Women’s Pelvic Health Physical Therapy

Empowering women to move pain free, leak free, and with confidence through all phases of life!

Let me help you Move Mountains…it’s the climb

Dr. Lacie Howell PT, DPT

Hello and welcome!

As a pelvic health physical therapist, I have a passion for educating and empowering women to improve their quality of life. I specialize in the assessment and treatment of urinary, bowel, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction. This also includes abdominal-pelvic surgical rehab, musculoskeletal pain of pregnancy and postpartum, and general wellness through all phases of life.

My treatment style focuses on listening to your story, providing education on the anatomy and physiology to help you understand the root of your problem. Incorporating hands-on manual therapy, nervous system regulation, and prescribed exercises specific to you for a well rounded approach.

I love living in the PNW and enjoy all of the activities it entails. When I’m not working, you can find me hiking, riding my bike, indoor rock climbing, disc golfing, at the gym, reading, or binge-watching netflix with my two cats and fiance.

I’m inspired by the beauty of the mountains around me, and want to help women embrace movement again. Women experience unique phases of life that can have a huge impact on pelvic health and orthopedic health. My goal is to help women “move mountains” through these phases of life.

I look forward to working with you!

Services

  • Pelvic pain can be complex. Often pelvic floor dysfunction can result in pelvic, hip, back, abdomen, SI joint, and tailbone pain.

    Common conditions I treat include:

    • Pubic symphysis pain

    • Tailbone pain

    • Pain with intercourse, tampon insertion, or speculum exams (dyspareunia)

    • Muscle spasm (vaginismus)

    • Endometriosis

    • Painful periods (dysmenorrhea)

    • Soft tissue restrictions (scars and trigger points from c-section, perineal tear, or laparoscopic surgery)

    • Sciatica or pudendal neuralgia

    • Bladder pain

    • Urinary urgency or frequency

    • Pain with urination

    • Difficulty initiating urination

    • Post-void dribble

    • Urinary incontinence (leaking urine with sneeze, exercise, or on the way to the restroom)

    • Urinary retention

    • Constipation (slow transit)

    • Incomplete bowel emptying

    • Bloating

    • Fecal incontinence (accidental loss of stool)

    • Bowel urgency

    • IBS

    • Hemorrhoids

    • Pain with bowel movements

  • Pelvic pressure, heaviness, or sensation of bulge in vagina may indicate a POP. This is multifaceted. I am trained in the assessment and management of pessaries (silicone support device) if indicated.

    • Cystocele (bladder prolapse)

    • Urethrocele (urethra prolapse)

    • Rectocele (rectum prolapse vaginally)

    • Cervical (cervix/uterus or apical wall prolapse)

  • Your body goes through a lot of change during pregnancy. This has a huge impact on your musculoskeletal system and pelvic health.

    • Urinary dysfunction

    • Pain (pubic bone, back, ribs, round ligament, sciatica, foot, wrist, etc)

    • Constipation

    • Pelvic pressure

    • DRA (abdominal separation) management

  • Whether you had a vaginal or cesarean delivery, working with a rehab specialist can help optimize your healing and recovery.

    • urinary and bowel dysfunction

    • Pelvic pressure

    • Scar tissue pain (perineal tear or c-section)

    • DRA (abdominal separation)

    • “Mom thumb” , plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, back and hip pain

    • Discomfort with intercourse

  • I specialize in pelvic health, however, the pelvic floor does not work in isolation.

    If you experience pain or dysfunction in other areas of the body, I can help!

    Common diagnoses:

    • TMJ (jaw) dysfunction

    • Tension headaches

    • Wrist pain/ DeQuervain’s/ Carpal tunnel

    • Hip, Knee, Ankle/Foot pain

FAQs

  • I currently provide in-home services. This means, I bring all of my equipment and travel to you for treatment in the comfort of your home.* I reside in the Bonney Lake/Lake Tapps area, and serve the surrounding Pierce and King counties.

    *Travel fee is not included. Travel fee is based upon distance and will be determined during consult.

  • Depending on location, appointments are typically scheduled between 8am-5pm.

    I have limited appointments available each week due to travel. Weekend scheduling is available upon request, but may be associated with additional fee.

    Telehealth appointments are also available if appropriate.

  • I am currently an out-of-network provider. As a small private practice, my goal is to provide you with the highest quality specialized care and individualized treatment, with longer appointment times than traditional corporate clinics.

