Faculty
The Institute's faculty represents some of the most experienced physical therapists in the treatment of incontinence, pelvic pain and pelvic dysfunction. Their clinical knowledge and expertise will ensure that the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute courses will consistently offer the most current information and treatment considerations for pelvic floor and pelvic girdle dysfunctions.
Our mission is to foster an interdisciplinary approach toward patient care, multi-site research and use of consistent outcome measures. We have some of the best practitioners and researchers in the country supporting the Institute.
Holly and Kathe are pleased to introduce the following members of the faculty:
Mary Lou Cokl, PT, MHSA
Mary Lou Cokl, PT, MHSA has worked in women's health since 1992. She started the first women's health practice in South Florida and currently co-owns Partnership In Therapy, in Miami, Florida, a private practice specializing in women's health, pelvic floor dysfunction, lymphedema and spine care. Additionally, she has consulted local health care organizations on development of women's health programs and Joint Commission Accreditation.
In 2000, Mary Lou was a contributing author for the American Medical Women's Association publication, Urinary Incontinence and Overactive Bladder in Women, Education for Primary Care Providers, Master Faculty Manual. Between 2003 and 2005 she held several advisory positions to the Section on Women's Health, APTA including the Post Professional Education and Credentialing Task Force and the Women's Health Certification and Specialization Task Force. Mary Lou speaks frequently for community and professional organizations on women's health topics.
Mary Lou graduated in 1975 from Florida International University with a BS in Physical Therapy and received her MS in Health Services Administration from Barry University in 1995. She is currently seeking her certification in Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback from the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America.
Pamela A. Downey, MSPT, DPT, BCIA-PMDB
Pamela A. Downey, MSPT, DPT, BCIA-PMDB has been a physical therapist since 1991. She is the co-owner of Partnership in Therapy for Wellness, located in Coral Gables, Florida. Established in 1999, this private practice caters to the needs of women and men with pelvic floor dysfunction, related urogynecological and colorectal issues, spine dysfunction, orthopedic complaints associated with pregnancy, and lymph edema.
Dr. Downey is an adjunct professor in the Physical Therapy Program at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine in Coral Gables, Florida, and at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She has taught coursework in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Orthopedic Spine, Female Lifespan, Pelvic Floor and Ob/Gyn Patient Management. A certified Polestar Pilates Educator, she teaches a continuing education course integrating Pilates and therapeutic exercise interventions in peri-natal and other women’s health clientele.
Dr. Downey received her Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and her Master of Science in Physical Therapy from the University Of Miami School Of Medicine. She graduated both institutions with high honors, including the Clinical Excellence Award (first in class) for her professional training. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University Of Miami School Of Medicine in December of 2002. She has presented at many national meetings including the Combined Sections Meeting of the APTA. Dr. Downey is the author of multiple published research articles and papers, and a book chapter for a medical text on "Chronic Pelvic Pain" due out in October of 2008.
Bridgid Ellingson, MPT, OCS, BCIA-PMDB
Bridgid Ellingson, MPT, OCS, BCIA-PMDB has been working in the area of women’s health since 1994. She treats women and men with pelvic pain, bowel and bladder dysfunction, musculoskeletal dysfunction related to pregnancy and childbirth, as well as pediatric bowel and bladder issues. She opened her private practice, Lakeview Physical Therapy, P.C., in Chicago, Illinois in 2000. Bridgid earned her Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Michigan in 1993. She is an APTA Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and is certified in Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback. She has lectured locally and nationally to physicians, midwives, nurses, and to various community groups. She is a member of the Women’s Health Section of the APTA, National Vulvodynia Association, International Pelvic Pain Society, and the American Urogynecologic Society.
Cynthia Markel Feldt, MPT, ATC
Cynthia Markel Feldt, MPT, ATC is owner of a rehabilitation consulting company, Rehab Initiatives. She provides consultation for health care practitioners in the area of women’s health rehabilitation, pelvic floor dysfunction and pediatric incontinence. Cynthia has been a practicing physical therapist since graduating from Emory University’s Master’s program in 1986. She specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction, pregnancy related musculoskeletal pain and incontinence for men, women and children. She also has a strong background in manual orthopedic and sports physical therapy. Cynthia has lectured nationally and written numerous articles on topics related to physical therapy and women’s health and recently co-edited the book The Pelvic Floor.
