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We specialize in women’s health physical therapy and can assist you with pelvic pain, pelvic floor muscle disfunction, pregnancy, postpartum, post-surgery and so much more! Each woman and her case is unique, and we take great pride in customizing your care to suit your individual needs.
Know you are not alone in your journey! We have therapists who specialize in women’s health physical therapy, including perinatal PT.
Maybe you’ve experienced sciatica, round ligament pain or pubic symphysis pain. Here’s the inside scoop: you don’t have to suffer through it or accept it as your new normal. Physical therapy can help get you back on your feet, feeling strong and pain-free. As baby grows, much more is asked of your body both structurally and from a muscular standpoint. You’ll be set up for a smoother postpartum recovery by getting to the bottom of those issues during pregnancy with physical therapy.
Some of the conditions of pregnancy we treat include:
In addition to therapy for specific conditions, we can help you stay active and keep you doing what you love during pregnancy and guide you back into exercise postpartum. With a growing baby shifting your center of gravity during pregnancy, requiring more strength and bringing about possible posture changes, it is more important than ever to take care of yourself. We are here to support you in your endeavors, making sure your muscles are firing correctly and your joints stay healthy so you can fully enjoy your daily life and exercise. After baby comes, we support you as you adjust to the demands of your new routine (hello, carrying carseats and a diaper bag) and eventually return to exercise.
We don’t have a set program everyone works through. What helps one person may make an issue worse for another person. This is why we feel it is so important for our PT’s to spend one-on-one time with each patient, assessing their body’s response to their care and specific exercises.
Whether or not you are having pain, we recommend 2-3 appointments during the 3rd trimester. During these appointments we can talk about birth prep, pushing and postpartum recovery specific to you.
Meredy Parker has been practicing physical therapy for 26 years and specializes in pelvic girdle dysfunction, perinatal musculoskeletal issues, as well as spine and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Dr. Parker founded Chicago Physical Therapists in 2009 and has grown the practice to include nine physical therapists with exceptional skills and a shared vision of providing the highest quality integrative care in a comfortable setting. Meredy has received post-graduate training through countless resources including the Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine, mentoring programs at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, and Loyola University Medical Center’s Urogynecology Department. She continued her training through The Herman & Wallace Institute of Pelvic Rehabilitation (including lab assisting for courses), The American Physical Therapy Association, Pelvic Sanity, International Pelvic Pain Society, Evidence in Motion, Reframe Rehab, and The Institute for Birth Healing amongst others. Dr. Parker is a Pregnancy and Post-Partum Corrective Exercise Specialist (S Duval CES) and is certified in Dry Needling for orthopedics (Kinetacore,2012), and for the pelvic floor (EIM, 2021).
Education: B.S. in Physical Therapy from The Chicago Medical School in 1996; Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Andrews University in 2008; Doctoral thesis on Diastasis Rectus Abdominis published in the APTA Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy.
Laura has been a Physical Therapist since 2005 after completing her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Saint Louis University and has extensive training and experience in pelvic health and orthopedics. She is passionate about treating the whole person, not just a diagnosis, and providing individualized treatment based on each person’s goals.
Laura was drawn to the world of pelvic health and perinatal care after her own experiences as a patient after the birth of her first daughter in 2013. Since then, she has completed many courses through Hermann and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute to specialize in treating people with bladder and bowel dysfunction and pelvic pain. She is trained in visceral mobilization and also has a special interest in diastasis recti. Laura is certified as a Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist (PCES) and is a member of the Global Pelvic Health Alliance.
Treating people with running-related injuries and general orthopedic conditions are also passions of Laura’s. She completed an orthopedic residency through Evidence in Motion and was board certified in orthopedics (OCS) in 2011. She is skilled with Video Gait Analysis, is a Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method), has taken and taught numerous courses regarding running technique and injuries.
In her free time, Laura enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, staying active and being outdoors, instructing fitness classes for moms, and providing outreach and education to postpartum people through her company, Beyond the Bump Wellness.
