Great question.

If I wanted to, I could advertise myself as a pelvic floor therapist. I have a Master’s in Occupational Therapy and I have take course work and completed the Level 1 Pelvic Health Practitioner Training for OT’s through the Functional Pelvis (https://www.functionalpelvis.com/)

There are two main reasons why I do not use the term “pelvic floor therapist” when describing my services.

1. Because I do not refer to the group of muscles in our lower pelvis as a floor. It is a dynamic group of muscles, fascia, nerves, blood supply, lymph, etc that has an interconnected relationship to your brain, your breath, even to the arches of your feet. Pelvic bowl or pelvic diaphragm are more accurate descriptions in my opinion.

2. OT’s and PT’s who specialize in shoulder rehab are not called Rotator Cuff Therapists. Although the rotator cuff is essential in shoulder function, there is SO much more at play. I really do not like how the term isolates this part of the body. I refer to my work as whole body pelvic care, because of the deep interconnection the pelvis has to our nervous system, digestion, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, interoception…I can go on and on.

So maybe it is semantics, but, clearly I am passionate about it!

The age old answer…It depends.

In general, PT’s are very well versed in biomechanics, meaning they are experts in seeing the body and knowing what pain here could be caused by a muscle imbalance there, for example. They are experts in assessing posture and gait (walking), range of motion and muscle strength.

OT’s are trained to look at clients through a biopsychosocial lens, meaning we see the person and their person factors (such as posture, movement mechanics, pain, etc) and place that into the context of psychological ,social, and environmental contexts-knowing that your home environment and daily habits, sitting posture at your desk at work, nervous system state, relationship with your partner or with yourself, current beliefs about your body, and so much more, may, and likely do impact the symptoms you are trying to fix.

That being said, I think it is so much more about how you vibe with a practitioner vs. what letters they may or may not have behind their name.

Also, every therapist takes continuing education courses that influence the way they practice.

I have been heavily influenced by my training at Ma School (https://maschool.co/) which is a bodywork/manual therapy and women’s health education approach that teaches non-medical/non-pharmaceutical options for commonly medicalized women’s health concerns.

‍ ‍I am also heavily influenced by trainings in trauma resolution and nervous system education via Somatic Experiencing (https://traumahealing.org/), SOMA School (https://waking-womb.com/), and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (https://child.tcu.edu/tbri/)

Insurance is essentially a middle man that dictates what services will and will not be covered, regardless of what is recommended or most beneficial to the person receiving services (you/your loved one).

It is my highest priority to provide transparency and agenda-less services in my practice, and for me, taking insurance does not align with that. I want you, your goals, and your current state of being to be the only things driving my decision making regarding recommendations and treatment planning.

I personally do not even have health insurance anymore. I pay out of pocket for preventative services I value and I use CrowdHealth to support my medical care.

CrowdHealth is not for everybody but it has been a great option for me. If you’re curious, check it out.

https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/

If you choose to join, use my code, SARAH123 for a discount. Depending on if you enjoy it and stick around, I will receive a small monetary kickback from CrowdHealth through their referral program.

Yes, all of the bodywork of Womb Continuum Care is within the scope of OT. If receiving manual therapy is what you want to prioritize in your sessions, than that is exactly what we will do!

No. In the state of Illinois, you do not need a doctor’s order or referral to receive an OT evaluation or engage in treatment.

If you do have one, please bring it to your initial evaluation.