Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jennifer Rispoli.
Hi, Dr. Jennifer; thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always knew I wanted to be in the healthcare professions, with NICU nurse and OBGYN being potential options. I had to go through PT after knee surgery when I was 12, and from that time on, I knew I wanted to be a PT. While in school, I learned about pelvic floor PT and was happy to find a way where I could blend my love of women and babies with physical therapy. I ended up opening my practice after the colleague I was working with decided to close the doors. While business ownership was never something I imagined for myself, it has been a good journey so far!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are constantly growing pains and learning curves. This is to be expected of anyone who owns their own business or is starting something new. My most recent struggle involves getting a call from the police on 12/31/23, New Year’s Eve, and he said that our front window had been shattered. There is nothing like ringing in the new year with a boarded-up window! Overall, things have been relatively smooth. The local community of women has embraced us. We have been able to heal a lot of people. We have continued to grow.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy. This means that women with incontinence, pelvic pain, bowel dysfunction, and in the prenatal/postpartum journey are my niche. So many women leak with coughing, sneezing, running, jumping, and laughing. So many women have pelvic pain due to IBS, endometriosis, or PCOS. They are frequently told this is normal or that the only way to fix it is to have surgery. These are all lies, and I can get these women to have dry pants and pain-free sex! I have recently seen a rash of women with tailbone pain after delivery. Once again, this is super common but not talked about. You don’t have to have pain with sitting for the rest of your life! See a pelvic PT.
As to what I do, pelvic floor physical therapy can treat the following diagnoses:
- 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 Postoperative (hysterectomy, laparoscopic female procedures, etc.)
- Symptoms of Endometriosis and PCOS
I am most proud of my ability to provide quality, comprehensive care. I aim for everyone who walks out of my office to feel heard and understood and that they matter. I also want them to be filled with hope that things are going to/already are getting better. Our practice model of spending an hour of 1-0n-1 time with each client sets us apart from many other pelvic floor providers. I am also certified in pelvic pain, incontinence, and bowel dysfunction, as well as a certified prenatal and postpartum core exercise specialist (PCES). Many pelvic floor PTs may need more training. They may be afraid or lack the education to perform internal evaluations and treatments. I am 1 of only a few PTs in the entire state of Missouri with a PCES degree. This extensive education sets me apart from a lot of my peers.
I have also been a PT for over a decade. Many new grads are going into the pelvic floor, which is excellent. However, ambition does not make up for experience. Nurses providing pelvic floor therapy or personal trainers specializing in pelvic floor are not the same as physical therapy. As pelvic floor PT becomes more popular, more people want to cash in on it whether they are qualified or not. Knowing what is real and what is not can be challenging for the average woman. I suggest ensuring physical therapists and be sure they are willing and able to perform internal evaluations and assessments. Would you see a shoulder expert and be ok with them not looking at our touching the shoulder? I don’t know why women settle for this type of service in the pelvic floor world. To understand something well, you need to see it and touch it!
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any essential lessons or epiphanies you can share?
In healthcare, the show must always go on. It also became apparent that in times of crisis, people realized the importance of their health. Preventative health is vast, and something many overlook until it is too late.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stlwomenspt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjen_pelvicpt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StLwomensPT
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-rispoli-a58a031b2/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/st-louis-womens-physical-therapy-o-fallon
