Beth Anne Travis: Certified Practitioner

Today we are excited to share an interview with Beth Anne Travis, PT, DPT, PRPC! While Dr. Travis became a certified practitioner in November 2016, she has been plying her trade with pelvic rehab patients specifically since March of 2015, practicing in North Little Rock, AR. Thank you for talking with us, Dr. Travis, and congratulations on the certification!!

Tell us about your practice
Advanced Physical Therapy is an outpatient clinic in North Little Rock, AR where I treat women, men and children with pelvic floor dysfunction and associated orthopedic conditions.

How did you get involved in the pelvic rehabilitation field?
I thought about the pelvic floor rehabilitation in school but took my first job in pediatrics. Soon after accepting the position, I realized it was not what I envisioned and a pelvic floor career opportunity was presented to me. I took Pelvic Floor Level 2B after accepting the pelvic floor position and began treating my first patients a week later. I know this is what the Lord called me to do.

What/who inspired you to become involved in pelvic rehabilitation?
I was inspired by my mentors and how quickly their patients improved within weeks.

What patient population do you find most rewarding in treating?
I truly enjoy treating individuals with pelvic pain. Relieving them of chronic pain they have endured for years and giving them their life back is what I find rewarding.

What has been your favorite Herman & Wallace Course?
Pelvic Floor Level 2B. This was my first course and I took it with very little knowledge of the subject. I had an instructor who helped me the entire time during lab so I could receive the full benefit of the course. It was very important to the instructor that I had complete confidence in what I was learning and doing.

What lesson have you learned from a Herman & Wallace instructor that has stayed with you?
Stacy Futterman advised me during her course to not only focus on the pelvis. So many times we tend to forget to look at the motor control aspect of the body in its entirety.

What do you find is the most useful resource for your practice?
My mentors. I worked with a group of women who have been practicing pelvic floor therapy since 1992. Their knowledge has been incredibly beneficial to me. It’s always comforting to know I have other professionals to brainstorm with.

What motivated you to earn PRPC?
I am continually striving to better myself as a clinician. There was only one certified practitioner in Arkansas who I gratefully had the opportunity to work with. It was my goal to obtain more credibility to improve patient rapport.

What makes you the most proud to have earned PRPC?
Many times in pelvic floor therapy, we are presented with skeptical patients. I use this opportunity to talk with the patient about the course and what it took to gain the certification. I have found that after talking with them, they have more confidence in me. With a lot of studying, hard work and dedication, I have complete faith that I became a better clinician. I am now one of two clinicians with PRPC in the state of Arkansas.

What advice would you give to physical therapists interested in earning PRPC?
It is incredibly beneficial. Studying the information allows you to reflect on information your may have forgotten from PT school

If you could get a message out to physical therapists about pelvic rehabilitation what would it be?
Ask questions! Incontinence and pain with sexual intercourse are very common. If your patient has hip, low back pain or abdominal pain that isn’t improving with orthopedic therapy, refer them to a pelvic floor therapist.

What is in store for you in the future?
It is my goal to become a teaching assistant in the Herman & Wallace courses. I would be honored to teach and inspire others to embrace pelvic floor therapy and what it does to help patients get their life back.

What role do you see pelvic health playing in general well-being?
Pelvic health is vital for our bodies and well-being. Pelvic floor therapy improves the quality of life for so many people. I have personally watched patients get back to the things they loved most before their pelvic health deteriorated.