Jenni Gabelsberg, DPT, MSc, MTC
Dr. Jenni Gabelsberg, DPT, MSc, MTC is a women's health physical therapist specializing in urinary incontinence and pelvic pain since 1994. She strives to empower patients through education and self-awareness to encourage them to take responsibility for their own health. She believes that a physical therapist's education forms the cornerstone of her care. She attended the University of Vermont and earned a Bachelor of Science, Physical Therapy, in 1994. She went on to earn a Manual Therapy Certification (MTC) awarded by the Institute of Physical Therapy in 1995. Dr. Gabelsberg next earned an Advanced Masters in Orthopedic Physical Therapy from the University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences in 1999, and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2003.
Judith Florendo, PT
The first ten years of Judith Florendo’s career involved acute care with an emphasis in trauma and wound care, and management of both hospital-based and off-site physical therapy clinics for in and outpatient care. She has also worked in the areas of orthopedics, sports medicine, home care and geriatric rehab. The next ten years has been spent working exclusively in the area of women’s health and pelvic rehab for men and women, particularly chronic pelvic pain and dysfunction.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy, both at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She has been in private practice in downtown Chicago since 2000 when she started Florendo Physical Therapy, PC. She is Clinic Coordinator and instructor for Northwestern University Medical School, School of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences. She has presented to professional medical and community groups. Other activities include: Advisory Board member, Total Control, Women’s Health Corporation; member of the Vulvodynia/Vestibulitis Task Force, Section on Women’s Health, American Physical Therapy Association; and a member of the Interdisciplinary Pelvic Floor Journal Club, Chicago Metropolitan area. She is a member of the Private Practice Section and Section on Women’s Health, APTA.
Stacey Futterman, MPT, BCIA-PMDB
Stacey Futterman, PT, M.P.T., BCIA-PMDB certified, received her Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University in South Florida in 1996. After graduation she relocated to Chicago where she began specializing in women’s health issues including the treatment of incontinence, pelvic pain andprenatal/postpartum musculoskeletal issues. Stacey has recently joined forces with Amy Stein at Beyond Basics Physical Therapy, a comprehensive practice that specializes in all aspects of the treatment of pelvic rehabilitation for men, women and children. Her current treatment approach not only uses physical therapy to treat chronic pelvic pain, but incorporates yoga, nutrition and psychotherapy in the overall treatment approach. She has been featured on CBS New York and has presented for the APTA National Conference 2007 for the treatment of male pelvic pain.
www.beyondbasicsphysicaltherapy.com
Elizabeth Hampton, PT, BCIA-PMDB
Elizabeth Hampton, PT, BCIA-PMDB is a physical therapist in practice since 1987, specializing in pelvic ring dysfunction and movement re-education. Elizabeth earned her BS in physical therapy from Marquette University in 1987. She earned her post-bac Certificate in Women's Health Physical Therapy in 2002 and is also a trained childbirth educator and doula. Elizabeth earned the Rehabilitation Certification in Pilates through Polestar Pilates Education in 2003 and integrates the Pilates method into manual therapy and rehabilitation. She earned certification in Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback through the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America in 2005. She has designed and instructed continuing education courses relating to pelvic floor dysfunction and Pilates-based rehabilitation. She is a member of the APTA, the Orthopedic section, the Section on Women's Health as well as the Washington State Physical Therapy Association. Elizabeth is a SACE item writer for the APTA Board Certification Clinical Specialist Exam in Women's Health.
Elizabeth's professional publications include: The Journal of the Section on Women's Health "The Relationship Between Pelvic Floor and Abdominal Musculature: Clinical Recommendations for Rehabilitation based on Emerging Literature," April 2003 and The Gynecological Manual, APTA, Section on Women's Health, 2002, contributing editor of "Clinical Applications of SEMG Biofeedback of the Pelvic Floor." Elizabeth owns Core Therapeutics Physical Therapy (http://www.corept.org/) in Bellingham, Washington and balances work and life with her husband and two children.
