At the Core of Holistic Wellness: Q&A with The Pilates PT

Dr. Rachel Miller, owner of The Pilates PT, blends her passions for Pilates and wellness.

If you haven’t jumped on the Pilates bandwagon yourself, you’ve likely heard a friend, family member, colleague, or even your local barista rave about its benefits. It’s no coincidence: the popularity of Pilates has skyrocketed in recent years, making it the fastest-growing workout modality.

But while Pilates is the talk of the town, a topic much less likely to be discussed (but no less important) is pelvic floor health. What if blending the “cool kid” (Pilates) with holistic women’s wellness could bring the latter out of obscurity and into the limelight? (Think 1990s rom-com She’s All That)…Enter Dr. Rachel Miller, owner of The Pilates PT studio in Libertyville!

Dr. Rachel and her team take a personalized and holistic approach to treating active adults, ensuring they continue feeling their best. Visiting her bright, sun-filled studio—outfitted with Pilates reformer machines—is a far cry from the conventional physical therapy experience.

We asked Dr. Rachel about her background, mission, and approach to holistic wellness leading up to our Women’s Wellness Workshop at The Pilates PT. Read her story and top wellness tips for women in our Q&A below.

The sun-filled studio equipped with Pilates reformer machines.

Tell us about yourself and The Pilates PT

I have been a Physical Therapist for over 20 years with a strong foundation in manual therapy and orthopedics.  After I had my two boys (who are teens now), I became interested in women's health and pelvic floor PT.  I have also been a certified Pilates instructor since 2008 and have taught mat Pilates in gyms for fitness ever since.

Almost 10 years ago, I started The Pilates PT in order to offer a more holistic approach- offering Pilates based Physical Therapy that treats both orthopedic and pelvic floor issues, plus also offers prevention and wellness options. 

What motivated you to open the studio? What's your mission? 

There was a need for more holistic care and wellness.  My mission is to educate and empower active adults to better understand their body and feel their best.

How do you help women navigate pre/postnatal care? What other populations do you work with? 

There is a HUGE gap in pre/postnatal care.  Knowledge is power and there are many things we can do during pregnancy to help us feel better throughout but also to help with labor, delivery and postpartum recovery.  Postpartum is forever- so even if you had a baby 20 years ago we still recommend coming in for a Mommy Tune Up!  We do also treat orthopedic issues (and yes, we do see men too)!

Who knew PT could be fun?

What are the most common concerns you treat? 

We see a lot of patients with low back or hip pain, pelvic pain (including SI pain), neck/shoulder issues, and pelvic floor (incontinence, prolapse, diastasis recti, and other diagnoses).  

What's unique about your approach?

Our PTs (myself and Dr. Felisha) are both trained in orthopedics, pelvic floor/women's health and Pilates.  With our extensive experience and holistic approach, we also spend almost an hour with every patient so we are able to provide a lot of hands on therapy in addition to exercise and lots of education!  Our approach helps people feel better and meet their goals but also can help people stay feeling better, especially with chronic issues.  Some of our patients fall in love with the benefits of Pilates and then transition over to private sessions or small group classes, which is great to work on mobility and core strengthening when they no longer need PT.

Are there any symptoms people may be surprised to learn are related to pelvic floor health? 

In pelvic floor PT, we talk about lots of things- diet, bowel movements, s*x, bladder habits and more.  Pelvic floor PT can help with hip tightness, urinary frequency or urgency (feeling like you always have to go to the bathroom or UTI symptoms but negative tests), constipation, scar tissue from abdominal or vaginal surgeries, bowel issues & more!

Dr. Rachel shows me around her studio.

Can you share your best wellness tips for women?

Kegels are not the answer for pelvic floor health.  Many women have too much tightness in the pelvic floor muscles.  And many women also do not perform kegels correctly.  Making sure that your brain is connected to your pelvic floor, especially after pregnancy/delivery or abdominal/vaginal surgery is so important. We recommend advocating for pelvic floor PT for yourself!  Or at a minimum, come see us for an Annual Wellness Exam or Mommy Tune Up so we can check proactively (with ultrasound on the abdominal wall...clothes stay on)!

What can folks expect to learn at our Women's Wellness Workshop on 3/11?

This workshop will combine education and exercise, and will be a great opportunity to try the Pilates reformer.  We will also have time for Q&A and meeting/connecting with other women.

The Pilates PT is located at 1113 S Milwaukee Ave Ste 203, Libertyville, IL.