What’s New at PHRC?

If we could use only one word to sum up 2013 so far, it would be “growth.” Specifically, we’ve added three new employees, including the addition of two new PTs, to our staff and relocated our Oakland and Los Gatos clinics to new digs, not to mention we’ve launched a brand new website AND given our weekly blog a bit of a face lift!

While there’ve been some important changes, one thing has remained constant this year, and that is our commitment to spreading the word about pelvic pain and dysfunction. Toward that end, we’ve been busy on an international level, in our respective clinic communities and on the Internet community.

Now, please join us in taking a look back at all of the amazing growth spurts that 2013 has brought us so far…

PHRC Welcomes New Staffers!

Perhaps the most exciting event that has taken place in the past six months has been the hiring and training of three (technically four) new staff members.

Meet our new staff!

Two new PTs at PHRC Oakland and PHRC Los Gatos respectively, Malinda Wright and Jackie Crowell have joined the staff in addition to Connie Martinez, who is now serving as the office administrator of our newest location, PHRC Los Gatos. Meet our new staffers…

MalindaMalinda Wright, MPT hails from Boise, Idaho. Malinda attended physical therapy school at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, where she fell madly in love with Bulmers cider, Butler’s chocolates, Irish humor, vibrant green foliage, and waking up to the sound of church bells.


jackieJackie Crowell, DPT, is from Douglasville, Georgia. Jackie received her undergraduate degree from Armstrong Atlantic State University in health science, pre-physical therapy. Jackie then went on to earn her doctorate in physical therapy from Armstrong Atlantic State University in consortium with the Medical College of Georgia. She loves nothing more than to take in a challenging yoga class or go for an exhilarating hike.


connieConnie Martinez is a San Jose native and graduate of Heald College. She’s the proud Mom of two amazing youngsters, 10-year-old Robert and 5-year-old Anthony. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her two guys, and is their biggest cheerleader at their football and soccer games.
Another addition to the PHRC family is Vanessa Diamond who interned at PHRC San Francisco for the first three months of 2013. A New York City native, Vanessa is currently working on her doctorate in physical therapy at Hunter College. It was a joy to have her intern with us and we know she will be an invaluable addition to the field of pelvic floor PT!


Stanley and Marcy.jpgThe clinic’s staff additions were not only of the two-legged variety. PHRC Oakland (now PHRC Berkeley) added a four-legged member to its staff when Marcy became the proud forever mom to Stanley, a cute-as-can-be yellow lab. Stanley is famous among all who know him for being a “VERY GOOD BOY!” and enjoys long walks, the occasional treat and fetching yellow tennis balls.


Take a Tour of our New Website

One of our goals with our new site was to provide information about the four pelvic floor issues we treat: female pelvic pain; male pelvic pain; incontinence and prolapse issues; and pre-and postpartum pregnancy pain/rehab. In addition, we worked hard to better incorporate all of the exiting things we’re doing in the pelvic health community and on social media into our site.

Please take a look around our new site! To read about each of the four different pelvic floor issues, click on our Services page here.

Read our story here and meet our staff here.

Please check out our PHRC TV page, here to watch our informative videos or check out all of our most recent news articles or media mentions here.

To find out about all upcoming events on our Upcoming Events page.

Lastly, contact us here and find out about our out-of-town services here and provider courses here.

New Digs for PHRC Los Gatos and PHRC Oakland

In other exciting news, two of our locations—PHRC Los Gatos and PHRC Oakland have relocated to new digs.

For its part, PHRC Los Gatos has completed its move to its new clinic space at 340 Dardanelli Lane, Suite 23, Los Gatos, California. And as of June 18th, PHRC Oakland became PHRC Berkeley with a move to 3031 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 144 in the Berkeley Central Medical Building.

Stephanie for President!

For the first time in its 18-year history, the International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS) has elected a PT to serve as its president, and that PT happens to be our very own Stephanie Prendergast!

Here’s why this is a win for pelvic floor PT awareness: The IPPS was founded in 1995 by a group of gynecologists, and its members include gynecologists, urologists, PTs, psychologists, gastroenterologists, and pain management physicians. The organization has always stressed a multidisciplinary approach to treating pelvic pain, but this is the first time a PT has been at its helm.

Stephanie has been involved with the organization for several years both as a board member and as the scientific program chair of its 2012 conference in Chicago.

Stephanie says she has three very specific goals to fulfill during her tenure as president: one, a complete overhaul of the IPPS website with a focus on making it an outstanding resource for members and patients; two, getting the organization’s newly formed committees up and running; and three, getting the IPPS active in social media.

PTs Attend Global Conference on Pelvic Pain

At the end of May, both Liz and Stephanie travelled to Amsterdam to attend the first World Congress on Abdominal and Pelvic Pain (WCAPP).