Ramona C. Horton, MPT
Ramona C. Horton, MPT co-founded the Women’s Health Program for Rogue Valley Medical Center located in Medford, Oregon in 1993. She currently serves as lead practitioner in her clinic’s pelvic dysfunction program, treating both men and women with urogynecological and colorectal issues. She has used visceral mobilization since 1996.
Ramona has appeared on local news and radio programs and lectured throughout the region on topics of women’s health and pelvic dysfunction. She has presented to physicians, nurse practitioners and physicians assistants for CME at venues such as The Bill Young Conference on Women’s and Children’s Health and The Oregon Society of Physicians Assistants Spring Medical Update.
Ramona received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Idaho State University. She completed the U.S. Army-Baylor University Program in Physical Therapy in 1985 and earmed a Masters in Physical Therapy from Baylor University in 1986. The highlight of her educational experience was the opportunity to study urogenital manipulation with Jean-Pierre Barral DO, and Didier Prat, DO, at the Andrew Taylor Still Academy in Lyon, France in 2003. Her extensive experience in manual therapy has allowed her to work as a teaching assistant for courses in muscle energy technique, myofascial release and visceral manipulation.
Theresa ("Tracy") M. Spitznagle, PT, DPT, MHS
Theresa Monaco Spitznagle, PT, DPT, MHS is currently an Instructor in the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University. She is considered an Associate of Dr. Sahrmann and was integral in the development of the diagnostic categories impairments currently being researched at Washington University in St. Louis.
Tracy is a 1986 graduate of Marquette University. She completed her Masters in Health Science in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis in 1994. She completed her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2006. Her teaching responsibilities in the entry level doctoral program at Washington University include: Women’s Health (pelvic pain, incontinence, osteoporosis and the female athlete), Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes with an application to thoracic spine, pelvis and sacral pain problems. In addition, Tracy is the lab coordinator for Gross Anatomy, the Course Coordinator for Joint Mobilization, Modalities and the final capstone course Diagnosis and Evidence Analysis. Her research and clinical specialty is in incontinence and pelvic pain.
Tracy has published professional literature related to pelvic pain and diastases recti abdominis. She has presented at the American Urogynecological Society’s National convention and several of the APTA conferences, including APTA conference 2006 and CSM 2002 and 2007. She has been practicing physical therapy utilizing the MSI approach, as proposed by Dr Shirley Sahrmann, since 1987; when she was first introduced to the concepts while working on her master’s degree. Tracy is currently writing a new chapter for Dr. Sahrmann in the second book, diagnosis and treatment of movement impairments focusing on, thoracic spine impairments.
Holly Tanner, PT, MA, OCS, LMP
Holly Tanner, PT, MA, OCS, LMP was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota, and has lived in the Pacific Northwest for the past nine years. She graduated from the College of St. Scholastica in 1995 with a Masters of Arts degree in Physical Therapy. She works for Apple Physical Therapy and is the Director of the Women's Health and Educational programs for the company. Holly has taught continuing education courses regarding incontinence and pregnancy pain management. She recently taught Functional Anatomy in the physical therapy program at the University of Puget Sound. Her current practice focuses on male and female pelvic rehabilitation.
Tina Allen, PT
Tina Allen, PT has been a physical therapist since 1993. After five years inacute care, trauma and outpatient physical therapy she turned herpractice towards women's health. Since 1998 she has focused hertreatment towards the care of women throughout their life span withbladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, pelvic pain syndromes, pelvicring dysfunction, pregnancy/postpartum, lymphedema and breast cancerrecovery. In 2002 she added male pelvic dysfunction, prostate cancerrecovery and pudendal neuralgia for both men and women to herpractice. Her treatment is largely focused on client education, manualtechniques and SEMG.
Tinacurrently practices at Olympic Physical Therapy in Seattle where she isthe clinical supervisor. She has presented at professional medicalconferences in topics on lymphedema, pelvic pain and musculoskeletalexamination of the pelvic floor. She is currently a physical therapistprovider in collaboration with the University of Washington on aMulti-Center study for Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrometreatment intervention with physical therapy techniques.
Tina was born and raised just outside of Chicago. After graduating from theUniversity of Illinois – Chicago with a BS in Physical Therapy in 1993she practiced at Loyola Medical Center for five years. In 1998 sherelocated to Seattle to be closer to the outdoor activities she loves.