Dr. Rachel Worman, PT, DPT, PhD

Rachel is a licensed physical therapist, Certified Pilates Instructor, and pelvic health researcher with extensive dual training, clinical, and teaching experience in both musculoskeletal and pelvic health physical therapy. She holds two year-long post-graduate training certificates from the esteemed Manual Physical Therapy program at Folsom Physical Therapy, where she also trained, worked, and taught. She has worked as a musculoskeletal provider and founded a pelvic health program in the private outpatient setting, and most recently held a senior physical therapy position as a pelvic health provider in the Women’s Health and Urology clinics of a large medical group in Northern California.

Rachel’s interest in pelvic health began with introductory course content during her physical therapy program, which initially focused on female pelvic health. Uniquely, her clinical training started in male pelvic health; pre- and post-prostatectomy care was offered at the clinic where she worked before coursework even existed for male pelvic health. She quickly added female and pediatric pelvic health training to her education, expanding her expertise across the lifespan and all genders.

She especially enjoys treating patients experiencing pelvic pain, those who are pre- or post-prostatectomy, and individuals navigating the genitourinary and musculoskeletal symptoms associated with peri/menopause, lactation, and cancer treatments. Rachel is passionate about supporting male, female, transgender, and pediatric patients in their unique journeys. Now, as she enters the perimenopausal stage of her own life, she has developed a special interest in guiding patients through the genitourinary and musculoskeletal challenges that accompany menopause and related life stages.

Rachel has held part-time and adjunct faculty positions at both California State University (CSU) Fresno and Sacramento, as well as a clinical lecturer position at the University of California (UC) Davis School of Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine. She received her Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) from CSU Fresno in 2007, and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the joint program at UC San Francisco and CSU Fresno in 2008.

She has published numerous journal articles on muscle physiology, pelvic pain, men’s health, and lifestyle medicine, as well as textbook chapters on cervical spine sprain/strain and pelvic pain topics. In 2019, Rachel was awarded a full scholarship from the University of Queensland in Australia for PhD candidacy under the advisory team of Professor Paul Hodges, PhD, and Ryan Stafford, PhD, and successfully defended her thesis in 2024. Her research focused on pelvic health outcome measures for all populations and male pelvic pain. Rachel continues to pursue research through collaborations with leading researchers around the world and has been awarded Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) funding to study women with pelvic pain. She has been an invited national and international speaker in her areas of research, and was recently appointed to serve as the chair of the Research Committee for the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy.

Outside of work, you’ll find her conducting and writing research papers, in the garden studying for her master gardener certificate, traveling, scuba diving, practicing Pilates, and supporting all of her child's sports, science, and music activities alongside her partner.

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