We recently connected with Laura McKaig and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?
Thank you, yes one of my favorite client stories is “How Pelvic PT Helped A Client Win A Medal”
One of my clients, “S”, came for her physical therapy session. She was grinning from ear to ear, holding a race medal in her hands. I began to congratulate her, but then she placed it in my hands and said something that brought tears to my eyes, “Laura I want you to have my medal.”
When S. first called me about starting pelvic physical therapy, she explained that she wanted to start training for a half-marathon walk but thought it was impossible. She was struggling with urgency incontinence, and could barely wait 3 minutes after that bladder urge hit. Usually what happened was that she would lose her bladder control while rushing to the bathroom. HOW could she walk a half-marathon?
S. has made amazing progress since we started working together. Not only is she able to control that urgency feeling, it is happening less often. She has regained control over her bladder, rather than her bladder controlling her. What was the secret to solving her particular problem? Her breathing! Yes, that was one of the things contributing to her urgency and her leakage.
“I couldn’t have done this without you, Laura. You have helped me so much through this.” I was very touched by this, and SO happy to have played a small part in helping her reach her goal of not only doing this half-marathon, but winning a medal! And at age 76!
THIS is why I do this work. Congratulations on your success, S.!!!
Laura, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I never intended to own my own business, nor to specialize in such a unique niche. I spent 10 years as a staff physical therapist in an outpatient clinic. My husband and I then decided to make a major career change and we moved overseas to work with an NGO. I let my PT license lapse, never thinking I’d pick it up again.
Fast forward 14 years later, when I joined a gym, just wanting to lose 10 pounds and get back into shape. Little did I know that this would be a pivotal moment in restarting my career and getting my PT license reinstated. It seemed crazy! Here I was, in my late 40’s, an age that most of my peers were starting to get out of the profession. But I was 100% certain this was my path. It required months of intense study, re-taking the board exams, and a lot of support and prayers from friends and family. But in the end I was once again Laura McKaig, Physical Therapist.
I knew this second time around that I wanted to specialize. A former coworker suggested I would make a great pelvic floor physical therapist. I had no idea what that was. When she told me what it was, I thought it sounded really weird! But I respected her opinion, so I looked into it, I discovered that: 1) there’s a huge need for it, 2) my personality is a good fit for this, and 3) people get better! They are so incredibly grateful to be given a solution for these very private, embarrassing problems.
Another reason I became interested in pelvic health as a specialty was my own personal struggles. I suffered for years with several pelvic floor problems that I now know are treatable with physical therapy. I want to be part of the solution. I want to help others find the help–and hope– that took me so long to discover.
I usually describe my work like this:
I help active men and women get control over leakage, pain, or other problems “down there”.
What I do isn’t widely known or talked about–it’s not your ideal social conversation! There are still so many myths and taboos surrounding pelvic health for both men and women. My mission is to educate, inspire, and empower others to discover that pelvic health and wellness IS important, that it doesn’t have to be embarrassing or intimidating, and that it can actually be FUN to learn about!
Most people think of pelvic physical therapy as something only for women after they have had a baby. I do enjoy working with pregnancy/postpartum women, however my main focus is a bit different. I really like helping those who don’t fit the typical pelvic PT image: women over age 55, men of all ages, prostate cancer survivors. Pelvic PT can help them, too! I have specialized training in pelvic health for older adults, in men’s health physical therapy, in chronic pelvic pain treatment, and in post-prostatectomy rehabilitation.
One of my biggest passions is being an educator and advocate. There is a huge void in men’s pelvic health resources and education. I want to see men’s pelvic health options go beyond outdated Kegel exercises, endless rounds of antibiotics, or “wait and see” if their bladder control returns or their pain subsides.
I love my brand! My logo is a phoenix surrounding a lotus flower. It beautifully represents my personal and professional story. It also represents the stories of my clients who have “risen from the ashes”–who are overcoming the pain, embarrassment, frustration and shame of their pelvic floor problems.
My tagline says “You don’t have to just live with it.”
So many men and women are never given the option of pelvic physical therapy to solve these problems. Too often, first options include medications, adult diapers or pads, or surgery to fix their problem. The most discouraging advice says, “well, you’ll just have to live with it.” I want to change that narrative.
It is so rewarding when a client tells me they can now sleep through the night (no more getting up 4 times to pee), they no longer need to wear Depends, they can enjoy sex pain-free, or they can rock a Zumba class without leaking!
Let me say it again: You DON’T have to just live with it!
What do I want your readers to know about my practice? I asked my clients that question, and here’s what some of them said. They want you to know:
–”The treatment here is hands-on, and personalized to me. I don’t feel like I’m just a number or a diagnosis.”
–”Laura takes time to look beyond the symptoms to find the underlying problem.”
–”I’ve learned that problems like mine may be common but they’re not normal. And there’s something that I can DO about it besides medication or surgery!”
–”Laura has heard of my problem and knows what to do. I now know I’m not the only one with this, and I’m not crazy!”
–“It gave me my life back!”
Pelvic physical therapy can transform lives! I am so very grateful for the opportunity to do this work and help people in this unique way. I hope you’ve discovered that pelvic PT is not only “a thing”, but it may be THE thing to help people find freedom from their leakage, pain, or other problems “down there”!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Getting back into the profession after a 14-year absence was challenging to say the least! Instead of a pelvic PT clinic, I ended up working in a geriatrics setting. That was NOT part of my plan, but I discovered that I absolutely loved it! That experience laid the foundation of what I’m doing now. The combination of pelvic health and rehab for older adults is a rare one and one that addresses a huge need among men and women age 55+.
Another attempt to specialize in pelvic PT ended in a roadblock. I was given 3 options: quit, work for someone else, or start my own practice. My passion for pelvic health outweighed my fear of going out on my own. In 2018 I started my LLC, not knowing how to run a business or what would happen. I’m so glad I made that leap of faith–and so are my clients!
The COVID outbreak in 2020 was one of the most unique challenges I’ve faced. I decided to close my business for 2 months, from March to June. Not seeing clients for that time was really hard, but it forced me to find creative new ways to offer my services. Out of that came telehealth services, an online program for women with bladder leakage, and several online educational workshops for men and women. I found that there are many other ways that I can help people besides one-on-one treatment sessions!
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Having the right mindset is crucial in the entrepreneurial journey. Here’s a few things that have helped me learn and develop that mindset. So grateful for the resources and the support!
–Business coaching! Hands down THE most important resource. Started my coaching with Greg Todd and Smart Success Healthcare–what I learned there helped me survive AND thrive during Covid.
I’d also like to give a shout out to my current business coaching group, Uncaged Clinician. I couldn’t do it without you all!
–Favorite books: Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown, and Building a Story Brand by Donald MIller
–Podcasts: Brendon Burchard (The Brendon Show, Motivation)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lauramckaigpt.com
- Instagram: @lauramckaigpt
- Facebook: lauramckaigpt
- Linkedin: laura-mckaig-pt-mspt-2943a5ab/
- Twitter: lauramckaigpt
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE7zyN28inZxCovuMqInzSA/featured?view_as=subscriber
Image Credits:
Seven Images, KC