Navel
Peripartum Physical Therapy
Bianca Rachey, PT, DPT, CAFS, CAPP-PELVIC, CAPP-OB
Postpartum, during pregnancy, and prior to it. Specialized Physical Therapy for this season of life.
My Practice
I specialize in Orthopedic, Obstetric, and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, and have been a leading Physical Therapist in Seattle since 2017. I use evidence-informed manual therapy, prescriptive exercise, and education to facilitate tissue healing and movement optimization. I offer one-on-one care, and plans designed specifically for you.
I teach return to postpartum activity safely. Preparation for the demands of pregnancy itself. How to set yourself up for an autonomous and successful labor and delivery. I treat diagnoses such as upper and lower back, pelvic, sacroiliac, hip, and tailbone pain. Weakness, tightness, numbness. Sciatic pain. I help navigate pain related to breastfeeding. Pain related to Caesarian-section scars. Urinary, fecal, and mixed incontinence. Trouble with initiation and completion of voiding. Prolapse. Uncomfortable intercourse. Painful and absent orgasm.
Your goal is my goal.
About Navel
The navel is our center. Our body’s center of gravity, the center of our breath, where the center of our existence begins. It is here that through the placenta, the umbilical cord attached us to our mothers. It is the testament to them, to their sacrifice to bring us life. It is the first scar of our own, a reminder that we can do hard things and that not all scars are bad.
Rates
$450
Evaluation
(120 minutes)
An understanding of your story, a detailed assessment, and an establishment of our plan. Findings from this visit drive the recommendation for necessity and frequency of future visits.
Available in-office or via telemedicine.
$300
Follow-Up
(90 minutes)
A re-assessment of your progress and changes, and an adjustment of our plan of care accordingly.
Available in-office or via telemedicine.
Me
When she looks up under the night sky or out on the mountaintops at the summit, when she lets the world be her teacher en route to her next destination, she realizes just how small she is, how insignificant we are. And ironically, that, there, has the opposite effect. It makes her want to matter the most that she can. She wants to leave this world a little better than she found it. As a mother, as an educator, as a person.
Qualifications
Studies
Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Kinesiology: San Diego State University (2011)
Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT): The University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences (2014)
Post-Doctoral
Certification of Applied Functional Science (CAFS): The Gary Gray Institute (2014)
Certification of Achievement in Obstetric Physical Therapy (CAPP-OB): The American Physical Therapy Association (2019)
Certification of Achievement in Pelvic Health Physical Therapy (CAPP-Pelvic): The American Physical Therapy Association (2021)
Research
The efficacy of antepartum physical therapy on symphysis pubis dysfunction: An evidence-based case study (2019)
Pelvic floor physical therapy intervention on concurrent deep-superficial dyspareunia following surgical removal of stage III/IV endometrial lesions: An evidence-based case study (2021)
Professional Affiliations
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), The Academy of Pelvic Health
Reviews
Bianca made such a difference in my recovery post-birth. My husband and I took a kid-free trip to Palm Springs with our sisters. One of the days that we were there, we hiked Mt. San Jacinto. It was a 13.2 mile hike with 4500 feet of gain which took us 8.5 hours to complete. I did not hurt ONCE. My knees, hips, back - all felt great. I continue to reference all that I learned from her, and am constantly working on myself to make sure I stay strong and limber.
Bianca's support as a pelvic PT was invaluable during my pregnancy. She addressed all of my challenges, and drew a brilliant connection between a previous foot injury and my pelvic pain. She took a holistic approach to my treatment, and struck a delicate balance between having positive bedside manner and challenging me to gain strength to prepare my body for labor and postpartum. 10/10 recommend Bianca for pelvic PT.
I have been to a Spinal Specialist, Chiropractor, Sports Medicine Doctor, and another Physical Therapist, but nothing compares to the care and attention Bianca provided me during my 6-week rehab program. I'm a competitive CrossFit athlete, broke my back twice in 2016, and have always struggled with back pain. If you're in the market to not only HEAL, but LEARN about why your body does what it does, why it requires the deliberate focus PT provides, and how to best practice safe and sound movement patterns for optimal mobility, do not look any further. Recommend to the moon and back again.
