Virtual Care For Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Achieves Comparable Outcomes to In-Person Care in Half as Many Visits, Origin Research Finds

Nearly half of patients believed symptoms were untreatable before starting care and 32% had lived with painful symptoms for 3 or more years. Virtual expands access to treatment by removing the barriers that keep many from getting care.

LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Origin, the leading national provider of pelvic floor physical therapy and whole-body musculoskeletal (MSK) care for women, published the 2026 State of Pelvic Health report. The research — drawing on a clinical white paper comparing outcomes across virtual, hybrid, and in-person pelvic health physical therapy in 4,662 patients and an independent impact survey of 298 patients — reveals a chasm between need and care in pelvic health, even as pelvic health conditions affect 25% to 50% of women, with prevalence rising substantially with age.

"Despite growing mainstream awareness, pelvic health remains one of the most underfunded and under-researched areas of women's health. Women are still waiting far too long to get care, or never learning their conditions are treatable at all," said Carine Carmy, Co-founder and CEO at Origin. "At Origin, we're treating thousands of patients a month, and that gives us a real opportunity to contribute to the body of research this field urgently needs, to move the needle both culturally and systemically. This data confirms what we've seen in practice for years: pelvic floor physical therapy can meaningfully improve a person's health and quality of life, and virtual care is one of the most powerful tools we have to finally close the access gap and get women the care they deserve."

Findings from the 2026 State of Pelvic Health report include:

• Patients face a long road to finding care that actually works. Nearly half (46%) of patients had come to believe their symptoms were simply untreatable before starting care, and 32% had lived with those symptoms for three or more years.

• Origin is often a first-of-its-kind service. For 81%, Origin is the first service of its kind they have used. However, most are not new to seeking help: 87% had previously looked for support elsewhere, especially through conventional medical channels such as specialists (66%) and PCPs (44%).

• Patients must overcome barriers to care. Pelvic floor physical therapy is well established, with strong evidence behind it for a wide range of conditions that disproportionately affect women. Yet 40% of patients still reported a significant barrier to getting it: most often cost, lack of information, or time.

• With the right care, health improves quickly and substantially. 72% of patients noticed improvement within 2 to 6 sessions; 89% reported quality of life improvements after treatment; and 73% reported improvements in their mental well-being.

• Large-scale evidence comparing virtual care directly to in-person care has been limited until now. Examining outcomes from 4,662 patients, the research found that virtual care achieves clinical outcomes on par with in-person and hybrid treatment, and virtual patients reached clinical improvement in fewer than half the visits.

• Part of the problem is structural. Insurance coverage remains inconsistent and reimbursement rates don't match the specialized care this treatment requires. Left untreated, these conditions drive billions in downstream healthcare spending, from unnecessary imaging and specialist visits to surgeries that earlier care could have prevented.

"Pelvic floor therapy is the standard of care, but it still isn't within reach for too many women," said Liz Miracle, PT, MPT, PWCS, Head of Clinical Quality and Education at Origin. "We know what works, and now we need to make sure every woman can access it. Our latest research shows that virtual care is a legitimate first-line option, not a fallback. Virtual care naturally promotes autonomy and self-efficacy while removing the logistical barriers that keep many women from getting care in the first place."

The 2026 State of Pelvic Health is available today.

Research Methodology

The annual State of Pelvic Health tracks where the field stands: clinically, systemically, and in the lived experience of patients. This year's report draws on two new bodies of research: a white paper comparing outcomes across virtual, hybrid, and in-person pelvic health physical therapy in 4,662 patients, and an independent patient impact survey of 298 Origin patients conducted by 60 Decibels, a global social impact measurement firm.

About Origin

Origin is a leading national provider of pelvic floor physical therapy and whole-body musculoskeletal care for women, with a specialized focus on incontinence, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, and sexual health. Recommended by more than 10,000 doctors, Origin offers virtual and in-person physical therapy sessions, supported by On-Track, a digital program that helps patients stay engaged with their recovery between visits. One of few private pelvic health clinics to take insurance, Origin is now in-network for over 50M people and also accepts Medicare. For more information, please visit www.theoriginway.com or @theoriginway.

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SOURCE Origin Physical Therapy