Meet Jackie Crowell | Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jackie Crowell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jackie, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Most people are unaware they can get physical therapy to address their urinary leakage, constipation or pelvic pain – all ailments that pelvic floor physical therapy can help with. Often women assume they have to just put up with painful periods or pain with sex without realizing pelvic floor physical therapy can help. So many patients come in and tell me that they never knew that there was physical therapy for their bladder symptoms, for example. And after a few sessions, depending on the patient and case, they are taken from a world of not being able to hold their bladder to not having to scope out where the restroom is everywhere they go. And this isn’t just for the older population amongst us, I see many people in their 20’s and 30’s who don’t obviously want to live with these annoying symptoms for the rest of their lives, or be on prescription medication for them. There’s still a taboo in our culture regarding talking about anything abnormal below the belt, but these pelvic issues are not only common but are sometimes easily treatable with physical therapy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was born and raised in metro Atlanta, they went away to Savannah for college. After graduating with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy I began working in outpatient Orthopedics in the Sunset district of San Francisco in 2009. After spending a few years treating the whole body I transitioned to specializing in pelvic floor therapy with some fantastic mentoring. I struggled with my own pelvic floor issues after giving birth to my second baby in 2013. This experience allowed me to empathize with my patients and realize the value in the knowledge I had acquired. Since this time I have assisted many new moms with recovering from giving birth, which has been very fulfilling. In addition, I have found most are surprised to know that I see many men as well who struggle with difficulty with urinating, constipation or sexual disfunction. Men can be quite hesitant taking the referral slip from their physician and walking into our office, but any embarrassment is quickly cast aside when they’re able to confront their pain directly with our conservative approach to care. In addition to all of this, I do cherish my opportunity to serve the LBGT+ community here in Atlanta. Pelvic pain is by far my favorite to treat because I love helping people realize that they can return to living their best life with physical therapy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Atlanta may be one of those cities not on many Americans’ minds to visit, but once people catch some time here they are pleasantly surprised. One thing I have come to love is the slow flowing Chattahoochee River that winds through Vinings, and there is a spot along its banks at a restaurant called Canoe where you can have a drink at a small bar outside and sit and watch the river at sunset. In west midtown, Westside Provisions has a neighborhood of adaptive re-use buildings that house trendy shops, restaurants, and even a coffee shop made from shipping containers. We enjoy playing games at the Painted Duck and dinner at the Optimist in that area. Seeing Atlanta United play at the Mercedes Benz Stadium is also a must, as I think that atmosphere truly captures what Atlanta is all about. In Dekalb there is the Farmers Market filled with foods, items, and people from all over the world. My husband and I often go there then browse Kudzu nearby, an antiques and modern furniture store where we have added eclectic things to our home from.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Revolution Chiropractic has been instrumental in assisting me with my start here in Marietta. They’re an exceptional group of chiropractors who really care about their patients and have given me space within their clinic to get a foothold in metro Atlanta. Dr. Shannon Good and Dr. Kristin Steele assist in running BirthFit Cobb County, a program aimed at helping new moms getting back on track with their fitness. I love helping new moms too, especially with postpartum pelvic floor and core strengthening, so this program is something I very much applaud. Along with being fabulous doctors I get to share a building with, the people at “Rev” are going above and beyond to help the local community be their best.

Website: www.progressivepelvis.com

Instagram: @progressivepelvis

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-crowell-4089b396

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/progressivepelvis