Amanda Olson, PD, DPT, sustained a significant injury while on a camping trip in 2008 that left her unable to simply sit down for months. She laughs about it now, but then laughter comes readily to a woman whose misfortune, in a crazy twist, led to a career she loves — helping others prevent and overcome pelvic floor dysfunction.
Humor is important, she’ll tell you, because the statistics alone can make you cry — with one study estimating that more than a third of women worldwide have some form of pelvic floor dysfunction. For female athletes like runners, the percentage is even higher.
Now available from APTA’s Move Forward Radio, an interview with Amanda.
A runner herself who’s completed marathons in the years since her recovery, she talks in this episode about the transformative physical therapy she received for her injuries. Drawing on the pelvic health training she underwent and certification she subsequently earned, she discusses the many causes and effects of problems of the pelvic floor muscles — and what runners or anyone should know, including women during and after pregnancy.
She’s got plenty of advice for guys, too. And she shares what she’s learned about the science of pain, and how to address and lessen it.
Amanda says “comic relief” is among her core values. How does she get her patients smiling? And why does she feel so strongly that sometimes you’ve just got to laugh? She shares all that and more.
Move Forward Radio is hosted at MoveForwardPT.com, APTA’s official consumer information website, and can be streamed online via iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.
Other recent Move Forward Radio episodes include:
Destination for Rehab — and Adventure and Fun
People with neurologic conditions and chronic diseases — ages 18 to 90-plus — come to Destination Rehab in Oregon for a lot more than physical therapy. The scenic outdoor setting provides opportunities to bike, hike, kayak, and even embark on multiday retreats. It’s a destination for healthy movement, neurologic recovery, improved quality of life, and joyful community. Its founder, Carol-Ann Nelson, PT, DPT, and one of Destination Rehab’s happy participants combine to discuss a unique care opportunity.
A Long Walk for Justice
After George Floyd’s death beneath the knee of a Minneapolis police office, Terry Willis knew what he had to do: walk from his native Alabama to the sight of the tragic event that roiled the nation. Never mind that it was a distance of a thousand miles, and that Willis hadn’t physically prepared himself for the arduous undertaking. Determined to call attention to the need for racial justice, and aided at multiple points along the way by a physical therapist he’d never met before undertaking his journey, Terry reached his goal. He and that therapist, Tameka Duncan, PT, DPT, recount the experience.
The Definition of a Trouper
Sydney Mesher didn’t let either a congenital amputation nor an ill-timed injury deter her from her goal of becoming a member of the famed Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and performing in their legendary holiday show — the first dancer with a visible disability to do so in the troupe’s nearly 100-year history. She’s only 22 but already has an enviable list of accomplishments in her field. She shares her success story with Move Forward Radio, joined by Tyler Kenton, PT, DPT, one of the physical therapists who helped get her there.
From Young and Fit to Critically Ill: A COVID-19 Story
Brian de Castro, healthy and only 39 years old, never imagined he would be struck down by the novel coronavirus. But he spent two weeks this spring on a ventilator, and another week undergoing intensive physical and occupational therapy, before continuing his slow and incremental recovery at home. He recounts how dedicated health care professionals, supportive family and friends, and a lot of hard work on his part helped pull him through.
Be Part of the Movement
What do PTs have to do with addressing the alarming lack of physical activity among Americans? Everything, says Carrie Pagliano, PT, DPT, spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association’s physical activity public awareness campaign. She explains the power of any and all degrees of physical movement to prevent and address adverse health issues and improve quality of life for people of all ages and abilities. “Don’t get bogged down in the loaded word ‘exercise’” is her first bit of advice.