Penny Wilson
When I graduated I never dreamed I would become a pelvic floor physio! Like many physiotherapists, I was headed towards an ortho or neuro career. Then as a busy mom with 4 little kids I took a part-time job at BC Women’s Hospital, treating pregnant and postpartum women. I soon realized that urine and bowel control issues were common in this population.
I knew about Kegel exercises but had no advanced training in assessing or treating these conditions. When I looked into it, to my surprise, I found that physiotherapists in the UK, Australia and the US had been treating pelvic floor dysfunction for some years. My co-worker, Pat Lieblich, and I were both keen to learn more, so we went to the US for training.
Since then we haven’t looked back. Today when people ask what I do and then exclaim, “How can you stand it?!” I explain that physiotherapy is recommended as the first-line treatment for female urinary incontinence and it works. Incontinence affects all aspects of women’s lives. Women are ashamed and embarrassed about having bladder or bowel-control problems. It’s a barrier to exercise. It negatively affects sexual functioning. Women live with anxiety that they won’t make it to the toilet in time. Some become depressed. I seek to make a difference to them.
After 16 years at the Continence Clinic treating incontinence and other pelvic floor problems it is still by far the most satisfying work I’ve ever done.