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. Check out the 'sode for our discussion on how much experience you need to start a practice (and how much is too much!). Am...
Jun 16, 2022•16 min
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 an internal assessment? Is twice in a given session 'too much'? And why are we uncomfortable with the a...
Jun 13, 2022•32 min
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 evaluation to 90 minutes (or longer). We go through the business implications of a longer eval and ask the question "w...
Jun 09, 2022•19 min
Ever feel rushed, harried, or that you can't get through everything you'd like during your initial evaluation? It's not possible finish a thorough evaluation in a hour. Or 90 minutes. Or at any first appointment. In this 'sode we talk about what each patient should leave with in their initial evaluation and why you need to take your time to truly understand their symptoms and how to get them better. Pelvic PT Essentials If you'd like to get more confident in your initial evaluation and communica...
Jun 06, 2022•22 min
As both an employee and employer, it's important to realize there's no such thing as a perfect job. We want everyone working in pelvic health to be happy and content in their job! A good match between a position and employee requires 1) self-awareness and 2) open communication. Usually this breaks down when either party doesn't truly understand what they value in a position. These can include: Compensation Management Work Environment Patient Population Treatment Times Documentation Time Growth a...
Jun 02, 2022•27 min
It may seem like a simple question, but it's something we often overlook. Does our patient really know that we can get them better? Have we said it explicitly? "I can get you better....this is not your life....we've seen this before....we can help you...." We often think we're saying this by telling them how everything is interconnected. That we've been able to reproduce their symptoms. That we have found things on the initial evaluation related to their complaints. But does that actually transl...
May 30, 2022•25 min
Are you working more in your business than you'd like? Longer hours? Still thinking about things (or working on them) when you go home for the day? Perhaps the biggest goal we hear from business owners in our Mentorship program is reclaiming their time. They started the business to have more time to spend with their family or doing what they love, but the day-to-day of the business has taken over their time. We went through this at PelvicSanity for almost 4 years, and it took a global pandemic t...
May 26, 2022•32 min
We have physically demanding jobs. If we want to have long, healthy careers we have to take care of ourselves (and not just our patients!). We can often struggle with issues in our thumbs, wrists, shoulders, or back. This is particularly important for those of us with a manual physical therapy Ethos. In this 'sode we dive into practical tips for maintaining your body for a long career in the field! Pelvic PT Rising Business Mentorship - New Cohort! For the first time in over a year we are offeri...
May 23, 2022•25 min
We all make mistakes in business. It's inevitable. But you don't have to make all the mistakes yourself! And if you are making one of these, you can always make the changes you need. We've worked with 150+ pelvic health practices, and here are some of the most common mistakes we see. Many of these are present when you first start your business, but can persist for years within a practice. If any of these resonate with you, make sure to reach out and let us know! Pelvic PT Rising Business Mentors...
May 19, 2022•40 min
The American Urological Association just announced new Guidelines for the treatment of interstitial cystitis. It's the first update in 7 years, and it's big for pelvic rehab professionals! We basically have an entire category of treatment ("behavioral and non-pharmacological") that we are unique qualified to administer. Among the highlights (and things we've been advocating for... The AUA specifically calls out that Kegel exercises should not be done for patients with IC Additional studies showi...
May 16, 2022•28 min
How can we make better decisions in our job choices, our con-ed courses and/or our business? Often we get stuck in fear - afraid to change, afraid to make big decisions, afraid to have larger dreams for ourselves. One way to break out of this is to think of your career decisions - as an employee, in Con-Ed, or as a business owner - as an investment. When we invest, we're looking at two things: 1) what is the potential upside and 2) what is the risk? This helps take the emotion out of our decisio...
May 12, 2022•28 min
How good are we at actually accepting feedback? Or criticism? How we handle these conversations has major implications for our relationships with patients, employers or our businesses. In this 'sode we talk about how to stop, listen and actually process feedback instead of having a knee-jerk reaction against it. We give you some practical tools. And make sure you're not a "Yeah, but-er!". Whether you're doing this as a practitioner, an employee or as a boss, this is a skill you can learn and imp...
