Episode 363 – Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Women

pelvic floor physical therapy

In this episode, Katelyn Peach, who is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, is going to be speaking with us about pelvic floor physical therapy for women. She treats patients with a variety of pelvic floor conditions so I was able to pick her brain on why you need to see a pelvic floor physical therapist, what she can do to help you, what that first visit will look like, and so much more! This is a must listen episode! Plus, next week, we will be talking about pelvic floor physical therapy for men so mark you calendars!

Katelyn Peach is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy. She treats patients of all genders and ages with a variety of pelvic floor conditions, including sexual dysfunction, bowel and bladder issues, pelvic pain, and pregnancy/postpartum. 

Katelyn received her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University, and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University. She has continued her education through Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute to specialize in pelvic floor. She currently works in a cash-based clinic in Murray, UT – Well Being Physical Therapy. 

In her spare time, Katelyn enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 kids, dancing, reading, and baking all things sourdough. 

You can find more information on her clinic’s website, wellbeingphysicaltherapy.com, on Instagram @wellbeingphysicaltherapy, or on their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pelvicphysicaltherapy.

Show Notes:

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Show Summary:

Amanda:  Welcome everyone. I am so excited to welcome my friend, Katelyn Peach on today. She is a doctor of physical therapy specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy. She treats patients of all genders and ages with a variety of pelvic floor conditions, including sexual dysfunction, bowel and bladder issues, pelvic pain, and pregnancy and postpartum.

Katelyn received her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Brigham Young University and her doctorate of physical therapy from Rocky Mountain University. She has continued her education through Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute and specializes in the pelvic floor. She currently works in a cash based business in Murray, Utah, Wellbeing Physical Therapy, which is where I go and how I know her.

You might remember clear back in episode 116 where I had Valerie Schwalbe on to talk about painful sex. Well, Valerie and Katelyn work together at Wellbeing Physical Therapy. So I have known Katelyn on and off a little bit for a few years now and so excited to have her here on the podcast.

Welcome, Katelyn. 

Katelyn:  Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. 

Amanda:  So today we’re going to be focusing on pelvic floor physical therapy for women. Okay, so maybe just as we start, can you just talk about what pelvic floor physical therapy is and what you do as a pelvic floor physical therapist? 

Katelyn:  Yeah, great question.

So pelvic floor physical therapy is physical therapy for the pelvic floor, right? So the pelvic floor muscles are those muscles that are kind of like the sling or the hammock on the bottom of our pelvis. So they’re part of our deep core muscles. They help us with bowel and bladder function. They help us with sexual function.

So sometimes those muscles aren’t working how they’re supposed to, either from stress or trauma or injury,  pregnancy, postpartum, those muscles go through a lot of trauma. So my job is to rehabilitate the pelvic floor. So, the pelvic floor is also part of a system that a lot of times we have to look at the big picture of how pelvic floors are interacting with our hips, with our abdomen, with our pelvic and abdominal organs, with our spine.

And so my job is to figure out what’s not working, how it’s supposed to, and how do we treat it? And how do we fix it?

Amanda:  Love it. So I know, like, I originally went to Valerie to work on some pelvic floor issues. And what, I mean, we got that resolved fairly quickly, but I have continued to see her just because I wanted it to stay in good working condition.

And if you’ve been listening to me for a while, you know, I’ve had back issues for many years. And so I see Valerie on a regular basis to keep my back in working order, which corresponds with my pelvic floor and everything else. So it really surprises me how much the pelvic floor makes a difference in the overall wellbeing of my body and how everything is functioning. 

Katelyn:  Yeah. It’s an integral part of almost any movement, even lifting the biceps, right? Even if we’re like doing bicep curls, your pelvic floor should be kind of automatically engaging to help stabilize through your trunk so that you can lift with your arms. So it’s really hard to kind of separate pelvic floor from a lot of other pieces of our body. So yeah, super important. I think everyone should see a pelvic floor therapist 

Amanda: I do too. I tell people all the time that they need to go see a pelvic floor physical therapist. I send clients there all the time. I’ve sent so many clients to you guys, as well as other ones along the Wasatch Front and in other areas. 