The conference took place from May 30th to June 1. In addition to working as an organizer of the event, Stephanie delivered a presentation about the role of physical therapy in the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic pain. Check out her presentation here.

A bit of background on WCAPP: It’s a new initiative launched by three global organizations active in the pelvic pain arena: Pain of UroGenital Origin (PUGO), the International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS) and Convergences in Pelvic-Perineal Pain (CPP). A few years ago the leaders of these groups got together and asked ‘Why are we reinventing the wheel?’ Out of that question WCAPP was born.

The major goal of the biannual international conference (2015’s conference will be held in Paris) is to share across groups the latest research surrounding abdominal and pelvic pain.

This year’s conference agenda focused on the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating pelvic pain. More than 550 participants gathered for the event, which included abstracts from 32 different countries.

Click the following link for more conference details: www.pelvicpain-meeting.com.

They did What?!

Marcy and The Lady BrainSo far this year we have had several wonderful opportunities to go out into our clinic’s respective communities to spread awareness about what we do. Take a look at some of the stops we made!

In January, Marcy was a guest on the Lady Brain Show. Check her out here! She did a magnificent job!



Liz-Good-VibrationsIn February, Liz’s “Return to Pleasure” workshop at Good Vibrations was a huge success! Not to mention, a ton of fun! Thanks to her co-presenter, Charlie Glickman, and everyone who turned out!



Stephanie at BabiIn March, Marcy had an AMAZING time at her Good Vibes Mommy Playdate!

In April Steph got out and about in Los Gatos when she spoke at “Babi” a.k.a. “Bay Area Birth Information”!


Steph-Los-Gatos-PTsAlso in May, Stephanie had a wonderful time meeting with a group of orthopedic PTs in Los Gatos where she shared info on pelvic floor rehab.

Rounding out the month, Marcy spoke to the TriValley Doula Group. She chatted with the group about pelvic health during and after pregnancy; what is considered a “normal’ recovery; the physical implications of labor on the pelvic floor; the anatomy that is affected during birth, and when it is appropriate for doulas to refer to physical therapy.



And in the PT community, Marcy is making waves in her position as the newly elected Federal Affairs Liaison for the Section on Women’s Health of the American Physical Therapy Association. Congratulations Marcy! We know you’ll do an amazing job during your two-year term!

In more community news, Jenni Dille, a.k.a. the glue that holds PHRC together, made some major waves in the Bay area’s performing arts community when she performed in two new works for Diablo Ballet. Check out this review in the The San Francisco Chronicle, which notes that she was “particularly absorbing” in her duet in the first piece called “From Another Time.”

Please check out our Upcoming Events page for all PHRC upcoming events.

Liz and Stephanie in the Classroom

So far this year Liz and Stephanie have taught their class, “Demystifying Pudendal Neuralgia as a Source of Pelvic Pain: A Physical Therapist’s Approach” in two cities in the United States: in Plano, Texas, in February and in Boston, Mass., in May.

Upcoming classes this year will be taught in Edmonton, Canada Sept. 28th-29th (First class in Canada!) and Milwaukie, Oregon, Nov. 2nd-3rd

If you’re a PT in those locals, and want to sign up, please click here for more info.

PHRC in the News!

As you know, we’re always working on ways to spread awareness about pelvic pain and dysfunction! Check out how and where we made a wave or two:

Stephanie gives advice to new mom’s on urine leakage:
Check out the article here

The IC Network has named our “Pelvic Health & Rehab” Blog a best blog of 2012!!! What amazing recognition and encouragement! Click here to read more

PHRC, Liz and Stephanie are featured on this amazing blog, 9kidfitness.com! Check it out here

Stephanie is featured in the Silicon Valley Business Journal for taking on the role as the first PT prez of the International Pelvic Pain Society! Click here to read more

Our buddy, Kate Marple, the fantastic health editor over at babycenter.com has written a super-informative article on postpartum pelvic floor rehab! Give it a read here! 

Liz and Stephanie’s article on male pelvic pain was published in the July issue of Advance Magazine. Take a look (page 25):

Most Read Blog Posts So Far this Year:

PHRC’s blog “Pelvic Health & Rehab” has grown by leaps and bounds this year. Take a look at the three most widely read posts of 2013 so far:

How do I know if I have PN or PNE? 

The Role of PT in Treating PN

How Reversing Negative Thinking can Help Pelvic Pain 

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our blog on the blog homepage (right under Steph’s photo) to receive weekly blog updates.

A Thank You to Our Physician Lecturers!

Before signing off, we’d like to extend a hearty thank you to the two physicians who have visited PHRC to educate us about their fields and the role they play in pelvic pain/dysfunction: Dr. Carolyn Million, a Bay area colorectal MD, and Dr. Alexandra Haessler, a Bay Area urogynecologist!

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All our very best,

The PHRC Staff

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