Whether you're working as an employee or have your own business, financial confidence is truly rare. We contrast this with 'financial security', which means you're able to pay the bills. But are you anxious about money? Worried about student loan debt? About whether you're saving enough for retirement? These concerns are completely natural, but they also cause us to make poor decisions in our careers or our business. In this 'sode we talk about the difficult road to gaining true, lasting financi...
Oct 13, 2022•14 min
What do we do with a patient who is challenging, edgy, or with a 'chip on their shoulder'? In this 'sode we dive into how we can put our own ego aside and help those who are difficult or contrarian during a treatment session. How do we get these patients to form an alliance with us for their benefit? And we go into the 'break in case of emergency' options we have during a session. If you've dealt with challenging patients, make sure to catch this 'sode! Clinical Courses All of the Rising clinica...
Oct 10, 2022•31 min
How can we take more control of our own happiness at work? We dive into how we can avoid negativity, have more honest conversations and enjoy work more. When negativity goes upward - to your boss or someone who can make a change - instead of out to your colleagues or patients, it creates a better culture and environment for everyone. PelviCon Recording Now Available for Order! If you weren't able to get tickets to PelviCon or make it to Atlanta this year, we've got you covered! We're going to ha...
Oct 06, 2022•22 min
We were absolutely blown away by the energy, excitement and inspiration at PelviCon 2022! In this 'sode we give a behind-the-scenes look at running the conference, stories about our speakers, the biggest 'oh, shit!' moments and more! We're joined by our partners in PelviCon crime, Jessica & Andrew Reale, for this 'sode, and answer a lot of your questions about the conference. Check it out! PelviCon Recording Now Available for Order! If you weren't able to get tickets to PelviCon or make it t...
Oct 03, 2022•45 min
Keeping our professional boundaries can be a real challenge in our profession. We spend a lot of time with our patients. They are often really cool people. And we're discussing intimate topics about their lives they may only talk about with really close friends. And we should certainly still have fun. Laugh. Make a connection with our patients. But when they cross over into the 'friend zone' we often struggle to provide the same level of care. It's a challenge for all of us, but we have to recog...
Sep 19, 2022•22 min
As we cross over 'sode 250, we look back on the 10 most 'controversial' things we've said on the podcast. In retrospect, some don't look controversial anymore (which is awesome!). And you don't have to agree with each of these, but we do hope they make you think and drive conversations in our field forward. Do you have a favorite of these? Let us k now! Biofeedback is not the best use of your time We are (or should be) primary care providers Don't be the evidence police Voluntary strength testin...
Sep 15, 2022•38 min
Looking back over the last 250(!!) 'sodes of the Pelvic PT Rising podcast, we reflect on how small steps turn into big impact over time. We talk about some of our (many) failures and decisions we didn't know would be important at the time. But the underlying message is just to take action to move forward - no matter how small it might be. When we put one foot in front of the other in our business or career, it may take years to see the progress but it will come. One of our favorite quotes is "we...
Sep 12, 2022•42 min
How much mental energy and stress go to the 2% of people who are the worst fit for our clinical practice or business? In this 'sode we talk about how to identify those people who aren't a great fit. We need to recognize when we're working with an outlier. If we aren't careful we end up changing our practice, compromising our vision or bending over backwards for those who aren't a great fit. Can you identify any outliers or '2 percenters' in your case load or practice? Let us know! Business Resou...
Sep 08, 2022•22 min
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 we often do our patients a disservice when we try and guess. Because the truth is - there's no way to know after just the first visit! So how do we answ...
Sep 05, 2022•33 min
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. Normally an avid runner, he had cut running out completely (after usually doing 70-80 miles a week)....
Sep 01, 2022•18 min
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 four minutes, and so excited to meet many of you in person in just a few weeks! If you aren't joining us in ...
Aug 29, 2022•30 min
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 patients have very valid reasons to be skeptical. Their emotions can range from anger to depression to "yeah, but...i...
Aug 25, 2022•22 min
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 anatomy is the 'map' to guide your care, and more clinical pearls. And we announce her PelviCon topics! So...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min
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 cons to any position. So in this 'sode we look at what it's like to work at a cash-based physical therapy clinic....
Aug 18, 2022•27 min
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 of Pelvic Health President and PelviCon speaker ! We discuss how active Heather has been in the media...
Aug 15, 2022•47 min
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 be if we want to be providing the best possible care for our patients. That doesn't mean stepping outside our...
Aug 11, 2022•27 min
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. Along with fellow PelviCon speaker Juan Martin, Amber teaches pelvic health providers about doula work a...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 5 min
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. Most physician appointments last less than 15 minutes. A patient is interrupted after an average of 11 seconds. We...
Aug 04, 2022•26 min
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 clinic, taught, consulted for other companies and has created curriculum and taught for Herman & Wallace. A...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr
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 speaking the same language when we talk about downtraining! Downtraining Masterclass If you'd like to learn more about the ...
Jul 28, 2022•22 min
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 more we can do to support our patients. One of the most inspiring things Sara shares is there is no magic formula....
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 2 min
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 how the pelvic floor behaves in a more involuntary fashion. Check out the 'sode for why I think it's a better analogy ...
Jul 21, 2022•21 min
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 pregnancy and immediately after delivery. We're so excited for Juan to bring her expertise to PelviCon, and ...
Jul 18, 2022•55 min
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 patients in our community. Setting our prices too low. Doing a side hustle when you don't really need to. Hiring independ...
Jul 14, 2022•30 min
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 more a process than a final result. We can always be better, and it starts with checking our egos at the door! We also introduce Kr...
Jul 11, 2022•58 min
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 experience? If you're a business owner, how do you balance the business and clinical considerations of having a ...
Jul 07, 2022•34 min
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. Check out the full 'sode for all the details! Am I Ready To Start My Own Practice? Thinking of starting your own practi...
Jun 30, 2022•19 min
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're incorporating our orthopedic training and skills into our pelvic health practice. So excited to have her as a s...
Jun 27, 2022•55 min
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 practitioners and in your community! PelviCon Recording Now Available for Order! If you weren't able to get tickets to PelviCon or make i...
Jun 23, 2022•25 min
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 and treatment approach to make sure every patient gets a full, thorough evaluation and unique plan of care. Pelvic PT Essenti...
Jun 20, 2022•27 min
