Caroline Arbour, PT, DPT
City: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Visit types: Office/Hospital; Virtual
Spoken languages: French and English
Interpreting services for other languages: No
I have been a PT for 18 years and have specialized in women’s pelvic health for the past 14 years. I have a holistic approach with all my patients. When treating endo patients (or any pain condition typical to women at any stage of life), I am always sensitive to the multi-dimensional aspects of their pain. Women have often been invalidated (often multiple times) when trying to seek care and/or diagnosis for their pain and validation that their pain is real, no matter what the diagnosis, is always one of my priorities.
More specifically, I spend a lot of time talking with my patients to help me understand their journey and identify their needs, beliefs, goals, etc.
I evaluate and treat using breathwork, mindfulness approaches, gentle and progressive exercises, visceral and myofascial release techniques, and yoga therapy. I have also done a lot of courses on pain system sensitization and centralization. A lot of education is always offered to my patients; resources are shared, and explanations of the pain system, the condition, and the role of the multiple dimensions of pain (bio, psycho, social, cultural, etc.)
I have also written a book (an essay)—published in 2023—called “Habiter nos corps / Pour en finir avec la banalisation de la douleur des femmes. In this book I research, explore, and share about the multiple dimensions of pain, the history of women’s health, sociology, language, and other cultural aspects contributing to pain (by invalidating it, for example).