So what led you to specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy?

Katelyn:   Yeah, good question. So all throughout high school and college, my plan was to become a physical therapist. I really loved the more conservative treatment approach to health. And so that was always my plan. Throughout my undergrad, I was doing internships and shadowing at different clinics, and I kind of lost my  drive of like, Uh, is this really what I want to do?

Like, I kind of got bored. I was like, Oh, this is kind of boring, actually. But I just really felt like, no, like, this is what I need to do. Like, I know I need to do this. So I actually had my first baby after I graduated from BYU. And so I went to the PT school with an eight month old. 

Amanda: Wow.

Katelyn:Yeah, that’s a whole other story.

I learned about this pelvic floor specialty and then that kind of piqued my interest of like, oh, well, no one’s ever asked me about my pelvic floor after I had my baby. Like, do I have these issues? Like, do I need pelvic floor physical therapy? So that kind of got me interested. And then I took my first Herman and Wallace course, oh, I think it was my second semester of PT school and I fell in love. I was like, Oh, this, this is why I’m in PT school. This is what I want to do forever. I love talking about poo, pee, sex, blood, like this is my jam. So from there I took two other Herman Wallace courses throughout my PT school. And then I did my public internship at the end of my schooling and I was in love. Like I knew this was what I wanted to do. So right out of graduation, I started working here and I’ve never looked back. I love it so much.

Amanda:  I remember when Val hired you and she was so excited and I always check in with her when she’s got a new hire and like, okay, how’s it working out? Because she and I have become such good friends over the last four and a half years since I’ve had her on the podcast and she just adores you.

And she like, I love that when she’s been full, she can fully recommend you to her patients because I’ve never worked with you specifically, but because I know the quality of therapy that Valerie offers and what she expects out of her employees that I would be totally fine sending anybody to you.

So I think that’s awesome. 

Katelyn:  Yes, and she’s been a great mentor too. Shout out to Valerie.

Amanda:  So I was reading on Instagram the other day a post from someone I know that she had I had three babies and everybody had said like wait the six weeks and then you can ease back in, but she’s like, well, I feel better.

And so she would start running as soon as she felt ready. And then after her third baby, she developed a prolapse, like her uterus was literally falling out and no one had ever mentioned pelvic floor therapy to her up to that point. And she went and saw her OB and her OB was just like, we’ll do some Kegels.

And like, the look on Katelyn’s face right now. And so I think that pelvic floor issues are so common in women. But I don’t feel like enough doctors or women know about pelvic floor therapy and how helpful it can be. I mean, in other countries, we know that pelvic floor therapy is an integral part of prenatal and postnatal care, but that is not the case for women in our country.

So what are some of the most common issues women experience with their pelvic floor? 

Katelyn:  So let’s start with pregnancy postpartum since you brought that up. I compare it to like if you were to get your ACL repaired and then your doctor is like, Okay, just wait six weeks and then you can start running again. We’d be like, wait, but that was like a major surgery on my knee. Like, don’t I need to like rehab this at all?  But that’s how we treat women who have had babies. 

Amanda: Yeah.

Katelyn: If you  imagine like, go back to, you know, when you first get pregnant, your body releases relaxin. And so that hormone makes all of your joints and your connective tissue super loosey goosey. So that’s going to cause issues. 

Your spine goes from being kind of a more subtle S shaped curve to like a very extreme S shaped curve. And then in one instant, you’re in that S shaped posture, now crouched over a baby all the time. 

So even just talking about like musculoskeletal, your body goes through so much during pregnancy, and then we add in either, you know, a c section delivery, which scar tissue is going to cause issues, or a vaginal delivery, so your pelvic floor gets stretched to beyond its limits, and we can have tearing, we can have episiotomy, you know, scarring through pelvic floor.