May 09, 2022•14 min
Why would a patient ever want to spend money at a cash practice when they can use in-network insurance benefits? This question is the cornerstone of a successful cash practice. Fantastic question from a Rising podcast listener. First thing is replacing the word 'convince' with 'provide information about their options.' At the end up the day, getting a patient to come and see you in a cash practice depends on only two things. They are simple, but extremely hard to implement: Provide better (or at...
May 05, 2022•30 min
How do we become more productive (especially when starting our own practice)? It's a huge challenge for many pelvic health professionals, and one of the first things we emphasize in the Pelvic PT Rising Business Mentorship Program. There are lots of reasons we struggle with productivity: We're used to a regimented job and being told what to do and when to do it We have perfectionist tendencies that make it hard to be done Our time is often broken into small chunks making it hard to focus We don'...
May 02, 2022•35 min
How do make the place you work the best possible place for you? Where you can grow, thrive and be happy coming into work? Because the grass isn't always greener. We spend about 1/3rd of our waking hours at work. There are pros and cons to every job you'll work in. But our own actions can make us either happier or more miserable - and we want every pelvic rehab practitioner to love what they do! In this 'sode we go through ways you can make your job work for you. To better connect with your colle...
Apr 28, 2022•30 min
I want every pelvic rehab practitioner to be really happy where they practice! We have so many more opportunities and options than when I was starting out in the field. Sometimes we get tunnel vision and make decisions just for financial reasons. But often that leaves is working in a place we don't love with types of patients we don't enjoy. In this 'sode we go through the different things you should be considering when you make your decision about where you work. If you're already working somep...
Apr 25, 2022•41 min
Student loan debt can feel crippling. We can postpone marriages and starting a family, saving for retirement, buying a home, working at a job we don't love....all because of our loans. We wanted to bring on a true expert in student loan relief, Travis Hornsby, to answer questions about student loans, reframe how we think about them, and give you a new resource if you're struggling. The mindset shift from 'crushing student loan debt' to a tax on your income in this 'sode is empowering and there a...
Apr 21, 2022•52 min
Should we really be expecting our patients to improve in 6-8 visits? Especially when we often believe there's no such thing as a 'simple' pelvic floor patient? This 'sode was sparked by a great listener question about how all the 'case studies' in her con-ed courses talked about getting patients better in 8 visits. But is that actually realistic? Where does the idea of getting a patient better as soon as possible come from? What if we started judging ourselves not by how quickly we get a patient...
Apr 18, 2022•27 min
What (if anything) should your clinic be selling to patients? In this 'sode we dive into what we sell at PelvicSanity - and, more importantly, why. We believe retail items are rarely a true money-maker, but can make a big difference in patient care. What do you sell in your clinic? Pelvic PT Business Resources If you'd like to learn more about our resources for cash-based pelvic PTs, make sure to take 5 minutes and fill out our Business Owners Survey. We'd love to hear about where you are in you...
Apr 14, 2022•23 min
How do we best collaborate with physicians? This 'sode dives into how we can best help our patients navigate the medical system. When we refer we often make two different mistakes: 1) blind trust in physicians or 2) disregarding their expertise. The truth is somewhere in the middle, and the magic is in the middle! We go through how to best help your patient receive multidisciplinary care and how to guide their healing journey in this 'sode! Essential Pelvic Strengthening Course: Registration Clo...
Apr 12, 2022•30 min
Are you fully maximizing your tax-free retirement accounts? Leveraging compound interest? So many of us struggle with stress and anxiety around money. Old narratives from our parents or friends. In this 'sode we discuss the importance of maximizing your retirement funds and applying the magic of compound interest to your financial situation - don't miss this one! Pelvic PT Business Resources If you'd like to learn more about our resources for cash-based pelvic PTs, make sure to take 5 minutes an...
