Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Rispoli.
Hi Jennifer, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I had always known I wanted to be in the health profession. While OBGYN initially interested me, I was not excited about the education time and financial commitment, so I went the physical therapy route. While in school, I learned about pelvic floor physical therapy and spent 50% of my clinical rotation with pelvic floor PT providers. This is where I learned I could combine my love for women and babies with physical therapy! I then had my son and optimized my pregnancy/labor/delivery and my postpartum healing with the education I had picked up in school/through my clinicals. At this point, I realized that so many women are suffering unnecessarily or being misled by other healthcare providers, and I became committed to stopping the misinformation. I wanted to ensure women could have the same great experience and recovery that I did.
I took all the online courses I could while working in the outpatient orthopedic setting, and I was the go-to therapist in my clinic for any abdominal/pelvic/prenatal/
I then had to decide: Do I continue working as a PT but not see the pelvic floor/prenatal/postpartum population, or do I open my clinic to serve this population that I love? Despite all of the uncertainty and unknown about opening and running a clinic, I decided not to let fear of failure stop me from working with the population I feel called to work with. St. Louis Women’s Physical Therapy was formed and opened, and I now pride myself on providing physical therapy for women by women. I spend a full hour with each patient, and I am on a mission to let women know that while pelvic pain and incontinence may be common, they are not normal! They are fixable! When I am asked what I do, I always say your pants will be dry, and sex will be pain-free after working with me!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been smooth, but it could have been much worse. Initially, I could not take the training to serve this women’s population best. My employer refused to pay for any of the CEUs needed, and I was not in a position personally to pay for the classes out of my pocket, so I did what I could with online classes. Of course, being thrust unexpectedly into being a business owner was not on my life plan. I liked the idea of going to work and then leaving work and not having to worry about any of the behind-the-scenes responsibilities that go into running a business. In hindsight, I needed a push like this to make me open my practice.
When I decided to open my clinic, I had difficulty finding a space. I did not need a large space, but I needed a space close to a clean bathroom or a space with its own bathroom. This combination proved to be a unicorn to find! Ultimately, I ended up with the perfect space in a great location with an awesome landlord. It took longer than I thought to find the space and then longer for the build-out to be completed, but it all eventually happened. Throughout the process, there have been little bumps along the road. You can only expect to learn some things along the way when you open your own practice. I am blessed to have an incredibly supportive husband and an amazing office assistant who have provided knowledge and support along the way. It is certainly easier to do things when you have a good team on your side!
Another struggle is getting the word out that I am here! Today, many doctors are affiliated with SSM, Mercy, BJC, or St. Luke’s, and these doctors are strongly encouraged to refer their patients only to therapists in their respective networks. Patients often need to learn that they can choose where to attend PT. The truth is, they can go wherever they would like. It is extremely frustrating that doctors will refer patients to therapists with 6-12 week wait lists to be seen just because they are in the same large company. This is prioritizing money over patient outcomes, which is not what healthcare is supposed to be about. That being said, women do not need to see a doctor first to see me; any woman can schedule an evaluation with me at any time. However, many women do not know my services exist or don’t think their issues can be fixed with pelvic floor PT, so they often don’t hear about pelvic floor PT until after they have already gone to their doctor.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy. My slogan is Physical Therapy For Women By Women. I want women to feel comfortable and confident, like their PT understands them as no other PT would. I see all my patients for a full hour. No one in healthcare does that anymore! I provide one-on-one treatment with no PTAs, techs, or aides assisting in their recovery. They are working with the same Doctor of Physical Therapy each time. This approach lets the PT know their patient, which optimizes outcomes. Most of my patients begin to see some improvement after just a couple of visits, and I attribute this to the personalized approach.
Additionally, I generally only see people once a week. I understand everyone has a finite amount of time and money, and I want to be a good steward of that. I will never have women coming 2-3 times weekly for weeks. Instead, I work to be highly effective with our time, and I give them the tools to use at home to help facilitate their recovery.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can treat:
Incontinence (urine, gas, or stool)
Nocturia (waking more than once a night to go to the bathroom)
Urinary frequency (urinating more than once every 2 hours)
Overactive Bladder (OAB)
Pelvic and perineal pain
Interstitial Cystitis (IC)
Pelvic Floor Tension
Vulvodynia
Dyspareunia (Painful sex)
Postpartum Muscle Weakness
Sexual Dysfunction
Muscle Spasms
Constipation
Coccyx or tailbone pain
Pelvic floor Muscle Weakness
Prolapse management
Pre and post-operative (hysterectomy, laparoscopic female procedures, etc.)
Symptoms of Endometriosis and PCOS
Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation)
Pelvic floor PT can help improve labor outcomes, decrease tearing, and eliminate the common aches and pains that occur during pregnancy. We are prenatal and postpartum experts. After delivery, we can help get you back to your pre-baby lifestyle.
So many women are told peeing their pants is normal after having a baby or that intercourse will hurt. While common, this is not normal! I hate that women think they have to live like this, because they don’t! There are so many gimmicks that prey on women who want to have dry pants or enjoy sex. Unfortunately, a lot of these things are just that-gimmicks. Pelvic floor PT can provide permanent and lasting changes. Research shows that 90% of women see some degree of improvement with pelvic floor PT. It is a highly effective and conservative treatment option for anyone with the above issues.
I also feel businesses should also give back to their community. In the past month alone, I have donated a free evaluation and basket to a Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support fundraiser and participated in the Pujols Family Foundation Oh Night Divine fundraiser. I sincerely want to help women. I want them to know that leaking and pain are not normal, and they don’t have to continue to suffer. So many don’t know there is a healing option, and I am committed to educating the community that there is hope for them! More than anything, I want to empower women to take charge of their healthcare, know that they don’t have to settle, and the first step in this process is education in any way I can, whether through community events, social media, or word of mouth.
Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe that when you are on the right path, God opens doors and makes the way easy. That doesn’t mean there are no bumps along the way! But in many ways, I can look back and see how I have had the right people in the right place at the right time, and while some might call this luck, I call this divine intervention.
Contact Info:
- Website: www. StLWomensPT.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/drjen_pelvicpt/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/StLwomensPT
