Taking Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Beyond Our Professional Borders: My Conference Experience
Thank you to the Academy of Pelvic Health for selecting me for the 2026 Cross-Disciplinary Ambassador Travel Grant. With this funding, I had the opportunity to present research on quantitative sensory discrimination and provoked vulvodynia at the XXVIII World Congress and International Vulvovaginal Disease Update 2026. Read about the experience, key takeaways for pelvic health PTs, and why bringing our expertise beyond traditional physical therapy spaces matters for research, collaboration, and patient care.
Conference Highlights
One of the most valuable opportunities we have as pelvic health physical therapists is to bring our perspective into conversations occurring outside of physical therapy. Through the support of the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Cross-Disciplinary Scholarship, I had the opportunity to do exactly that while attending and presenting at the XXVIII World Congress and International Vulvovaginal Disease Update 2026.
The conference brought together professionals from multiple disciplines involved in the study, diagnosis, and management of vulvovaginal conditions. For a pelvic health physical therapist, being part of this environment was especially meaningful. Patients with vulvar pain and related conditions rarely fit neatly within the boundaries of a single healthcare discipline. Their care may involve physicians, physical therapists, psychologists, researchers, and other healthcare professionals. Participating in a conference centered on interdisciplinary perspectives reinforced how important it is for physical therapists to have a seat at that table.
Bringing Physical Therapy Research to a Cross-Disciplinary Audience
I had the opportunity to present my research, “Quantitative Sensory Discrimination Assessment and Provoked Vulvodynia.” My work explores quantitative sensory discrimination assessment as a means of examining somatosensory processing in individuals with provoked vulvodynia (PVD).
Presenting this work to professionals outside of physical therapy created an opportunity to discuss aspects of PVD that extend beyond local tissue findings. Pelvic health physical therapists routinely evaluate movement, neuromuscular function, sensory processing, pain, and the ways these factors influence activity and participation. Sharing this perspective with a broader audience helps demonstrate that physical therapy's contribution to vulvovaginal healthcare extends well beyond pelvic floor muscle assessment and treatment.
Just as importantly, the conversations surrounding the presentation provided opportunities to hear how other disciplines conceptualize vulvar pain. Cross-disciplinary meetings challenge us to consider our own clinical and research questions from different perspectives and help identify areas where collaborative research may ultimately improve patient care.
What I Brought Home
Several themes from the meeting were particularly relevant to pelvic health physical therapy. First was the continued importance of multidisciplinary management of vulvovaginal conditions. Complex pelvic pain requires clinicians to recognize when findings extend beyond their individual scope and when collaboration or referral may improve care.
A second important theme was the need to continue investigating the sensory and pain-processing mechanisms associated with vulvar pain. For physical therapists, this creates opportunities to contribute expertise in sensory assessment, pain science, movement, function, and rehabilitation to research traditionally dominated by other healthcare disciplines.
Finally, the conference reinforced the importance of a shared clinical language across disciplines. When physical therapists, physicians, researchers, and other professionals understand one another's terminology, assessment approaches, and treatment goals, collaboration becomes easier and patients benefit from more coordinated care.
Why Cross-Disciplinary Representation Matters
There is tremendous value in attending our own professional conferences, but there is equally important work to be done in spaces where physical therapists may not traditionally be represented.
When pelvic health physical therapists present research at interdisciplinary conferences, we do more than disseminate an individual project. We introduce colleagues to the breadth of our profession, create opportunities for future research collaborations, and demonstrate the role rehabilitation can play in addressing complex pelvic and vulvovaginal conditions.
The Cross-Disciplinary Scholarship made it possible for me to represent both my research and our profession in one of those spaces. It also supported my continued development as a clinician-researcher by allowing me to engage directly with professionals whose expertise complements our own.
I returned from the conference with new perspectives, potential opportunities for collaboration, and an even stronger belief that pelvic health physical therapists need to be present in interdisciplinary conversations surrounding vulvovaginal health and pelvic pain.
I am grateful to the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy for investing in opportunities that allow members to take our science beyond the boundaries of our profession. Increasing the visibility of pelvic health physical therapy requires not only strengthening our work within physical therapy, but also showing up, contributing, collaborating, and sharing our expertise wherever conversations about pelvic health are taking place.
Our voice belongs at the interdisciplinary table—and opportunities like this scholarship help ensure that it is heard.
🌍 Take Pelvic Health Beyond Our Specialty
The Academy's Cross-Disciplinary Ambassador Travel Grant empowers eligible physical therapists to share pelvic health perspectives in other healthcare spaces and foster meaningful interdisciplinary collaboration.
