Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Mufich, PT.
Hi Linda , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been a PT for nearly 40 years in the KC Metro area. I’ve worked in multiple hospital & clinic sites through the years, & gathered much experience in a wide variety of physical therapy settings– treating patients with orthopedic, neurologic & spinal conditions. Then in 1998, during the onset of the “for-profit” medical model, when area hospitals were downsizing & combining services, I was laid-off in that transition–despite being 1 of the most skilled/most experienced therapists on staff where I worked. That meant I had to reinvent myself & find some type of PT specialty that not many others were doing, but yet there was a need for, since I now needed to compete with my younger professional peers for jobs.
Around that time, Shawnee Mission Medical Center had started an innovative Women’s Health/Pelvic Health PT service–having the 1st PT in Kansas City trained to treat the particular needs of women’s bodies throughout their lifespan–adolesense, pregnancy, menopause, & in that particular region of the body—the pelvis. That therapist moved up into an administrative position. So, they were looking for a replacement therapist. They were the only facility that actually welcomed my level of experience & background during my job search, since this Women’s Health specialty was a fairly new area of PT at that time. They wanted someone with both clinical experience & a thirst for continued knowledge, who would be able handle the often times complex patients, & continue to innovate their program. When I has hired & trained, I was 1 of only about 3 PT’s in the large KC Metro area doing this sort of work–women’s specialty pelvic health.
What actually is “Women’s Specialty Pelvic Health” you ask? Well, I like to tell my clients that it’s about keeping everything “below the belly button & above the knees” working as best possible. That includes the bowel, bladder & reproductive functions of the body. And it just so happens that women have more problems than men in this region of the body—mostly due to our complicated anatomy & birthing babies. Women’s Specialty Pelvic Health PT then, is all about the bad things that could happen with pee, poop & sex (e.g. peeing your pants every time you laughed or exercised; unable to control smelly gas while riding in a closed elevator w/ your boss; having sex with your partner that should be pleasurable, but is physically painful, being a teen girl unable to insert a tampon comfortably, & on & on & on…). So, of course–at that time in the 90’s when I got laid-off, NO OTHER PTs wanted to do this kind of work.
But, I stepped up to the challenge– I mean it seemed interesting to me at the time, that a physical therapist who treats the muscles, bones & joints of the body, could do ANYTHING to help with organ functions. I was intrigued!!
When I was in PT school learning my anatomy & doing our required cadaver dissections, the organs were pretty much “hands off” for the PTs. We didn’t need to know about them or study their anatomy & connections inside the body. We left the organs to the med students.
But I soon came to learn that there is a unique connection between the organs of the pelvic region & the structure they are housed in—the bones & joints of the low back, hips & pelvis. Like an orchestra, everything has to work together—in just the right sequence —for proper digestion, elimination, sexual pleasure, fertility, birthing & healing to occur in this region of the body. The organs can be greatly effected by the musculo-skeletal system & visa versa.
I learned to treat women who suffer with pelvic organ disease processes—e.g. IBS, Painful Bladder Syndrome, PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), uterine fibroids, infertility, Endometriosis; ovarian or uterine cancers—because most of these disease processes can have 2ndary muscle or joint symptoms. Women w/ bowel or bladder control problems during pregnancy or after can benefit from Pelvic Health therapies as well, to relearn control thru proper “Kegel” exercises.
Pregnancy & postpartum are a particularly vulnerable time for a woman’s muscles & joints. Even mild activities can take their toll on the loosened ligaments & abnormal postures of pregnancy. And a Women’s Specialty Pelvic Health therapist is just who these women need to see for results!
I stayed in the hospital clinic doing this work until 2017, when again—the medical service model changed. Our hospital clinic was turned over to a PT management company & we were no longer hospital employees. Changes were being made that didn’t seem to give me adequate time to focus on my complex patient load. I left & started my own small fee-for-service/private practice clinic FEMME FOCUS PT LLC in 2018, where I can give my full attention to my patients. Providing 60-/90 min treatment sessions gives me time to listen intently to my patients tell their stories, so that I can plan the most effective, direct treatment for helping manage or resolve their complex pelvic symptoms. My years of experience, when I pretty much “saw it all” help me here too. I can be more direct & focused on providing treatments that I know have worked for prior clients.
I run my small clinic on a fee-for-service business model, where I don’t bill any insurance for you. But that allows me to turn all my focus on getting you the client better! My clients may have to pay up-front fees, but often they get quicker/more complete results in less time or number of visits than if they had gone to an in-network clinic provider. Staying small & keeping my costs down by being a “one-women-show”, I can keep my prices reasonable & competitive to other clinics in the KC metro area who now offer these Women’s Specialty Pelvic Health services.
You can imagine, since day 1 on the job as a Women’s Pelvic Health therapist, I’ve never had a dull moment! The body is so fascinating & it’s very satisfying to see your work have a positive effect on helping women live more comfortably & be in control of their lives. I thoroughly enjoy working with this complex patient population, to help their issues–instead of the usual answer that women get when seeking help with such problems–i.e. just “live with it!”
Twenty-severn yearns now after my entry into the Women’s Pelvic Health PT field, I am no longer only 1 of ~3 PT’s doing this work, as the field has expanded. There are now ~35-40 PTs doing this kind of work in the area—because the need is there & will only grow, given the current state of Maternal Health care in the US & the world. But now in my 60’s & semi-retired, I feel confident that I can say I AM the most experienced of the Pelvic Health therapists in the KC area. And if you were a women who had a problem with pee, poop or sex– wouldn’t you want to have treatment by someone who’s “seen it all” before?! Most of my clients feel that way!
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?
See 1st story/submission for alot of this.
My biggest obstacle/challenge/bump in the road was:
Learning that doing what you think is best in/for your career–i.e. focusing on learning & advancing your professional skills, didn’t seem to matter much in the “bottom-line” business market, where volume & cost efficiency are key. These factors should not be the driving factors/force IN THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Even though I am in the hard sciences/health professions, I feel I can “create” with my job as a physical therapist.
My palette materials are the human body–muscles, bones, soft tissues–that I help to “mold” into the proper shape/form/strength/length to help restore proper motion/movement to the client–full, free ease of movement.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
To just keep moving forward, no matter what happens–just try to step gracefully along
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.femmefocuspt.com
- LinkedIn: Linda Mufich PT; Femme Focus PT LLC
