Amanda Nayfield knew in high school that she wanted to be a physical therapist. But it was not until college that she decided to specialize in pelvic health.
“When I was in PT school, we had a women’s health elective, and there was a women’s health provider that taught the class, so I kind of got exposed to some basic women’s health, or pelvic health, physical therapy, and I just found it very interesting,” says Nayfield.
Before graduating, she enrolled in specialized continuing education courses through the Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute.
After college, Nayfield began working at an orthopedic center that saw a high volume of patients. She noticed a lack of personal connection between the patient and doctor; most patients would only interact with a physical therapist for 30-40 minutes at most.
Nayfield wanted to change this. She envisioned a more personalized option in which patients spent more one-on-one time with their doctor. She wanted to create an environment focused on helping and empowering people with pelvic health issues.
“It’s such an intimate thing to be working on people,” says Nayfield. “It’s like, talking about intimacy, and, you know, bowel and bladder habits and things that maybe aren’t, like, the most comfortable topics of discussion.”
In 2017, Nayfield opened Connect Northwest Physical Therapy & Wellness, which specializes in pelvic health.
When people think about those affected by pelvic health issues, they tend to think of women, particularly women who have had children. Nayfield says that although a large portion of the patients at Connect NW are mothers, pelvic health is something that affects everyone. The pelvic floor is connected to various health issues such as lower back pain, hip problems, and even constipation.
Those interested in booking an appointment with Connect NW can call the office. Appointments fill up fast, so Nayfield tries to schedule a patient’s first appointment and follow-ups at the same time.
“It’s important for people to understand that you’re not just going to go in and have just your pelvic floor worked on … we’re working on movement and maybe assessing the back and spine and pelvis. And just looking at the body as a whole to address whatever problem you’re having,” says Nayfield. 1140 10th St., Ste. 102, Bellingham, 360.949.1274, connectnwpt.com
