Introduction

 Hi Friends 

My name is Vibha Sharma. I am a Physical Therapist working in an Orthopedic Outpatient clinic in Canton, Michigan. I graduated with my bachelor's in physical therapy from India and the immigrated to work in the USA. I completed my master's in health science from University of Indianapolis and am currently pursuing my tDPT with Manual Therapy certification pathway from The University of St Augustine. 

 After graduation from my bachelor's program in India I worked in a hospital with acute inpatient and outpatient rotations. I moved to the USA to work and initially worked in Mid Michigan doing home care Physical Therapy for two years before moving to the Canton MI area. I have since worked with the same organization doing a combination of Acute inpatient and Outpatient work. I have worked exclusively in Outpatient Physical Therapy for the past 15 yrs. After two high risk pregnancies I decided to move into women's health and pelvic PT. I have been practicing women' s health (+outpatient ortho) for about 10 years. I have two girls 16 and 18yrs old and have a front row seat to the trials and tribulations of teen/early adulthood. 

Most of the courses I have taken have been focused on hands on evaluation and manual therapy and treatment skills. I feel that I want to take a deeper dive into the physiology and psychosocial aspects of women's health. I am especially interested in pre and post-menopausal aspects as I went into menopause early and have been dealing with all that this phase of a women's life entails. As I try to stay more active and robust in this phase of my life there seem to be a lot of ambiguity regarding the science and treatment options for women. 

I am excited about taking this course and looking at women's health from a different lens and adding to my knowledge and understanding. I am deeply interested in learning more about complementary health practices and e health practices. I believe that much more needs to be done at different phases in women's lives to support their physical, mental and emotional well-being. In the USA, women do not get enough support through pregnancy and post-partum and it has repercussions for them through the later years. There is so much need for better knowledge, understanding and access, and we as health professionals can really make a difference. 

I believe myself to be empathetic and nurturing and that these characteristics help me connect with by patients. Most women do not have any prior experience in pelvic therapy and are often anxious and I am able to reassure them and put them at ease and help them on the road to optimal health and wellness. That is my super power !

Last summer, I visited Iceland with my family and it was amazing. Iceland is a beautiful country, there are mountains and waterfalls at every turn. We visited the site of an active volcano and went on boat ride in the glacier and swam in a hot water geyser at the famous Blue Lagoon. The food was amazing and the people were kind and friendly. I could write a whole blog just about Iceland.