So, yes, I think that pelvic floor therapy should just be normal standard of care during pregnancy, just to make sure like your body is adjusting, to make sure your body is prepared for delivery, and then postpartum to check out like, okay, how’s your pelvic floor functioning? Is the coordination okay? Do we have tension? Do we have scar tissue restrictions that we need to work through? So, yes. I just wanted to jump on that soapbox with you. I’m like, please, America.

Amanda:  Please go see a therapist. If you’re pregnant or even if you’ve had babies in the past, I would say, it is not too late to go. 

Katelyn: Never too late.

Amanda: I mean, so when I first talked to Val four and a half years ago, she mentioned something like that it was not normal for women to leak urine with coughing and sneezing and that it could be fixed years down the road. And at that point, like, I mean, it had been probably 13, 14 years since I’d had a baby. So I just thought that this is just something I’m going to have to live with. Cough and sneeze, leak urine. And like, really within a few visits, that was fixed.

Katelyn:  Yes. That’s a really, really common one. That’s like, Oh, I’ve had a baby, so I guess I’m just going to pee my pants for the rest of my life.

But that is not the case. Even if you had a baby 30 years ago, we can still work on the pelvic floor, work on coordination, work on strengthening, working on tension to get you back to where you need to be. So yeah, postpartum, I would say leaking is really common, um, painful intercourse. I know that’s what you talked with Valerie about on your last podcast. 

But C section scars can cause painful intercourse. Tearing or episionomy scars can cause painful intercourse. And even just tension through the pelvic floor. And I’m sure Valerie talked about when once you have pain and tension, then the next time you go to have sex, your body’s like, Oh, it was painful last time. It’s going to be painful this time. So then we tense up and then it’s worse. And then we just get in that vicious cycle. So definitely pain with intercourse.

Amanda:  I’ll just mention something on that. So when I got married the first time, my mom basically just told me her advice was, you know, it’s gonna hurt, right? And so going into marriage thinking, knowing like, oh, it’s gonna hurt, right? That’s setting you up for more pain. And so like one of my biggest recommendations for women who are considering marriage or, you know, engage or something is to go see a pelvic floor therapist to help prepare your body just to see if there’s any issues.

Right. Because if there are issues, you don’t want to find out about it on your wedding night. Unfortunately, In our culture, a lot of people just go see their OBGYN for their premarital visit and maybe if you’re tight, then they’ll give you some dilators, but really no instructions on what to do or how to use them effectively.

And so like, that is one of my biggest recommendations is if you yourself, or you have a daughter that is going to be getting married in the next few years. Get it taken care of now. 

Katelyn: Yes,  and then you have the confidence of going into it, of like Oh, like I’ve been working on my pelvic floor. I know how to relax my pelvic floor. I’m familiar with my body and it will be such a better experience going into that intimate relationship.

Amanda:  It’s actually something that I mentioned in my Engaged Couples Course too.

Katelyn:  Yay. Perfect. Yes. I know for my premarital appointment, they threw me like, it looked like a turkey baster. They were like, use this. So I took it home. I’m like, What do I do? What do I do with this? I was not given any instruction. I was like, should I just like, shove it in? I was like, oh, anyway, not helpful.

So other pelvic floor conditions that I see, and I’ll say this too, of like, you don’t have to have had a baby to need pelvic floor physical therapy. It’s a common trigger, but that’s not always the case. I see plenty of people who have never had babies. We’ll kind of go through, like, definitely musculoskeletal things. So, hip pain, pelvic pain, tailbone pain, back pain. Any kind of thing that you’re like, oh, it’s not my pelvic floor.

Well, if it’s in that area, it might have something to do with the pelvic floor. And then bladder issues. So we talked about leaking. Stress urinary incontinence is when we have leaking with like coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting, bending, jumping, all those things. And then we can also have urinary urgency and urinary urgency incontinence. So that’s where we feel a really sudden strong urge to go to the bathroom. Like I have to pee right the second I’m gonna pee my pants. 

Sometimes we don’t actually pee our pants, sometimes we do before we get it to the toilet and a lot of times we get to the toilet and there was like nothing in our bladder. So we’re like why was my bladder freaking out so much? Um, and normally that is a pelvic floor tension issue.

