Pelvic Health * Birth doula * Placenta Processing

“It feels good to feel good”

-Tanit

Hi, I’m Dr. Kris!

I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in pelvic health for women. I am passionate about the care of the prenatal and postpartum population, as my experience of pelvic health issues during my first pregnancy and delivery encouraged me to enter this field. I’ve completed additional coursework surrounding the care of the pelvic floor and pelvic girdle, as well as how these structures interact with the rest of your body. I have helped women decrease their pelvic pain, enjoy sex again, stop leaking when they laugh or play with their kids, have smooth bowel movements, decrease back pain from nursing or lifting their babies, decrease the sensation of pressure or heaviness in their pelvic floors, and more. I want my patients to feel comfortable with their bodies, understand their anatomy, and connect how their emotional experiences can manifest physically. I created Sacral Physical Therapy to have more autonomy with the tools I use to help women connect with their bodies, such as breath work, visceral mobilization, and energy work combined with traditional Physical Therapy movement and exercise. I’m excited to know you and help you achieve your goals.

Not sure if I’m suitable for you? Please, book an introductory call.

What is pelvic health physical therapy?

Pelvic Health Physical Therapy is Physical Therapy- I am trained to examine the whole body: muscles, joints, nervous system, and how they interact. Our pelvic floor is a part of the body- made of muscles, bones/ joints, and nerves. Because of the location of the pelvic floor muscles, there are ways to assess externally, and for some conditions, we may recommend an external evaluation only. For other conditions, at some point, we would want to do an internal assessment of the pelvic floor- which is done by inserting one (1) lubricated, gloved finger into the vaginal (or, for some conditions, the anal) canal. The assessment is quick and should be painless unless you have a pain condition.

The important thing to know is that the pelvic floor is a part of our breathing system, combined with our diaphragm, transverse abdominals, and multifidi- they all make up our core. A large part of treating the pelvic floor is looking at the coordination of the pelvic floor muscles and our breath. Pelvic health therapy looks at how our physical body functions together and how our emotional state, nutrition, and psycho-social all manifest in our bodies. Therefore, for some patients, I will also recommend a multi-disciplined approach with other providers that may include acupuncturists, psychologists/psychiatrists, chiropractic, nutritionist, or more from my referral list.

Who can benefit from pelvic health physical therapy?

  • Childbirth Prep during pregnancy: perineal, pelvic, planned, or potential cesareans

  • Postpartum: diastasis, perineal tearing, cesarean scar management, pain, incontinence, constipation, etc.

  • Pubic Symphysis Disorder (front pelvic pain)

  • Vaginismus (pain with insertion into vagina)

  • Vulvodynia/ Vestibulodynia (pain to touch over outside genitals)

  • Painful periods

  • Endometriosis (tissue that should be on inside of uterus, growing elsewhere, causing pain)

  • Coccydynia/ Pain with sitting

  • Pain with intercourse

  • Pain with tampon or speculum insertion

  • Pudendal neuralgia (nerve pain in pelvis)

  • Urinary incontinence (bladder leaks)

  • Urinary frequency and urgency (bladder urgency or increased frequency)

  • Painful bladder syndrome (Interstitial Cystitis)

  • Fecal incontinence (leaking poop)

  • Constipation (painful/hard to go, or not going at least 3x/ week)

  • IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)

  • Genital hyperarousal disorder (uncontrollable arousal without desire or stimulation)

  • Absent or decreased orgasm

  • Pelvic organ prolapse (cystocele, uterine, rectocele)

  • Post-surgical care (cesareans, hernia repairs, pelvic reconstruction, laparoscopic)

SERVICES

in-home or virtual concierge physical therapy services los angeles, west los angeles, culver city, venice, south los angeles, inglewood, marina del rey, playa del rey, santa monica, torrance

EVALUATION

If it’s your initial visit or you’ve experienced a significant change in your condition, such as childbirth or surgery, please schedule an evaluation. Session time is 60 min and includes treatment.

women's pelvic health physical therapy childbirth prep, postpartum, cesarean scar recovery, diastasis recti

FOLLOW-UP SESSION

If you've already established services with me, please schedule a follow-up treatment session. Sessions are 60 min.

  • “The U.S. healthcare system neglects mothers after birth, and the recovery process from pregnancy/ birth is physically and emotionally daunting. But Kristen made mine as easy and pleasant as it could be. I am grateful she was my doctor. She listened to my frustration and helped me reach my goals. Thank you.”

    -A.S.

  • “Kristen’s guidance and expertise have made a significant difference in my endometriosis journey, and I am grateful for all that she has done. Her care and attention to detail eased my pain and made a tremendous impact on my overall well-being.”

    -L.D.

  • "I had my daughter 2/14/24. Kristen was my pelvic floor therapist, doula, lactation educator, and placenta encapsulator. She was very knowledgeable in all areas, and was able to explain everything in a way that made my fiancé and I feel very comfortable with her. With each appointment we learned things like: signs/stages of labor, birthing positions, ways to prepare my pelvic floor, ways to deal with pain, ways my fiancé could support me, and options (my doctor probably wouldn’t tell me about) when it came to labor. I felt more empowered through the process, because of Kristen. We will forever be grateful to her for caring for us the way she did. If we decide to have another child, we will without a doubt be using her again. "

    -M.B.

  • "...Dr. Merchant presented the most detailed and easy to understand examination. Truly, I don’t have the right verbiage to explain how amazing this experience was for me, but she seriously left a wonderful impression from start to finish. I had visited an OBGYN prior to the examination and was left with a lot of unanswered questions. Dr. Merchant took her time and was very attentive with my concerns and had given me profound advice and techniques to improve my pelvic health (and my health in general). If you have read this far then just go ahead and book the session, you won’t regret it!"

    -J.L.

FAQs

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Set up an introductory call!