Local Highlight: Addie Long, PT, DPT
Welcome to my “Local Highlights” Blog! As a doula, an amazing part of my job is to not only provide my clients with the information needed for them to make informed decisions, but to connect them with professionals with the skills and knowledge to make those decisions a reality. If you have taken any of my classes, you will know that building a fully supportive birth team is at the core of my practice. There are so many, extremely unique, and wonderful people filled with passion for every step of your birth journey, right here in the KC Metro Area! Today, I would like to introduce you to one of them, Addie Long, PT, DPT with Preferred Physical Therapy.
Addie Long was born in Overland Park, KS but moved to Georgia when she was only 6 years old, moving back her senior year of high school. She has always loved sports, with a focus on improving performance, and was very excited to be accepted into Saint Mary’s Doctorate in Physical Therapy program! She herself is a marathon runner, running the Boston Marathon in 2016. She qualified to run again this year with her younger sister despite being pregnant, but was unable to due to COVID19.
Addie and her husband Aaron, a philosophy teacher at the Kansas City Art Institute, met in Kansas City during ‘handshake time’ at church and recently became a family of three with their first baby, Beatrice (Bea) Elizabeth! Her recent pregnancy gives Addie an even better understanding of her patients, writing “I’m really looking forward to fully recovering from pregnancy so I can run again, and even though I’m not big on being in the spotlight you might see me taking that journey on social media at some point because I think it’s something women need space to share about.”
Despite hating being the center of attention, when asked if she would be interested in presenting her knowledge to another local organization, KC Women’s Ministry, she and her co-worker Elise Umbarger PT, DPT, leapt at the chance! KCWM is a non-profit group of doulas and volunteers providing birth services and education to women in the KC Metro Area. To further that purpose, they hold an Enrichment once a month, helping to educate both their own doulas and the public on topics related to pregnancy, early postpartum, and a healthy life.
Addie is very passionate about her work. “I am passionate about empowering women and caring for them while they care for their families. I believe women need a strong support system during the pre- and post-natal period. I strive to help women prepare and recover from childbirth so that they may live whole-heartedly. Learning to really appreciate and value my body has been part of my journey, and I want that for my patients as well.”
According to Addie and Elise, working with physical therapists early is very important for healing. This makes birth workers, such as doulas, a huge potential asset to our clients, connecting our them with needed pelvic floor therapists. Doulas are right there with our clients, learning their aches, pains, and pregnancy related discomforts. In their Enrichment Workshop, Elise and Addie taught us key phrases and questions to listen for that may signal a need for pelvic therapy, such as
“What can I do for this leg pain?”
“My lower back is killing me!”
“What can I do to keep my stomach muscles from separating like my last pregnancy?”
and situations after giving birth, such as back labor, episiotomy, vaginal tearing, C-section, etc.
To make their patients even more comfortable, Preferred Physical Therapy pelvic floor therapists offer personal and private support. “Pelvic floor therapy is unique and specialized,” Addie writes, “As a pelvic floor therapist, the way I practice PT is more personal and private than my colleagues’ work with their patients in a gym. I create a quiet, one-on-one experience in a closed, private room, which makes it much easier to address personal needs and concerns.”
Unfortunately, people in need of pelvic floor therapy may shy away from support for a variety of reasons. “Many women are hesitant to contact or participate in pelvic floor rehab because of the thought of an internal pelvic exam--which I totally get! Who wants to go through that on a regular basis?!?” That’s where having a therapist that earns your trust and respects your wishes becomes so incredibly important. As a doula, I am laser focused on making sure that every recommendation and referral I give to my clients adheres to this philosophy - that patients are autonomous people with the right to refuse any form of treatment without coercing.
“The internal exam is helpful in gaining a full picture of a person's symptoms and impairments, but it is not a mandatory component to treatment. The decision to participate in an internal exam is 100% up to the patient!” Words to make any doula stand up and clap!
If you would like to learn more about Preferred Physical Therapy, I have linked their website here! If you would like to watch the amazing Enrichment Workshop hosted by KCWM and taught by both Addie Long and Elise Umbarger, it will be available on KCWM’s new online school soon!
As always,
Thank you so much for reading and God Bless!
