What's the Difference Between a Pelvic Floor PT and OT?
If you've been searching for pelvic floor therapy in Denver, you may have noticed something a little different about OWN Your Pelvic Health: we have both occupational therapists (OTs) and physical therapists (PTs) on our team.
Most pelvic health clinics are managed by PTs and only have PTs. And most clinics that do have both will tell you the two disciplines do different things. At OWN, we'd tell you something different.
Our Answer: At OWN, They Work the Same Way
Every therapist on our team, regardless of whether their degree says OT or PT, is trained to approach care from the same foundation. That foundation is a nervous-system-first, trauma-informed philosophy.
We look at what your body is doing in the context of your whole life, not just the muscle or the symptom in front of us. We are not here to fix you. We are here to work with you, support your nervous system, and help your body do what it's already capable of.
Each provider brings their own background, training history, and preferred treatment techniques. But the philosophical starting point is the same across the entire team.
A Note on Trauma-Informed Care
You may have seen "trauma-informed" used as a buzzword in healthcare. At OWN, it's a non-negotiable standard. Trauma-informed care is not a required training in pelvic health, and it's still not common in the field, even among specialists. (Sadly, a significant percentage of our clients have seen other pelvic floor therapists before seeing us, and we hear some sad stories about lack of trauma-informed care). Every therapist at OWN has this training and practices from this framework, because we believe it's the only way to provide truly safe, effective pelvic health care.
Why Having Both OTs and PTs Matters
Having both disciplines under one roof means our team brings a wide range of training backgrounds, clinical lenses, and treatment approaches to the table. Our team meets weekly to collaborate, so your therapist has the collective insight of the whole team behind your care, even though your sessions are always one-on-one.
So Which One Do I Need?
Our intake process helps match you with the right provider based on your symptoms, goals, and fit. The discipline matters far less than the philosophy, and at OWN, the philosophy is shared across everyone. If you have questions about who might be the right fit for you, just call us. We're happy to talk it through before you book.
A Note on OT in Pelvic Health
Occupational therapy's role in pelvic health is still not widely known, even among healthcare providers. It's a growing and important specialty, and OWN Your Pelvic Health is one of the few clinics in Denver where pelvic floor OT and PT care exist side by side. In fact, it’s the only OT-founded multi-clinician pelvic floor therapy practice in Denver. If you've seen a pelvic PT before and felt like something was missing, an OT's lens might be exactly what you needed all along.