We were lucky to catch up with Mariah Lohr recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mariah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?

I often get asked the question, “what led you to become a therapist that does “this pelvic” stuff?” My answer is that as a pelvic health therapist, I have the opportunity to build an awesome client-provider relationship and truly make a difference in each person’s life, which is such a rewarding career. Yes, in pelvic health therapy we sometimes have to talk about very personal and intimate issues, even details about the “gross” stuff. But in my (biased) opinion, it is SO worth finding a provider who will listen to all of the issues you’re experiencing, to truly get to the root of the problem. This type of client-provider relationship allows me to share in some of these heartwarming outcomes…
– Taught an older man how he can stand up and sit down in church with everyone else and not have to worry about passing gas involuntarily.
– Helped a woman who’d been with her husband for 18 years, but hadn’t been able to have pleasurable intercourse with him for over 6 years because it was ‘just too painful’.
– Relieved a 62 y/o woman who’s C-section scar (from 27 years ago) was so sensitive that if clothing, her partner, or herself touched the scar, she would get dizzy and nauseous.
– I’ve helped a woman, married 3 years, who was never able to tolerate penetrative intercourse, be able to start trying for a child with her husband.
– Assisted a 66 y/o man eliminate his urinary leakage after a prostate removal surgery so he could return to running marathons.
– Facilitated a woman through her post-partum challenges after a 4th degree tear, return to activity and Crossfit.
– I’ve gotten to help countless men and women save hundreds of dollars on incontinence pads/diapers by addressing their urinary incontinence.

I hear the pain and frustration in their stories and I get to be the one to say “Let’s do something about that right now”.
It’s refreshing to be the voice that empowers people to take control of their lives again. Remember, just because something is common, doesn’t mean it’s normal!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

After 3.5 years working as physical therapists in outpatient, insurance run clinics, my husband, Jacob, and I were inspired to provide the community with improved options for their physical therapy care.

We co-founded and operate Nomadic Physical Therapy in Knoxville, TN. Nomadic PT is a cash-for-service physical therapy company, providing longevity-based, personalized, proactive care. Our goal is to break down as many limitations as we can to people receiving the highest quality physical therapy treatment. Without the insurance companies dictating the amount of care approved, the body part treated, what treatments are covered vs not covered, we have the ability to treat people with the appropriate care they need and deserve! We offer concierge treatment…meaning we’ll pack up our table and equipment to treat you in the comfort of your home, but we also currently have two locations of which we have the option to treat clients at as well. Our treatments are always 1 client to 1 therapist ratio for the best continuity of care. Other benefits include transparent pricing, no visit limits, preventative/proactive care to reduce injury risk.

I’m an orthopelvic physical therapist, passionate about helping others attain their highest level of health and wellness by optimizing movement so that they can live their most enjoyable life. I am specialized in treatment of people experiencing urinary and fecal incontinence, constipation, pelvic pain conditions, genital pain, chronic hip and back pain, sexual dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis and prenatal/postpartum conditions. These conditions are never “just” a result of the pelvic floor muscles and require a holistic approach. Additionally, I love educating others through community events, advocating about what the pelvic floor is and how people can take autonomy of their pelvic health.

Jacob is an orthopedic clinical specialist, working with a variety of clients, including those who want to solve their aches/pains (i.e: neck/headaches, shoulder pain, back pain, knee pain, etc), optimize their functional fitness (i.e.: keep up with their grandchildren, golf without back pain, run a 5K), student athletes, but also works with higher level athletes such as Crossfitters, MMA fighters and National/Olympic level olympic weightlifters.

We truly enjoy helping people set BIG goals, inspiring them to take back control of their health/wellness to improve their longevity. Our motto is: “As nomadics do, we move closer to our goals…Always striving, never settling”.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

In the field of physical therapy, or honestly healthcare in general, I think it’s helpful to learn the skill of empathy; particularly being able to empathize quickly and efficiently with the person who just walked in your office. I try to remember that every person has been a journey that led them to find me. Their perspective on their current status, and symptoms they’re dealing with may impact their life completely different than the next person. Looking beyond the symptom and seeking understanding as to why the issues are impacting this patient’s life helps me to connect quickly and respond with my best recommended interventions.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Oh absolutely! I try to read a few pages everyday, but more often then not I end up listening to audiobooks and podcasts. My favorites include
– The Magic of Thinking Big by David J Schwartz
– How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People by Les Giblin
– The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson
– 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin
– Fervent by Priscilla Shirer

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nomadicpt.net
• Instagram: @pelvicpt_mariahl
• Facebook: Nomadic Physical Therapy

Image Credits

Christian Hardin
Kelly Bergerson