Things are so tight around the bladder, our brain gets extra feedback from the bladder, like, oh, we’re, like, it’s coming out right now. And then our bladder wasn’t actually full. We were getting extra feedback from the tension through our pelvic floor. 

So definitely urinary issues. I also see patients who have had a history of recurrent UTIs and they’ll keep getting similar symptoms. Like the frequency and kind of pain with bladder emptying and then they go get tested and it’s negative. It’s not actually a UTI. A lot of times those patients have guarding around their urethra and around their bladder that’s imitating those UTI symptoms, but it’s not actually a UTI. So that’s another common one that I see as far as bladder.

And then we have painful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis. That’s another one. It’s a pelvic floor issue. It’s a pelvic floor tension issue, coordination issue, where we get painful bladder filling, painful bladder emptying. A lot of times people run to their urologist and it’s not actually a bladder problem, it’s a pelvic floor problem. So any kind of bladder issue, come see me. If you’re feeling like you’re going to the bathroom way too much, come see me. Your pelvic floor is probably doing something to your bladder that’s making it not happy.  

Amanda: Okay, good to know. 

Katelyn: And then there’s bowel issues. So, a lot of my patients have constipation or they’ll kind of fluctuate between constipation, diarrhea, or difficulty emptying their bowel. They feel like they have to strain a lot of the times to actually have a bowel movement.

That’s probably a pelvic floor issue or an abdominal mobility issue. So working on tension through the colon pathway, working on tension through rectum, and the external anal sphincter that has to open and relax to have a bowel movement. A lot of times too that I see is I’ll ask a patient to bear down like they’re trying to push out a poop and they’re actually contracting so they’re actually doing the opposite of what they think they’re doing.

So imagine trying to shove something out of a hole that’s tightening, right? That’s not going to be very easy to get it out. So a lot of times that can be a coordination issue as well.  

So yeah, bowel and bladder, definitely very common. And then we talked about sexual dysfunction. I also see patients with difficulty or inability to have an orgasm. Obviously there’s a ton of factors that go into being able to orgasm, but a lot of times pelvic floor is involved. It’s either, you know, we’re so tight that we can’t get that good relaxation and contraction. Sometimes we’ve had trauma, and so we’ve kind of just blocked everything in our pelvic floor. And so we work on reintegrating our nervous system back into being able to connect into pelvic floor, that can be really helpful for patients who struggle with orgasm. 

Amanda: How can a woman tell if she has a weak or overly tight pelvic floor?

Katelyn:  That is a great question. You can see a pelvic floor PT and they will tell you because it could be both and a lot of times that actually is. So that’s why I roll my eyes so hard when we’re just told, Oh, just do a hundred Kegels a day and your pelvic floor problems will be fixed because if you think about, let’s say a muscle is really, really tight and then you’re just squeezing, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing over and over and over again on a tight muscle, you’re probably going to make your problem worse than it already is.

Amanda: Yeah.

Katelyn: So a lot of times I have to work through tension and get range of motion through pelvic floor before we can ever start working on strengthening. The other issue that I have with Kegels is, how do we know if we’re doing it correctly? Like has anyone ever told you, Oh yeah, your Kegels great. Or you’re just doing what you think is a Kegel, but it could actually not be a Kegel.

Amanda: Yeah.

Katelyn: Or  I see a lot of times too. I’ll say, okay, do a, I actually don’t like the name Kegel because it’s named after a white male doctor. I don’t think women’s body parts, that’s not a body part, but anyway. So I’ll say, okay, do a pelvic floor contraction. And then my patient will squeeze their butt. They’ll squeeze their oblique muscles. They’ll squeeze everything. And everything is just clenching for dear life. I’m like, that is not a pelvic floor contraction. You are like bracing for impact, my friend. So making sure that we can isolate pelvic floor and that it’s doing what we think we’re doing is super important.

So how can we tell, we see a pelvic floor PT and they do an evaluation and tell you exactly what you need. 