Apr 07, 2022•38 min
In this 'sode we start to explore the problem of student loan debt, stagnant wages and how our profession came to our current troubles. So many of us graduate with huge student loan debts and no feasible plan to repay them in a reasonable amount of time. Our wages certainly haven't caught up with the cost of our education. There's one primary reason why - insurance companies dictate how much we are able to make in this field. Check out this 'sode if you're struggling with student loan debt as we...
Apr 04, 2022•35 min
How do you become truly 'happy as a little clam'? In this interview with Theresa Feola we explore how she grew from 8 to 25+ patients per week and how she created the business she dreamed of. One of the things we're most proud about for Theresa is how she's constantly been true to her vision of how she wants to practice. She left her insurance-based practice, founded The Pelvic Room and is one of the best examples of the 'happy as a little clam' phase. She's volunteering, exploring other interes...
Mar 31, 2022•44 min
Is it hard for you to be proud of yourself? Or at least to say that you're proud of yourself? All too often we struggle to articulate what we're proud of! Looking back at how far we've come is so important. We can take lessons and motivation from where we've been. One of the most impactful exercises we had with our Pelvic PT Rising Business Mentorship Retreat was asking that very question - "what are you most proud of?" Despite being kick-ass business owners and awesome clinicians, many of us st...
Mar 28, 2022•34 min
One of the most common questions we've gotten is "what is an Adaptive Strengthening Approach, anyway?" It's a term we introduce and teach about in the Essential Pelvic Strengthening: Not Your Mama's Kegels course, but wanted to give the overview here! It's best compared with the traditional, isolationist approach. In this 'sode we go through the different... Goals Progressions Positions Assessments Voluntary or Involuntary Training And how much fun it can be! If you'd like to learn more, make su...
Mar 24, 2022•32 min
When and how should we be doing functional assessments in standing, quadruped, bridging, during exercises, etc.? I think we would all agree we should be assessing the pelvic floor in functional positions. Just like an ortho PT watches to assess how their patient is doing an exercise, except we can't 'see' what the pelvic floor is doing without our own assessment. But if we all acknowledge we should be assessing the pelvic floor functionally, why is it just not being done? In this 'sode we discus...
Mar 21, 2022•26 min
How do we have the courage to change our minds, our techniques and our clinical practice? Because it does take major courage! We've been thinking about this because we're so excited to have the Essential Pelvic Strengthening (www.pelvicptrising.com/kegels) now open for registration! Nicole discusses some of her major shifts and changes in clinical practice over her career and how important it is to continue to grow. We know how hard it can be to change and get out of your comfort zone. There wil...
Mar 17, 2022•42 min
How do we move into the next stage of pelvic health? In this 'sode we introduce the Essential Pelvic Strengthening course and explain why it's so important to move beyond an isolationist approach to the Adaptive Strength Approach (TM). Over the last 80 years the pelvic health field has been focusing on getting more and more efficient at isolating the pelvic floor. But what if there's a completely different way to treat? One that is more functional. More individualized. Acknowledges the pelvic fl...
Mar 14, 2022•38 min
Our website is often overlooked when we think about marketing and conversion. We want to take meetings, do workshops, run ads, meet other practitioners, ask for referrals. But what if our website is turning away potential patients who want to work with us? In this Business Shorty we dive into the 5 ways your website can be letting you down: It doesn't tell patients where you are It doesn't tell patients what you do Your calls to action are confusing, weak or absent Your website is filled with di...
Mar 10, 2022•18 min
If you knew you only had one more session with your patient, what would you choose to do in your session? What would you focus on? What would you send them home with? One of the biggest challenges with research is we're usually basically asking 'is this intervention better than nothing?' Is this pain medication better than a sugar pill? Is guided biofeedback better than just getting a paper handout? Is an isolated Kegel strengthening program better than general exercise? But in reality, those ar...
Mar 07, 2022•17 min
