Getting Personal: Why I Do What I Do as a Physical Therapist (Part 2)

Question 2.

Pelvic floor PT isn’t something most people know about. How did you end up in this line of work, and what made it click for you?

Like most people, I first learned about pelvic floor physical therapy because of a personal experience. But unlike most, it had nothing to do with pregnancy or postpartum.

I did Air Force ROTC when I was in college which involved a lot of running. I remember during one of our fitness tests, I started leaking a little urine at the end of the run. It was so stressful and embarrassing, especially because I had no idea who to talk to or what to do about it.

Dr. Kelsey (right) doing wall sits during physical training in AFROTC

At the time, I'd never been pregnant, and I wasn’t postpartum, so I felt like I wasn't "supposed" to be dealing with this issue. And on top of that, I remember someone joking about how the girls on his high school cross country team would pee themselves during runs, and it just made me feel even more ashamed. I was afraid if anyone found out, I’d be laughed at or judged. So I kept it to myself.

Thankfully, it only happened a few times and eventually went away. But the anxiety stuck with me. I remember always being nervous before runs, obsessively making sure I used the bathroom beforehand just in case. It definitely added a layer of anxiety to something that was already pretty intense.

A few years later, when I was active duty, a pregnant coworker of mine posted an article on Facebook about pelvic floor PT. That was the moment everything kind of clicked. I realized that not only was there a name for what I had experienced, but there was also a solution. And I couldn’t help but think: why didn’t I know about this sooner?

That personal connection is what got me interested in pelvic floor physical therapy. I’d already decided I wanted to go to PT school, but this gave me a much clearer direction. The fact that there’s actual help available, and that these issues can happen to anyone with a pelvic floor, not just postpartum women, is what really pushed me toward this path. I wanted to be someone people could turn to, so they wouldn’t have to go through it feeling as alone or ashamed as I did.

Next up: how my experience as an athlete influences the way I treat and how I show up for my patients.