Amanda:  Yeah, I remember when Val was like, okay, do a contraction. She’s like, now release it. Release it. 

Katelyn:  Uh huh. Yep, I see that a lot. I see that so much. Yep. Yep. Those are normally my tension patients. I’m like, Hey, squeeze, squeeze. And then they’re like, Oh, it’s gone. I’m like, no, it’s still holding on for dear life. Or they’ll squeeze and immediately go away. And I’m like, are you still holding it? They’re like, Oh yeah. Like…

Amanda: No, you’re not.

Katelyn:  You’re not. Good try though. We’re going to work on it.

Amanda:  Yeah. So that’s a really good segue into what I wanted to talk about next was, maybe can you explain what happens during a pelvic floor session?

Katelyn:  Yes, for sure. So when you come see me, I have you do a full intake. So I ask about medical history, about diagnoses that you’ve gotten, any other treatments that you’ve gotten, any other, you know, medications that you’re on, kind of a good full history of what your scenario is. So when you come see me, I’ll kind of get a subjective of how this started, what’s been happening, symptoms, all of that good stuff.

And then I’ll do a physical examination. So, like I said, I like to see how your body and your pelvic floor is working in the system. So I’ll have you do some functional movements. I’ll have you stand on one leg. I’ll see how your back is moving, how your hips are moving to see how all of these parts are working together. 

And then I’ll normally do an abdominal assessment. So I’ll feel through your abdominal muscles. I’ll feel through the fascia that surrounds your abdominal organs to see how all of those are moving. 

And then for the pelvic floor assessment, I give people options of whatever they’re comfortable with. We can do an external assessment, so I can just feel those muscles externally. Or I can visualize externally if those muscles are able to contract, if they’re able to relax. And then if the patient is comfortable with it, I’ll do an internal exam. So what that looks like is, I have one gloved finger, and I’ll insert that finger vaginally, and palpate each individual muscle of the pelvic floor. And assess, is this muscle tight? Can it contract? Can it relax? Can it bear down? Does this muscle, when I touch it, reproduce symptoms that you’re feeling? So we can get a really good, clear picture of everything that’s contributing to symptoms. And then from there, we can come up with a treatment plan of, okay, this is what you need to do at home. These are stretches and exercises. This is the manual therapy. So the therapy that I’m doing to the patient of like, we need to get your abdomen moving better. We need to mobilize your hip. We need to release these pelvic floor muscles. We can put together a treatment plan of what that patient needs.

Amanda:  Is it ever painful?

Katelyn:  It should not be painful. So if something is painful, and I always tell my patients this, like, if it’s so painful that you can’t relax and do whatever I’m doing, I need to back off because then your nervous system is creating a wall of like, Oh, this hurts. Like, I can’t relax into this. And then it’s counterproductive.

We’re not going to get anything done if you’re guarding against what I’m doing. So I always say like a little discomfort is okay, but can you breathe into it? Can you relax into it? Does it get better? But no, like I should not have patients like screaming or writhing on the table. That is not going to be helpful for what we’re trying to do.

Especially because a lot of my patients come from trauma histories, or have been, you know, like, pain is what they’re coming to see me for and so their nervous system’s already way amped up and if I’m creating more pain then their nervous system is not going to do what I want it to do and it’s not going to calm down. 

Amanda:  Yeah, I think that’s often a common misconception that like you’re going to just go and get tortured 

Katelyn:  Yes. Yes, because PT is like, oh PT stands for pain and torture, right? Well, maybe that’s some like ortho PT style? That is not my style as a pelvic PT. 

Amanda:  Good, good. So how long do you think it typically takes for people to see results from therapy? I mean, I’m sure it depends on what they’re coming in for, right?

Katelyn:  Totally depends. Yeah, like you said in your case, like, you kind of resolve the, you know, the original issue, and then we kind of get maintenance regularly. So I see that a lot with patients who have underlying conditions like endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, like things that are kind of ongoing that we kind of have to manage.

