Pelvic Health in the Rural Community

I first began to pursue pelvic health physical therapy in my third year of graduate school. At the time, I thought I understood the depth of the need for pelvic care; but I had yet to discover where life as an Army wife would take me after graduation. Fast-forward one year, and I’m completing my clinical rotations where we were stationed in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. There were no pelvic specialties in my town, but I did have the opportunity to commute to Oklahoma City, almost an hour and a half away, for a few days of shadowing pelvic health providers in another clinic associated with my company. During those few days, we would see patients who consistently traveled over an hour, each way, for these appointments. It was then that I fully realized not only how important this practice is for men and women, but also how much they were willing to sacrifice for this kind of treatment. 

After completing the Level 1 certification during school, I was able to complete Level 2 in the first several months after graduating. Now, I am enrolled to complete the full course with Level 3 this winter, followed by my Case Study. Even now, I am treating pelvic health patients and expanding my knowledge base and area of expertise. Just within weeks of opening up my caseload to pelvic floor physical therapy, our clinic has experienced an inundation of potential patients who are eager to be treated without having to commute several hours per day for their sessions. It is my honor and privilege to be of value to my community, in an area that did not previously have easy access to this type of patient care, and I hope to always continue learning so that I can better serve the patients of rural Oklahoma.

Meet the Author

Katie Madden, PT, DPT

2026 CAPP Webinar Scholarship Recipient

Katie grew up in central Florida with her parents and younger siblings. For her undergraduate education, she attended the University of Florida and earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology. She later earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences, graduating as an inductee to the National Physical Therapy Student Honor Society with the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy.

Currently, she is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the Florida Physical Therapy Association, and the Pelvic Health chapter of the APTA.

Katie loves to spend time with her husband, toddler, and dog. She enjoys hiking, playing outside, and cooking in her free time. One interesting fact about Katie is that she has traveled to eight different countries and currently lives in Oklahoma, but she always considers herself to be a Floridian at heart.