A faculty spotlight on Erica Vitek and her upcoming remote course at Herman & Wallace.

The Voice and the Pelvic Floor: Why Three Diaphragms Belong in Your Assessment

A faculty spotlight on Dr. Ginger Garner and her upcoming remote course at Herman & Wallace.

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons patients walk into a physical therapy clinic. It is also one of the most under-treated when clinicians focus only on the lumbar spine. For a growing body of patients, the lumbar spine is the symptom. The pelvic floor is the source.

If you are an orthopedic, sports, or general outpatient clinician treating low back pain and feel your patients are not making the progress you would expect, the pelvic floor may be the missing piece. Herman & Wallace is offering two free live webinars this May with senior faculty member and Director of Education Allison Ariail, PT, DPT, CLT-LANA, BCB-PMD, PRPC. The first session unpacks the clinical connection between the pelvic floor and low back pain. The second is an open Ask Me Anything session for clinicians considering the Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification (PRPC).

Electrostimulation is a conservative treatment of improving bladder function. This can be performed parasacrally, intravaginally or by stimulation of the tibial nerve (Wang and Liu, 2022, Jacomo et al, 2020, Bhide et al 2019, Padilha et al., 2020).

There are faculty members who teach courses, and then there are faculty members who help define the standard of education in an entire specialty. Pamela A. Downey, PT, DPT, WCS, BCB-PMD, PRPC, is the latter. A Senior Faculty member at Herman & Wallace since 2006, Dr. Downey has spent nearly two decades shaping how clinicians learn to assess and treat pelvic floor dysfunction, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

We are proud to spotlight one of the longest-serving and most accomplished educators in our institute.

A Clinician and Educator Since 1991

Half the world's population experiences a menstrual cycle, yet social stigma, clinical discomfort, and gaps in provider training often leave patients without the information, tools, or permission they need to manage it well. Pelvic rehab clinicians frequently find themselves on the receiving end of questions no one else has been willing to answer. What is a normal period? Why does my cycle affect my pelvic floor symptoms so much? What products actually work, and how do I choose the right one? Is this amount of pain something I should just live with?

These are the questions Nicholas Gaffga, MD, MPH, FAAFP and Amy Meehan, PT, DPT, MTC set out to address when they built the Herman & Wallace remote course Menstruation and Pelvic Health. The course is designed for pelvic rehab providers who want to go beyond treating isolated symptoms and instead help patients reshape the menstrual experience itself through non-hormonal, non-prescription, and non-surgical interventions.

What the Course Covers

Few modalities have generated as much clinical conversation in the last five years as low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy. Once reserved for kidney stones and elite sports medicine clinics, shockwave has now crossed into pelvic health, with growing applications for chronic pelvic pain, erectile dysfunction, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, and stress urinary incontinence. For clinicians considering whether to add this tool to their practice, the first question is always the same. Does the research support what the marketing claims?

Stacey Roberts, PT, RN, MSN has built her teaching career around answering that question with rigor. Her Herman & Wallace remote course, Shockwave Treatment, gives pelvic rehab clinicians a clear-eyed look at the evidence, the device landscape, and the clinical protocols that actually work.

From Home Care to Pelvic Health: A Journey Guided by Faith, Mentorship, and Resilience

Sometimes the most meaningful career paths aren’t the ones we plan. For Herman & Wallace faculty member Carole High Gross, PT, MS, DPT, PRPC, the road to becoming a leader in pelvic health rehabilitation was shaped by unexpected challenges, pivotal relationships, and a willingness to trust the journey even when the destination wasn’t yet visible.

We recently sat down with Carole to talk about her career, her calling, and the work that drives her. What unfolded was one of the most compelling stories of resilience and purpose we’ve heard.