A lot of patients will do kind of some maintenance visits, you know, once a month, every other month to kind of check in. But as far as like, when will I notice a difference? I tell people you should at least start to feel some difference within the first few visits. If we haven’t made any changes within the first few visits either I’m not a good fit, like we need to get you seen by another provider or this is not what you need, right? Like, you might need something else. So, I would say within the first few visits, we should start to see some difference. As far as being totally healed, that normally takes a little bit longer because normally we have to work through, pain, you know, calming down nervous system, we have to work through tension, we have to practice coordination, you know, there’s some strengthening involved.

But I typically tell patients, you know, at the beginning, I like to see you a little bit more consistently. You know, once a week, so we can kind of stay on top of these things that we’re working on. We can kind of get, you know, a clear pathway that we’re going down. And then as we start to, you know, feel better, symptoms are decreasing, we’ll start spacing out visits more, and they’re doing more things independently at home. You know, strengthening stuff, behavioral modifications, and then checking back in a little bit more infrequently until things are completely clear and we can discharge you. 

I kind of compare it to a campfire. You know, we can put out the big flames that are happening, but if we don’t completely douse it, there’s still those glowing embers that we don’t want to be picked up in an instant and have symptoms come right back.

So there’s some things that we typically need to work on so that your body isn’t super sensitive to any potential stimuli that could kick back symptoms.

Amanda:  Yeah. So coming back to sex a little bit, can pelvic floor therapy improve pleasure and lubrication and sensation?

Katelyn:  Yes. So if tension is an issue, then we’re not getting as good blood flow to that area to the clitoris, to pelvic floor. Blood flow is super important for lubrication and sensation and pleasure, right? So if tension is the issue and we can work through tension, those muscles can relax better. We can get better blood flow, and definitely improve that way.

Amanda:  Do you have any recommendations of things that women can do, like exercises or something at home without seeing someone that could improve those things and improve things in the pelvic floor?

Katelyn:  Yeah, that’s a really common question that I get. And I say, I don’t know, because I don’t know what you need, right? It’s hard to say like, Oh, just do this and you’ll be fixed. Because one person could need strengthening, like they don’t have retention problems, they just have, you know, weakness problems.

So they might need like, oh, just like, let’s work on strengthening, right? Another person could be, oh, like, you’re so tight. You can’t relax. Like, you might need to just breathe and stretch, right? So it’s hard to give just like kind of like a global like, oh, everyone just do this and you’ll be, and you’ll be great. 

Amanda:  I feel that so much because people are always like, what’s the quick fix here, right? And I’m like, I don’t have a quick fix for you because we have to assess what’s going on for you specifically. 

Katelyn: Yes.

Amanda:  Before I can make any recommendations. 

Katelyn:  Yep. Yep. I wish there was a quick fix. I wish so badly.

Amanda: I know, right? 

Katelyn: I wish so badly.

Amanda:  So are there any lifestyle factors that negatively impact the pelvic floor? 

Katelyn:  Yeah, for sure. I would say stress right off the bat. Like I’ve had so many patients where a stressful life event has triggered symptoms or they notice stress significantly making symptoms worse.

I think stress just tightens pelvic floor so badly and If we’re not aware of it can lead to problems, you know, pelvic floor issues down the road. So stress for sure. I don’t know if this, this is not necessarily a lifestyle thing, but past traumas, we can hold a lot of trauma in the pelvic floor, especially like sexual trauma, like relationship trauma. I’ve seen a lot of that.  

Amanda:  I’ve definitely seen that like where women, something happens in their relationship and then all of a sudden they’re having pain. They’re no longer having orgasms. They’re having problems with lubrication and sensation. And yes, I mean, so the relationship issues have definitely impacted the physical issues.

Katelyn: For sure.  I’m trying to think of other like lifestyle things. Those are probably the biggest two that I’ve seen. Yeah.

Amanda:  So what advice would you give to someone who suspects that she has some pelvic floor dysfunction, but maybe feels embarrassed or hesitant to seek out help?

Katelyn:  Yeah, I think that’s so understandable, totally normal to be embarrassed about things that, I know I’m not normal where I’m like, Oh, I’ll talk about pee, poo and sex all day.

