We Deserve Better: Rethinking How We Treat Women in Healthcare

by Erin Collins, PT, MSPT, Astym Cert. in Physical Therapy / Wellness / Women's Health / advocacy Posted on 

11/07/2025 13:05

My awareness of how often women are dismissed in healthcare didn’t come from a single moment—it was built over years of living in a body with vague, persistent symptoms that no one seemed to take seriously and from watching the same pattern play out in clinic after clinic with my patients.

Like so many women, my own health story is filled with frustrating doctor visits. Autoimmune-like symptoms that didn’t fit neatly into one diagnosis. Fatigue and inflammation that were explained away as "stress." Symptoms that were real—and insanely disruptive—but that rarely led to helpful action. I walked away from too many appointments being made to feel as if I were crazy.

Unfortunately, my story isn’t unique.

When I worked in traditional healthcare settings, I watched this play out again and again. Women—especially those with more complex or generalized symptoms like brain fog, multi-joint pain, or chronic fatigue—were often brushed aside. If they were carrying extra weight, the dismissal was even more blatant. Their pain was too often chalked up to deconditioning, their weight, or, worse, exaggeration. Meanwhile, thinner patients were given referrals, tests, and time.

As a provider, I knew I could do better.

That’s why I started The Modern Physio.

My goal wasn’t just to open another physical therapy practice. I wanted to create a space where women could be truly seen. A space where their symptoms wouldn’t be minimized just because they didn’t show up clearly on an MRI or lab test. A space where the length of your appointment reflected the complexity of your story.

Here, I take my time. My evaluations are longer than average because real healing requires real listening. I don’t rush through rote protocols or default to "standard care." I start by hearing your story—all of it. Even the pieces other providers told you weren’t relevant.

Because they are.

I believe in giving women control over their healing journey. That control starts with validation—someone acknowledging that what you're feeling is real, and that it matters. Then I add knowledge: education about how your body works, what it needs, and what might be influencing your symptoms. And finally, I add tools: specific, practical strategies that help you feel better and more empowered in your body.

This isn’t just good care—it’s the kind of care I believe women have always deserved.

I don’t give out giant lists of "should-do's." Instead, I meet you where you are. I offer options, not ultimatums. I don’t assume I know what’s best for you—I help you decide what’s best, based on your goals, your body, and your life. That’s the difference between treating a condition and treating a person.

I’ll never forget a patient I treated who was sent to me for her shoulder pain with tennis. After a thorough evaluation, it was clear that her shoulder was strong, but her core and pelvic floor were weak and not working well causing some mild incontinence issues she'd been told was a "normal part of having kids." In her case, her shoulder was experiencing extra strain because her core stabilizers weren't carrying their load. I simply integrated some pelvic floor and core exercises to her rotator cuff program, and she started making meaningful progress. But when she went back to her doc for her follow-up visit, she was taken off of my schedule and scheduled with another PT. Why? Because I wasn’t sticking strictly to "rotator cuff rehab." I was treating the whole person—and that was clearly not okay.

But the truth is, women’s bodies are complex. Their pain is often systemic, layered, and deeply connected to hormones, stress, fascia, and past injuries. We can’t afford to keep compartmentalizing care. We have to zoom out.

I’ve also had so many patients who were essentially told they’d never get better unless they lost weight.

Not offered support.

Not evaluated thoroughly.

Not given choices.

Just dismissed.

At The Modern Physio, I don’t do that.

I look at the whole mechanical system. I connect the dots that others overlook. And I trust women’s lived experiences. Because our bodies don’t lie. They might not always speak in perfect diagnostic language, but they are always communicating.

So yes, this practice is a form of advocacy. It’s my personal stand against a system that too often overlooks the very people it was meant to serve. My mission is to give women the time, tools, and trust they need to move forward—not just with less pain, but with more agency.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, unheard, or confused about what your body is trying to tell you—you’re not alone. And you deserve better.

This is what better can look like. 

Want to work with a provider who listens, believes you, and helps you build real tools for your health?

Click here to schedule an evaluation or discovery call.

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