My body went through so many challenges during pregnancy, labor, and birth. After giving birth to my daughter, I didn't know when to start working out again, and most importantly, HOW to start it. A weakened pelvic floor, back pain after each breastfeeding, shoulder discomfort when I lifted my baby... From the moment I started Physical Therapy with Bianca, my body started to gain back the strength it used to have. We had telehealth appointments, which worked well for me - I had my postpartum Physical Therapy at home and I loved it! Bianca has a very lovely personality, and was very interested in my health.
I saw Bianca for sciatic pain during my pregnancy. She was instrumental in my recovery to eliminate my pain. She had faith I would get better when I was ready to quit.
This was my first experience with PT and I could not say more good things about Bianca. She's phenomenal over telemedicine. I am a trail runner and injured my hip flexor. At first, I wasn’t able to lift my leg at all without pain, and after six visits, was cleared to run. I’ve also never had a PT really think about strengths and weaknesses in other parts of my body to keep me from getting injured in the future. I ended up not only pain-free, but with a much deeper understanding of my body’s mechanics. She has terrific listening skills, and was very responsive to my many questions. I feel better just knowing that PT’s like Bianca exist.
I had Endometriosis surgery and after months, still had daily pain. My surgeon recommended Pelvic Floor PT. I started PT with little hope that it would help, but after 8 weeks with Bianca, I am entirely pain-free. I had no idea that pain could be managed so well with PT. Thank you, Bianca, for showing me what it is like to not have to live with that kind of pain.
Wish I had found Bianca sooner. I saw her for incapacitating lower back pain, unable to drive and close to tears. Bianca immediately recognized the nature of my pain, but reassured me it was gratefully treatable. In the few weeks of working with Bianca, I am pain-free, and have gained strength that will help me to avoid this kind of episode in the future. Your time is respected, and in turn, you get better.
Bianca is amazing! I saw her to strengthen my shoulder, and then again for a knee injury. Having done both in-office and telehealth appointments, I found it easier to stick to my exercise program at home when doing telemedicine - learning new exercises in the comfort of my living room helped me embed them into my daily routine. When I started seeing Bianca for my knee, I could barely walk without pain, but now it's like the injury never happened, and I feel stronger than before. The exercises she gave me felt really tailored to where I was at each point in my recovery, rather than just being given a blanket set of exercises to do for months on end, and I appreciate how much thought and care went into my program. I 100% credit Bianca with a faster-than-expected recovery and while I hope to not need PT anytime in the near future, I know where to turn if I do!
I saw Bianca for pain I had been having for over a year in my tailbone. She helped me regain strength in my pelvic floor, and I am now, finally, pain-free! I loved working with her.
The sum of it: Bianca is amazing at her craft. I developed chronic neck and shoulder pain for roughly two years, to the point at which I was unable to perform my desk job. Initially, I saw two Chiropractors, two Physicians, and two other Physical Therapists with minor improvements, but still experienced daily pain. Then I decided to try PT with Bianca. Bianca's specificity of treatment and at-home exercises brought about improvement by improvement. Fast forward a few months, I'm back to living life.
Bianca is a genius, guys. She knows her stuff, and is so clearly passionate about helping people get well. Her energy and enthusiasm make the PT thing almost pleasant. I went in for a really problematic shoulder injury that just wasn't healing after months of laying off activity. PT was the only thing that worked, and I'm delighted to be pain-free and back to a regular yoga practice.
I've seen five Physical Therapists, six Chiropractors, and two Physiatrists across five states, including at Columbia and NYU. I had only six weeks in Seattle for work travel, and decided to seek treatment, despite my assumption it wouldn't really do much for me. I was very wrong. Bianca is a tremendously gifted clinician, and in an incredibly short time helped create mobility in my hip I haven't had for 3+ years after a serious back injury, and addressed a case of tendonitis that flared up seemingly out of nowhere (and was the original reason I came in). No one has been able to achieve what she achieved in diagnosing and addressing joint and musculature issues, even after several MRIs. I'm incredibly thankful to her, and wish I had more time with her. If you're in pain, go. If you're not, go anyway.