    Although I do not accept insurance, I do provide all of the necessary documentation (as a superbill) so that you can submit your claims to your insurance for potential reimbursement (this reimbursement is dependent on YOUR plan and deductibles).

    I am able to accept FSA/HSA (health savings account) as payment.

  • Free 20 minute phone/telehealth consultation (contact me below to schedule).

    Initial evaluation: $200*

    Follow-up appointments: $175*

    Telehealth: $80

    *Travel fee of $20 will be applied per visit outside of driving radius.

    Packages

    Discounts applied to packages purchased before initial evaluation. *travel fee not included.

    • Mt. Rainier package: $1025 (Evaluation + 5 follow up visits)

    • Cascade package: $1960 (Evaluation + 11 follow up visits

    • Labor and Birth prep package for the pelvic floor: $325 (2 in-person visits including partner support training, labor positioning, pushing practice, preparing the perineum, exercises, educational handouts, pain management strategies).

    Evaluations are priced higher for increased administration time, medical history review, initial set up of plan-of-care, and creating initial home exercise program.

    All clients will have access to exercise app, Physitrack, for customized home exercise plan.

    All clients have open access communication with therapist via text or email during plan of care.

    **Cancel fee is 50% of service. Must inform therapist 24hours in advance of appointment to avoid cancel fee. May avoid cancel fee if able to convert to a telehealth appointment or reschedule within the same week.

  • I want to get to know you! I don’t want you to feel rushed. During the initial visit, I will listen to your story, understand your history, priorities, and goals. I will assess posture, flexibility, strength, scar tissue, and functional movements as appropriate. I may recommend an internal pelvic floor exam to assess the tone, strength, and coordination of the pelvic muscles. However, this does not have to be completed at your first visit. Your comfort level and consent are my priority. We will discuss the exam findings, and establish a plan of care with your unique goals in mind.

  • Each treatment session is individualized to you!

    All visits vary from 60-90 minutes.

    Each client has different goals and complexities that affects the length of their plan of care. I see best results with weekly sessions for consistency, and spread out the plan of care a appropriate. This can vary between 6 and 20 visits.

    *I highly recommend scheduling out multiple visits at a time, due to limited availability in the schedule in order to secure your preferred days/time. I cannot guarantee an opening, but do have a wait list.

    Keep in mind, that completing your home exercises outside of our appointment is important for progressing and seeing best results.

Testimonials

  • I had a great experience working with Dr. Lacie. She has made such a difference in my postpartum recovery. Before working with her I couldn't imagine feeling normal in my body again, and after working with her, I'm feeling completely recovered and stronger than I was before pregnancy. Highly recommend!

    J.B.

  • Move Mountains PT absolutely changed my life. When I first met Lacie, I was experiencing a very tight pelvic floor which was leaving me with UTI-like symptoms that caused me immense pain. Through several sessions with Lacie, I learned exercises and massages to relax my pelvic floor. Since my first encounter with Lacie, I have had very few of these episodes, and when I do, I have the tools to support myself in the process. I plan to be working with Lacie again when I have a baby in the future! Can't recommend her enough!!

    S.B.

  • Dr. Lacie Howell made a huge difference toward the end of my pregnancy. She came to our apartment for a birth prep class with me and my husband, where she taught us movements and stretches for each stage of labor. Her focus on opening the pelvis to help the baby move effectively during contractions was incredibly helpful. As first-time parents, my husband especially appreciated learning about the labor process so he could better support me. When I went into spontaneous labor, I felt equipped with the tools I needed to labor effectively at home, and later at the hospital. The breathing techniques she taught me were invaluable during pushing- it only lasted 10 minutes! I highly recommend her birth prep services to anyone wanting to feel more confident about childbirth.

    E.C.

  • I am so incredibly grateful for the care and expertise Dr. Lacie has provided throughout my pregnancy and postpartum! My first appointment with Dr Lacie, I immediately felt comfortable which made it do easy to open up about how I was truly feeling. During pregnancy, Dr. Lacie helped me manage severe discomfort and walked me through exercises to improve my posture and avoid excessive strain. I was able to survive to the end of pregnancy with her specific exercises and breathing techniques! I really struggled with postpartum healing and pelvic floor weakness, of which she continued to provide support postpartum to promote proper healing from birth. I am forever grateful for Dr. Lacie, thanks to her I have so much more pelvic floor knowledge and confidence in supporting a healthy pelvic floor!

    S.Z.

Contact me

drlaciehowell@gmail.com
770-561-9313 (call or text)

Schedule a free 20 minute consultation today!