly pilgrimages to the local drag show. In contrast, my religious upbringing often brushed aside topics on sexual health, intimacy, and pelvic anatomy. On top of this, fear of language barriers, cultural differences, and cost influenced my community’s medi ..read more

The first time I remember hearing someone talk about their pelvic floor was when I was 7 years old in gymnastics class. The kids were teaching parents how to do basic skills on the trampoline. A few of the moms wouldn’t go on the trampoline and said if they did, they’d pee their pants. We were told it’s something we’d understand when we’re older. Now that I’m older, I understand the reason they wouldn’t go on and that they thought it was normal. Pelvic floor physical therapy was not a well known option back then and pelvic floor issues after having kids were considered normal. That is changing ..read more

Urinary urgency happens when the bladder squeezes when it is not supposed to. This can cause urine leakage or urge urinary incontinence. Urgency can occur for many reasons. Commonly it is due to an overactive bladder or poor urination habits. Physical Therapists specializing in the pelvic floor can teach you ways to retrain your bladder to help with urgency and leakage. When you have a strong urge to urinate there are several things you can do to calm the bladder. Practicing ways to calm the urge before you go to the toilet will help prevent leaking. It also helps to retrain your bladder so th ..read more