Laurie Byrne (PT, MPT) is the
leading physical
therapist in the
treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction in Northern Colorado. She received her Master of Physical Therapy in 1997 from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. In 1999, Laurie established her own physical therapy practice, specializing in obstetric and gynecologic physical therapy. Since then, she has expanded her practice to treat both women and men with pelvic floor dysfunction.
Laurie continues to advance her skills through continuing education coursework and has completed over 200 hours of women’s health-specific continuing education. She is a frequent presenter at community and professional education seminars, and an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association, International Pelvic Pain Society and National Vulvodynia Association.
An estimated one-third of adult women suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, a group of clinical conditions that includes urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic pain. With the increased aging population, the national cost burden related to pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) is becoming enormous in terms of lost productivity, decreased quality of life and direct health care costs*.
Pelvic floor disorders most often plague women, but an increasingly growing number of men are also being diagnosed. Symptoms of PFD include urinary incontinence, urinary urgency and frequency, a feeling of incomplete urination, decreased urine flow and constipation, pelvic pain with intercourse, pain in the testicles (and/or penis), and pain in the lower back.
Often, patients and clinicians are unaware that effective treatment exists for these disorders. Laurie Byrne has been on the forefront of these techniques. Laurie provides a thorough evaluation and highly individualized treatment interventions that include exercise prescription, biofeedback training, soft-tissue techniques, patient education, electrotherapy on or near the pelvic floor, and behavioral/bladder retraining. Following treatment for urinary related issues, Laurie’s patients generally experience a decrease in voiding frequency and urgency, along with improvement of pelvic floor muscle contraction quality, endurance and strength. In the treatment of painful urologic and gynecologic conditions, the expected outcomes include reduction of pain, and normalization of resting tone of the pelvic floor muscles.
* National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Offi ce of Research on Women’s Health. Basic science research on female pelvic floor disorders. February 1999.
Introducing a physical therapy practice that is uniquely focused on pelvic floor rehabilitation and musculoskeletal women’s health issues throughoutthe lifespan. Patients will benefit from highly qualified expertise and individualized treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic girdle dysfunction, perinatal discomfort and urinary problems.
Commonly Treated Symptoms
Laurie specializes in providing physical therapy treatment for patients with the following conditions:
Pelvic floor dysfunction
Hypertonus
Supportive dysfunctions
Incoordination
Disuse
Neural entrapment
Myofascial pelvic pain syndromes
Pelvic girdle dysfunction
Pelvic obliquity
Ostitis pubis
Sacroiliac and coccyx pain
Groin pain
Abdominal adhesions
Neural entrapment
Urinary problems
Urge, stress and mixed incontinence
Urgency
Frequency
Urethral syndromes
Perinatal discomfort
Episiotomy and cesarean section scar tissue restrictions
Diastasis recti
Sciatica
Obstetric low back pain
After experiencing pain in my upper back/neck region, and with "electrical" pain and numbness shooting down my arms, I went to a plethora of doctors in town: an orthopedic doc specializing in the neck region, one specializing in the arm and wrist region, two neurologists, my general doc, and a host of others. I had four MRIs and several other tests. I was hoping for answers and a decrease in pain -- I was desperate. It wasn't until I saw Dr. Tim Flynn that my pain decreased dramatically, and over the course of several months, the pain nearly disappeared. I wish I'd started there! I can't thank him enough. Pain is a debilitating, miserable thing, and it had taken over my life. Now I'm back to work writing, now I’m playing with my children, and now I’m back to smiling.
-- Laura Pritchett, PhD, writer
I am very appreciative of the successful physical therapy I have received in the past year from Dr. Terry Gebhardt. On two separate occasions I have sought Terry’s help to work through some painful and worrisome issues. Both times Terry has proved to be professional, thorough and fully knowledgeable. His time and attention to both of my challenges were finalized quickly and satisfactorily, on one occasion allowing me to avoid surgery entirely. Terry came highly recommended to me and I now recommend him to you.
-- Regina Cowles
Tim Flynn has been a super PT for me. Over and over again he has helped me work through various injuries allowing me to get back to running and an active lifestyle. Tim promotes physical fitness and activity and his priority is to keep people moving. He is thorough and methodical in his assessment and treatment. He has taught me numerous stretching and strengthening exercises which have been invaluable to healing and prevention. I highly recommend Tim to any athlete. I highly recommend him to anyone who is in chronic physical pain.
-- Barbara Gotshall
As an avid tennis player and skier, my back takes a lot of pounding. After years of living with frequent pain which caused periods where I couldn't participate in the activities I love, I knew that something needed to change. My neurosurgeon recommended Dr. Gebhardt to me. Through the use of hands-on therapy, Dr. Gebhardt greatly improved the flexibility in my back, and the individualized home exercise program that he developed for me helps me continue to build strength and maintain flexibility day to day. Thanks to Dr. Gebhardt I no longer worry about the health of my back or the 'pain in my neck;' I have a new-found physical confidence in the way I approach my daily activities as well as my sports.
-- Mary Lou
I injured my right shoulder at work. Over the next two months, instead of improving, the pain slowly increased until I decided to call a sports doctor. They said I'd probably need X-rays, then likely an MRI. A week before my appointment, a friend suggested I first see a physical therapist and recommended Sheri Quesnel.
After talking to her on the phone, I decided to postpone the doctor's appointment and set up an appointment with Sheri. I'm incredibly glad I did. After the first session - a combination of diagnosis, direct therapy, and education - the pain was significantly reduced. By the end of the second session, a week later, I knew I was on the fast track to recovery.
Now, a month later, most of the pain is gone; my range of motion is nearly back to normal; and I understand my shoulder much better. Very empowering, very sastisfied.
-- Dan Bihn
I had about given up all hope of any relief from arthritis in my hips. As a last measure, I took my orthopedic surgeon’s recommendation to try physical therapy. Dr. Terry Gebhardt was very attentive to the symptoms, and developed a regimen of treatment which immediately provided relief. I was really amazed! I am now able to ski, hike and bike in comfort which I thought I would never regain without hip surgery.
-- David Durst
After suffering with bladder control issues for many years and working with another practitioner in the uro-gynecologic field, with minimal success, I was referred to Laurie Byrne. Her help has been an indispensable part of my journey back to normalcy. Laurie’s knowledge and expertise with uro-gyn issues along with her extensive physical therapy training are an unbeatable combination and are unmatched in this region. Besides being extraordinarily competent, her delightful personality and manner make treating this embarrassing problem much easier.
With Laurie’s help, I was able to progress from nearly complete incontinence to having a fair degree of control while deciding if I would need surgery. Now that my surgery is over, she is training me to prevent the dreaded and all too common recurrence. Had I known 20 years ago what I have learned from her, I could have avoided the progressively severe lifestyle limitations and eventual surgical intervention I experienced.
