Sierra Rehrer, doctor of physical therapy
Arise
Physical Therapy & Wellness
Womens Health – Pelvic & Abdominal Health – Low Pressure Fitness – Spinal Stimulation – Spina Bifida Specialist
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Sierra Rehrer, DPT
Sierra is a board certified doctor of physical therapy, who specializes in treatment of the pelvic floor and core, with a specific focus on women’s pelvic and abdominal health, prenatal/postpartum rehab, low pressure fitness training, and pediatric bowel/bladder conditions. She achieved her doctorate of physical therapy from The University of Saint Augustine in San Marcos, CA, in 2013. Her love for using physical therapy for treatment of pelvic related complications began with the desire to pursue an aspect of physical therapy with deeper internal medicine knowledge, with the hope of helping women and men around the world. She has completed all required course work for the pelvic health speciality certification, and is awaiting the credentials from testing.
Her journey of specializing in treatment of spina bifida began in 2020, when she had a son born with spina bifida. She has now become more and more educated on specialty physical therapy options for treatment of spina bifida, including the use of spinal stimulation, whole body vibration, and functional electrical stimulation.
She also has a background in orthopedics with treatment of movement dysfunctions involving the spine, upper extremity, and lower extremities, with a passion for helping her patients return to desired sports/recreational activities. In addition, she has training and clinical experience in the treatment of neuromuscular deficits affecting strength, balance, and gait.
She currently lives and practices in Hawaii with a focus on low pressure fitness training, spinal stimulation for spina bifida, use of hypervibe vibration plate training, and postpartum/ pelvic and abdominal health care. She is very passionate and grateful for the opportunity to help women and little ones who fall into these categories and have these specific needs.
Education and Background
Education
I achieved a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Indiana State Univesity from 2006-2010. After undergrad, I attended physical therapy school from 2011 to 2013 at the University of Saint Augustine in San Marcos, CA., studying the method of manual therapy by Dr. Stanley Paris. I am grateful for the opportunity to achieve a doctorate of physical therapy degree, and for all that I learned during my time there. Prior to this, I graduated from Indiana State University with a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology.
Low Pressure Fitness
I learned about Low Pressure Fitness training from a friend and was immediately intrigued. Everything I have learned about low pressure fitness and hypopressives leaves me with a desire to learn more, as I truly believe in the benefits of it for everyone, but specifically for postpartum women! I have seen results for myself with improved core functioning, posture, and a quick recovery to my previous waist size! I also can feel the benefits for low back pain and SI joint dysfunction, as well as recovery of prolapse and incontinence. I have completed the 3 levels of training.
Orthopedic Training
After receiving my doctor of physical therapy degree, I decided to start practicing in outpatient orthopedics, as I felt this would help me to further my manual therapy skills and understanding of the musculoskeletal system to a much deeper level and build on the foundation I attained in my program at Saint Augustine. I am so thankful that I did, as I have been immensely challenged and I have gained profound insight about the body. I have much respect for the physical therapy profession. I am honored to be a part of this aspect of medicine; an integrative and holistic approach to healing to empower an individual understanding of their pain and provide the tools to create change from the inside out.
Spinal Stimulation
I have been trained in spinal stimulation (and functional electrical stimulation) from Gerti Motavalli, who was the pioneer of this type of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for children with spina bifida. I have now used for my son weekly with multiple different settings for sitting and standing with the hope of improving muscle activation during functional activities. We have seen the benefits of muscle activation for bone density, circulation, and muscle strength.
Women’s Health
My training in pelvic and abdominal dysfunction began in 2017 with the dream of helping individuals around the world from all different backgrounds and to bring medicine in less developed countries with little access to modern medicine. I felt that being able to help women after having babies would be so beneficial, so I sought training from Jolene Smith on Oahu, who had helped pioneer pelvic health physical therapy to the islands. Since then, I have completed extensive coursework through the APTA, Herman and Wallace, and low pressure fitness, as well as other pelvic and abdominal education platforms for both adults and pediatrics. I am currently working toward a Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner certification.
Spina Bifida
In 2020, I became pregnant with a little boy! During our anatomy ultrasound, we were informed that our baby had a neural tube defect, called spina bifida myelomeningocele. He had a very large lesion and also a significant amount of hydrocephalus. From that day forward, we were determined to give our son the best life we could. As a physical therapist myself, I have devoted my time and effort into learning all that I can about spina bifida and how we can get the best possible outcomes for my son, with resources such as spinal stimulation and training with the hypervibe vibration plate. I am also passionate about helping others on their journey with this diagnosis as well. I intend to share encouragement and knowledge along the way and would love to be a support to other moms and families in anyway that I can.