Out and About

Midwest Physical Therapy Services

Women Helping Women

By Vicki Jo Walsh

In many cases, women and men can have similar health problems that require similar treatments. In other areas, however, the differences in anatomy between men and women lead to different issues. Women have menstrual cycles, pregnancies, labor and delivery, and menopause—issues that are simply not experienced by the males of the species. Luckily, we also have specialized help!

The extremely knowledgable and compassionate team at Midwest Physical Therapy Services (MPTS) specializes in helping women with their unique problems. Although they do also treat men and children ages four years and older, their specialty is treating female anatomy issues, such as incontinence, bowel problems, menstrual issues, pelvic pain, and sexual discomfort or pain. Their therapists can also address lymphedema after cancer treatment, as well as osteoporosis and amenorrhea.

Cheryl Wisinski, PT, DPT, WCS, is the owner of MPTS. She has been a physical therapist for over 40 years. She is board-certified in women’s health and specializes in treating pelvic floor issues and other problems unique to women. Because Dr. Wisinski has a doctoral degree, she can evaluate and diagnose prior to seeing other medical practitioners. She does however work closely with all of the other healthcare providers for each patient.

“Having received PT many times for many reasons, I was certain that coming for “pelvic floor dysfunction” would be horrible and couldn’t imagine that it would help, according to Nancy, “I also suffer from chronic pancreatitis and can be difficult to schedule due to illness. MPTS changed my entire outlook with their caring expertise, their professional yet personal approach and understanding. I am now more positive and have hope for a better future.”

Shannon Stigall, PT, DPT, CMTPT, is a certified functional medicine specialist who earned her doctorate at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. She worked in orthopedics for five years before joining the MPTS team in 2019. Her expertise in orthopedics, including orthopedic injuries that result from the body’s changes during pregnancy has proven to be a added benefit to the services provided at MPTS. Patient Ahleeya turned to MPTS for help after she gave birth to her third child. She was experiencing incontinence and diastasis recti (a separation of the abdominal muscles that is common in pregnancy). Many women think that these are the inevitable results of bearing children, and they don’t realize that treatments are available. “We do not have to live with these problems,” Ahleeya reports. She went to MPTS to get her body back and was a success story. Dr. Stigall is also certified in dry needling, where this therapy in which she inserts thin needles into trigger points in the body to relieve pain and improve function.

Laura Carely, PT, MPT, has been a physical therapist for 20 years and recently joined the team at MPTS. She has provided care in many different environments, including hospitals, skilled and home health care, and outpatient orthopedics. She enjoys educating her patients on what is normal for the human body, especially in the areas of incontinence, pelvic pain, and pelvic floor strength.

The treatment team at MPTS also includes two physical therapy assistants (PTA), Britnee Hoffner and Kareena Torres. Britnee and Kareena both are highly involved in patient care. Leticia Lopez is the office manager and plans to pursue a physical therapy degree. Creighton University exercise science students Erika Piper and Nicholas Garcia round out the care team as technicians, providing support while learning how patients are cared for in an independent physical therapy clinic.

Though they specialize in treating women’s health issues, the therapists at MPTS also treat patients for a wide variety of problems, including neck and back pain, extremity injuries, and headaches. They assist patients who are preparing for surgery or recovering after a procedure. They also rehabilitate patients who have been injured in car accidents, at work, or while playing sports. The treatments they devise depend on the patient’s injury and health goals. Some specialized treatments include dry needling, cupping, and biofeedback and ultrasound (to identify and treat pelvic floor dysfunction). Tad says, “MPTS Rocks! The pain in my hip and leg has decreased dramatically—I feel like I have my life back again!”

Patients at MPTS are grateful for the help! Gretchen is a cancer survivor and cancer recovery volunteer. After her breast cancer treatment nearly 30 years ago, she lost function in her arm—she couldn’t even lift a cup of coffee. Therapy at MPTS restored her function, and she returns to them whenever a new problem arises. Over the years, this has included foot problems, knee and hip problems, back problems, and a dislocated shoulder. In each case, physical therapy at MPTS resolved the issue and she was able to avoid surgical treatment.

Midwest Physical Therapy Services is located at 11640 Arbor Street, Suite 200, in Omaha. You can find them online at midwestpts.com. Call 402-933-8383 to make an appointment.