An Introduction to Pelvic Floor Concerns in Dancers and Artistic Athletes

Brooke Winder is a Southern California-based physical therapist with 11+ years of clinical experience, specializing in orthopedic and pelvic floor health for dancers, artistic athletes, weekend warriors, and fitness instructors. She also serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Dance at California State University, Long Beach, where she Coordinates the Bachelor’s degree program in Dance Science and teaches courses in functional anatomy, injury prevention, wellness, and Pilates. Brooke provides backstage care for touring professional dance companies, physical therapy services for summer dance intensives, and community workshops to dancers and dance educators. She is particularly passionate about educating the dance and healthcare community about pelvic floor issues such as incontinence, prolapse, and pelvic pain, and empowering dancers and practitioners to know how to address these symptoms. Having spent many years as a dancer and a former competitive gymnast, Brooke has a deep understanding of the unique demands and capabilities of artistic athletes. She serves as an expert for Pivot Dancer, a knowledge-sharing platform that provides improved access to evidence-based content to the dance community.

Brooke has been published in The Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, Clinical Biomechanics, and Orthopedic Physical Therapy Practice magazine. She has presented research on pelvic floor health in dancers at venues such as the American Physical Therapy Association Annual Combined Sections Meeting, the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science Annual Conference, and the Performing Arts Medicine Association International Symposium. Brooke earned a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Chapman University. She is a Board-Certified Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, a Certified Pilates instructor through Body Arts and Science International, and a former professional dancer with Southern California-based Backhausdance. She is also a certified POPUp Pro, having completed focused study in the management of pelvic organ prolapse. Brooke is a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, Performing Arts Medicine Association, and serves in leadership in the Performing Arts Special Interest Group of the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy in the American Physical Therapy Association.

Pivot Dancer is a knowledge-sharing platform which provides evidence-based content to the dance community. We bring together experts from around the world to give you unprecedented access to knowledge acquired through years of experience in the world of dance and science. Learn more at https://pivotdancer.com/