What Makes Stefanie Long with Concept Pelvic Health a Good Neighbor?

Many women suffer in silence with pelvic floor issues, believing that leaking urine when laughing or experiencing pain during intimacy are simply unavoidable parts of life after childbirth or aging. Stephanie Long, founder of Concept Pelvic Health, is working to dispel these myths and bring much-needed treatment to women of all ages. On a recent episode of The Good Neighbor Podcast, Stephanie shared insights into this often overlooked area of healthcare that can dramatically improve quality of life.

Concept Pelvic Health specializes in pelvic floor physical and occupational therapy for women experiencing a range of issues from urinary incontinence to chronic pain. "We treat women who are having issues when they laugh, cough, sneeze, jump, run, go to the bathroom a million times today, low back and hip pain," Stephanie explained. The clinic also treats pediatric patients dealing with bedwetting, constipation, and potty training difficulties. What makes this specialty fascinating is how comprehensive it is, spanning from childhood through the senior years—Stephanie proudly mentioned that her oldest patient was 92 years old and successfully discontinued diaper use after treatment.

Perhaps the most significant misconception about pelvic health therapy is that it's "just Kegels." Stephanie emphasized that proper treatment involves much more: hands-on therapeutic techniques, nutritional guidance, and functional rehabilitation that considers the pelvic floor as part of an interconnected system. "Pelvic floor therapy is looking at you as a whole system, because the pelvic floor connects to so many different things," she noted. This holistic approach explains why pelvic health therapists often collaborate with other specialists like gynecologists, urologists, gastroenterologists, and chiropractors. Especially revealing was Stephanie's mention that approximately 90% of women experiencing low back pain also have pelvic floor issues—a connection many healthcare providers miss.

Stephanie's journey into this specialty wasn't planned. Despite early exposure during her physical therapy education—unusual at the time—she initially resisted specializing in pelvic health. It wasn't until she experienced pelvic floor issues herself after childbirth that she fully understood the profound impact these problems can have on daily life and overall wellbeing. "When you go and you exercise and you're peeing your pants, you feel like you have to stop working out because you don't want to be embarrassed. You can't jump on trampolines. You're having pain in the pelvis region, like pain with intercourse, and it's uncomfortable and it ruins marriages, it ruins lives," she shared candidly. This personal experience transformed her professional path and ignited her passion for helping other women.

The most powerful message Stephanie conveyed was one of hope and empowerment: "What I would like for the listeners to know is that there is help available, that you don't have to deal with these issues." Too many women accept pelvic floor dysfunction as inevitable, but Stephanie challenges this resignation. "This is something that we are taught from a pretty young age is just something that happens to you and you have to just suck it up and deal with it for the rest of your life. And that is not true," she insisted. Her practice stands as proof that women can reclaim activities they love without fear of pain or leaking, whether it's running, jumping on a trampoline with their children, or maintaining an active, pain-free intimate relationship.

To learn more about Concept Pelvic Health go to:

 conceptpelvichealth.com

Concept Pelvic Health

817-393-7020