#40 | Dr. Caleigh Campbell: How Physical Therapy is Revolutionizing Women's Healthcare
Dr. Caleigh Campbell chose to practice a specialty still unknown to many women and even to other doctors, though its results are simple, effective, and often life-changing: pelvic floor physical therapy. While practitioners of the field are still few, demand is growing rapidly as more and more women understand the benefits that span a lifetime. When Caleigh discovered the enormous benefits to women and the lack of providers, she opted to devote her career to the field.
“I learned a little bit about how terrible the access is for women. Even if they end up getting a referral to pelvic floor physical therapy, they have to find a pelvic floor physical therapist, which is very challenging, and they may have to travel far.”
The diversity and number of women who suffer from pelvic floor-related issues is vast, ranging from young athletes with incontinence-related problems, to females of any age suffering painful intercourse, to women preparing for or recovering from giving birth, to elderly women who may have multiple unresolved issues. Dr. Campbell helps them all, and much of it does not even require an internal exam.
“It's a very intimate subject, and most people don't talk about it at all. And if they do, they might be saying to someone else: “I've had that for years, that's just, you know, part of being a woman. And it's really not.”
Meeting women where they are is important to Caleigh. There may be trauma involved, or shame, embarrassment, or a simple lack of knowledge. She meets her patients where they are, using compassion, inquiry, and respect. Many women are relieved to learn they may not need surgery that had been recommended or can try other options first. Surgery is often an option for things like incontinence, but physical therapy can often be as or more helpful. As Caleigh sees it, you can always do surgery as a last resort, but if physical therapy can take care of it, why not start there?
Dr. Caleigh Campbell hiking with her best pal.
In this episode, we discuss:
• The benefits of physical therapy for the pelvic floor.
• The lack of awareness of the specialty among patients and often physicians as well.
• The wide array of women who can benefit from PT.
• The lack of PT doctors treating pelvic floor issues.
• The promise of treatment for incontinence, pregnancy and postpartum, painful intercourse, and more.
• The freedom to visit a doctor of physical therapy without a referral (check with your insurer first.)
• How shame, embarrassment, pride and and a lack of knowledge prevents women from getting help.
• How breathing correctly can affect your pelvic floor.
• The role of properly done exercise in strengthening pelvic floor.
• How pelvic floor surgery helps women avoid surgery.