Amanda: Yeah, you and me both.

Katelyn:  Yeah, but I think it’s totally understandable for people to be like, I’m peeing my pants and it’s super embarrassing. Or like, I feel like my uterus is falling outside of me and I’m so embarrassed. Embarrassment is totally understandable. But I think just knowing like, you’re not alone. If you were the only person, I wouldn’t have a job. Like, this is my, I don’t know if it’s helpful to say, but like this is my normal to see all these patients with these things that could be potentially embarrassing.

So I think just knowing that going in of like the therapist that you see has seen 100 vaginas that day and she doesn’t care if you might leak on the table or I guess he or she, you could see whatever therapist you are. Your therapist doesn’t care what your vagina looks like. Your therapist doesn’t care what issues you have.

Your therapist doesn’t care if you have a prolapse. Like that’s what they’re there to help you with. So just know like you don’t have to live this way forever. And there are people out there who love helping people with this kind of thing. So. Yeah, I think just like see if you can be brave for 10 seconds to make a call and schedule an appointment and someone will be so excited to be able to help you.

Amanda:  Awesome. So do most people need a doctor’s referral to come and see you?

Katelyn:  It depends I think that depends on like state laws. So in Utah, PTs are direct access, meaning you don’t have to have a doctor’s referral. Sometimes insurance companies are picky about that sort of thing. So check with your state laws, check with your insurance, just make sure that you can directly see a physical therapist.

A lot of times the clinic, like the PT clinic will tell you, Oh, you need a doctor’s referral for that. But no, not always. 

Amanda:  So if someone wants to see a therapist, and they are not in the Salt Lake area to come see you, where would you suggest that they go to find a qualified pelvic floor physical therapist?

Katelyn:  Yes. So pelvicrehab.com is the directory of pelvic PTs. I think at least in the country, I don’t know about out of the country, but… 

Amanda: Yeah, I think in the United States.

Katelyn: Is it just the US? Ok.

 Okay. So yeah, pelvicrehab. com. You can type in your area and all the pelvic PTs in your area will pop up and they should have, you know, bios and websites on there that you could kind of do some research about finding a good fit for you.

And don’t be afraid to call several clinics and like we do 10 minute consults over the phone with patients who have questions or you know are not sure about pelvic PT. So don’t be afraid to call a bunch of clinics and ask questions that you have you know about certifications or qualifications or ask like do you treat this you know xyz to make sure that you’re getting a good fit.

And if you end up going to someone that you don’t feel 100 percent comfortable with or don’t feel like it’s a good fit, don’t be afraid to try someone new. . 

Amanda:  Awesome. So we’re going to have Katelyn back next week to talk about men’s pelvic floor physical therapy. So stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, Katelyn, where can people go to find you and more about you?

Katelyn:  Yes. So our clinic website is wellbeingphysicaltherapy.com. We also have an Instagram page and a Facebook page if you just search Wellbeing Physical Therapy, you should find us. And then like you mentioned earlier our clinic is located in Murray, Utah just by Fashion Place Mall. So I would love to come see anyone who wants to come.

Amanda: Yes.  And we will put that information in the show notes just so that you don’t have to remember it, but thank you so much Katelyn for being here with me today. 

Katelyn: Thank you.

Amanda: Look forward to another call with you next week. 

Katelyn: Yes. Perfect. Thank you so much

Amanda: All right, everyone. Wasn’t that great? Didn’t you learn so much?

I just love Katelyn and Val and Wellbeing Physical Therapy. It’s been such a lifesaver for me personally. So if you are in the Salt Lake area, I highly recommend that you go see them. If you live along the Wasatch Front and need other recommendations, please feel free to reach out or you can go to PelvicRehab.com.

Make sure that you subscribe so you can listen to next week’s episode where we are going to talk all about public floor physical therapy for men, because we don’t talk about this. Most men probably don’t even realize that they have a pelvic floor. So, make sure you tune in next week and we’ll see you then.

Bye bye.

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