In the mind of a critical PT

It’s likely that you’ve been waiting for top flattening surgery for some time now and you may want to do everything you can to ensure the best possible outcome. Exercise – at the level and amount that feels right for your body – is one path to a smoother recovery after surgery. Read on to learn about some simple exercises you can do to better prepare.

Any queer or transperson who has sought medical treatment is probably quite aware that there are a lot of harmful misconceptions and myths about healthcare pertaining to them. One of the least discussed is the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor health has long been assumed to be relevant only to cis women, and specifically to pregnant cis women.  While pelvic floor health has been gaining greater attention in the medical community and society at large, the conversations have been primarily centered around pregnancy-related care and (assumed) cis women’s experiences. In fact, during one of my recent guest lectures, a student asked me about urinary incontinence and made the assumption that this condition only affects people with vulvas. We all have a pelvis and therefore a pelvic floor – regardless of our genitals or genders.  And because we all have a pelvic floor, we all can be susceptible to dysfunction or injury of the pelvic floor just like any other body part.

Over the last five years there has been a groundswell in the recognition that healthcare for those in the LGBTQ+ community has been, at best, incredibly lacking & the world of physical therapy is no exception. Fortunately, this growing awareness is being followed by tangible efforts to improve the quality of care provided to this population as evidenced by the formation of PT Proud, a Catalyst Group in the APTA, & a growing body of research to address the unique needs of LGBTQ+ patients. Hermann & Wallace is even offering it’s first ever 3 day course solely focused on treating patients who are gender diverse!