Sarah Casperson has been working as a licensed physical therapist since 2019, specializing in women’s health and orthopedic patient populations. Prior to becoming a physical therapist, Sarah worked in digital media and advertising, but felt drawn to another career with a foundation in helping others. After returning to undergraduate studies, she earned a doctorate in physical therapy at Midwestern University in Downer’s Grove, IL. It was on her second clinical rotation that she learned of the women’s health specialty and felt compelled to dedicate her PT career to helping women overcome pelvic dysfunction.
Following PT school, Sarah participated in an advanced training through the women’s health residency program at Loyola University. She became a board-certified women’s health specialist in the spring of 2022. Sarah is passionate about treating pelvic diagnoses including bowel and bladder dysfunction, pelvic pain and perinatal care. As a new mom herself, Sarah is especially motivated to empower other women throughout the pregnancy and postpartum experience with education and treatment of dysfunction. She prides herself in providing patient-centered, evidence-based care to ensure her patients reach their treatment goals.
After delivering her baby girl in July 2022, she is excited to continue an active lifestyle including doing yoga, playing tennis and crushing PRs on the Peloton. When not caring for her patients, Sarah enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with her husband, daughter and pup, Birdie.
Alesha has been a physical therapist since 2007, specializing in orthopedic conditions and women’s health. She is especially passionate about working with people who suffer from chronic pain and perinatal women. Her work encompasses women with other pelvic conditions including pelvic joint pain, pain with intercourse, in addition to urinary and fecal urgency, frequency, and incontinence.
Alesha completed a Bachelors of Science degree in Exercise Physiology at Saint Louis University in 2005. She continued her education to procure a Masters and ultimately a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy.
During graduate school, she worked post-operatively with total joint replacement patients as a physical therapy aide. Her post graduate education has included Mechanical Diagnosis & Treatment of the spine and extremities through the McKenzie Institute, and Perinatal & Pelvic Floor Therapy through the American Physical Therapy Association.
Alesha further honed her skills in orthopedics and pelvic health over the course of 10 years at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. She had the unique opportunity to work in the Chronic Pain Center, where she collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to treat people with debilitating chronic pain. This experience significantly enhanced her understanding of pain and the importance of treating the whole person.
Alesha believes that one of the most powerful tools in rehabilitation is understanding one’s condition. She integrates education, and prioritizes the concerns and goals of each person, to create an individualized plan to fit into his or her life. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, running, and attending the theater and ballet.
Sarah has been practicing in Orthopedics since earning her Physical Therapy degree from Northern Illinois University in 2004. She earned an Orthopedic Specialty through the APTA in 2008 and a Manual Therapy Certification in 2018 through the Manual Therapy Institute. After taking introductory coursework in pelvic floor rehabilitation in 2020, Sarah found a new passion in treating pelvic floor dysfunction, as well as pregnant and postpartum women. She also has a special interest in cancer rehabilitation, especially following breast surgery or mastectomy.
Sarah’s career has offered her extensive experience in treating a wide variety of orthopedic conditions, having worked closely with orthopedic surgeons for more than 15 years. She values patient education and a comprehensive treatment approach, assessing the whole patient to find the root cause of their symptoms.
Sarah utilizes manual therapy, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization, taping techniques, postural education and functional movement analysis to assist her patients in meeting their rehab goals. She performs Video Gait Analysis to assess and treat the injured runner.
Sarah has a background in dance and enjoys staying active. She spends her free time taking road trips with her family, biking around the city, and spending warm summer days at the dog beach with her family and her dog, Pop Tart.
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Tish Butler, PTA, was born and raised in Chicago, and has 14 years of outpatient orthopedic experience.
Tish enjoys treating a variety of diagnoses including shoulders, ACLs, hips, knees and feet, both surgical and non-surgical. Being a former Division 1 volleyball athlete, she enjoys working with all types of athletes and runners. Most recently, Tish has received specialized training in the treatment and education of women’s and men’s pelvic health issues. She is able to treat a variety of female and male conditions, including pelvic pain, tailbone pain, incontinence, diastasis recti, and prenatal and postpartum care.
Tish is motivated and dedicated in using the most appropriate and evidence based treatments to facilitate a full recovery. Tish guarantees a fun, positive and encouraging healing experience. Outside of the clinic, Tish enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys, trying out new restaurants, and traveling to tropical climates.
