Physical Therapy for Women

During your visit, you can expect to be greeted with a warm and welcoming environment where your individual needs are the priority in a one-on-one setting.

Starting with a comprehensive evaluation, Dr. Lobke will take time to thoroughly listen to your concerns, assess multiple body systems, collaborate on goals, and provide treatment. Together we will create a customized treatment plan designed to address your unique needs and help you reach your physical and wellness goals.

We begin with a comprehensive evaluation, looking at:

• Pelvic function

• Posture and alignment

• Abdominal strength (diastasis recti – the separation of abdominal muscles)

• Joint and muscle mobility and global strength

• Breathing patterns

• Pain levels (such as pelvic or lower back pain)

Our goal is for you to leave feeling calm, confident, and comfortable with your care plan.

We prioritize providing personalized, one-on-one care tailored specifically to your needs. By offering pay-as-you-go sessions, we’re able to provide longer, uninterrupted sessions—typically much longer than what is often allowed in insurance-based clinics. This allows us to address multiple areas of the body, offer a wide range of treatments, and customize the frequency and duration of care based on your progress, rather than being limited by insurance restrictions.

We are happy to accept HSA and FSA payments, and we can also provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement.

Our goal is to ensure you receive the highest quality of care, focusing on what’s best for you every step of the way.

Nurture offers holistic, evidence-based physical therapy for women and infants. We focus on finding the root cause of concerns and providing personalized, one-on-one care to help you achieve your goals—whether it’s preparing for labor, addressing postpartum recovery, or supporting your baby’s development.

Our physical therapy services are designed to meet the unique needs of women throughout every stage of life, from pre-conception to postpartum. We specialize in pelvic floor therapy, pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise, and infant physical therapy.

At Nurture, our goal is to provide the highest quality care to empower you and your family, from bump to baby and beyond.

Labor Preparation Physical Therapy focuses on preparing your body for childbirth by improving mobility, strength, and alignment to support a smoother labor and delivery. Here’s what it typically includes:

• Pelvic Floor Strengthening and Relaxation: Learning how to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles for labor and delivery, as well as how to release and relax them during labor to promote effective pushing.

• Breathing Techniques: Using specific breathing exercises to help manage labor pain and keep the body relaxed and oxygenated.

• Pelvic Alignment: Addressing any misalignments in the pelvis or spine that could affect fetal positioning and labor progression. Proper alignment can help create more space for baby’s descent during birth.

• Labor Positions and Movements: Guidance on optimal laboring positions and movements that support a smoother birth process, such as squats, lunges, or birth ball exercises to help baby move into an ideal position.

• Stretching and Flexibility: Gentle stretches to increase flexibility in the hips, back, and pelvis, which can reduce tension and discomfort during labor.

• Core and Lower Body Strengthening: Strengthening the core, hips, and legs to support endurance and stamina during labor.

• Corrective Exercises: Release tension, improve circulation, and enhance mobility in key areas like the hips and lower back.

• Pain Management Techniques: Learning how to manage discomfort using massage, gentle movements, and breathing patterns during contractions.

Labor prep PT is all about helping you feel confident, physically prepared, and empowered for birth, ensuring that your body is aligned and strong for the big day.

Postpartum recovery physical therapy (PT) is a specialized form of care designed to help new parents recover physically after childbirth. It aims to restore strength, mobility, and function, while addressing the changes in the body that occur during pregnancy and childbirth, whether the birth was vaginal or cesarean. PT after childbirth can be beneficial for everyone, not just those with challenging outcomes, for several reasons.

• Pelvic Floor Exercises: These exercises focus on strengthening the pelvic floor muscles to prevent incontinence, improve bladder control, and address any issues with pelvic organ prolapse.

• Core Strengthening: Strengthening the pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles helps support the spine and improve posture.

• Diastasis recti (separation of abdominal muscles) is common during and after pregnancy, and PT helps guide gentle exercises to promote healing and restoration of abdominal integrity.

• Return to Function: PT typically includes exercises to rebuild strength in the legs, hips, back, and shoulders, which can be weakened after childbirth. It also focuses on restoring flexibility and range of motion in the body to counteract stiffness and tightness that might result from pregnancy or the physical demands of caring for a newborn.

Exercises may include modified crunches, leg lifts, and pelvic tilts to strengthen the core without stressing the abdominals. Manual therapy (like massage or myofascial release) is sometimes used to address pain or tightness in the muscles, joints, or fascia. PT can help with neck, back, or hip pain that may arise from the stresses of pregnancy and labor, or from carrying and lifting a baby.

During pregnancy, the body undergoes changes that can impact posture, such as an increased curve in the lower back or a shift in alignment. PT helps address postural imbalances, which can reduce pain, improve comfort, and restore functional movement patterns.

PT is Beneficial for All Births, Not Just Challenging Outcomes:

1. Prevention of Long-Term Issues:

Even if there were no complications during labor and delivery, the body undergoes significant physical changes during pregnancy and childbirth. Postpartum PT helps prevent long-term issues, such as chronic pelvic pain, incontinence, or musculoskeletal problems.

2. Postpartum Healing and Restoration:

Regardless of the birth type, the body still needs time to heal and recover. PT helps support this healing process by encouraging proper muscle function, healing abdominal muscles, and improving pelvic health.

3. Improving Function and Quality of Life:

Many new parents experience changes in their ability to perform everyday tasks, whether it’s due to weakness, fatigue, or pain. PT focuses on helping people regain strength and mobility to better manage daily activities and improve quality of life.

4. Mental Health Support:

Physical recovery is closely tied to mental health, and engaging in PT can give new parents a sense of control over their recovery, which can improve overall well-being. It also provides a dedicated time for self-care, which is often overlooked in the postpartum period.

5. Preventing Future Problems:

Postpartum PT addresses issues like pelvic floor weakness or diastasis recti early, preventing them from becoming bigger problems down the line. This can reduce the risk of prolapse, incontinence, or other issues that might require more invasive treatments later.

In essence, postpartum PT is an important aspect of recovery that supports physical well-being, helps heal the body, and fosters overall health after childbirth, regardless of how the birth itself went. It’s designed to help anyone who has given birth, so that they can regain strength, function, and comfort as they navigate life with a newborn.

Yes, we offer doula packages that include both prenatal preparation PT and postpartum PT! As a certified doula, Dr. Lobke King provides comprehensive support tailored to your needs throughout your journey.

1. Prenatal Prep PT with Birth Doula Services: This package includes physical therapy focused on preparing your body for labor—such as pelvic floor exercises, posture correction, and breathwork—along with Lobke’s continuous doula support during labor and delivery.

2. Birth Doula + Postpartum PT: This package includes Lobke’s continuous doula support during labor and delivery, as well as postpartum physical therapy to help with recovery. Our postpartum PT services focus on restoring pelvic floor function, core strength, and overall physical healing after birth, ensuring you’re supported both physically and emotionally during your recovery.

This holistic approach ensures you’re cared for every step of the way—before, during, and after your birth!