Theresa Monaco Spitznagle PT, DPT, WCS is currently a Professor in the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University in St Louis.

Over the past 25 years, Tracy has focused her clinical practice on the treatment of patients with fecal and urinary incontinence, painful bladder syndrome, pelvic pain, dyspareunia, and pregnancy-related lumbo-pelvic pain. Dr Spitznagle has consistently combined her love of women’s health and pelvic health with her desire to serve across both her personal and professional engagements. Professional contributions that Tracy has made include, the development of a post-doctoral fellowship training program for Pelvic Health Physical therapy, Chair of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists, a 10 year commitment as a board member of the Worldwide Fistula Fund and a founding board member of the Global Women’s Health Initiative. She has also served on the fundraising committee for the Dignity Period Gala. Her current American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Pelvic Health service includes chairing the clinical practice guideline steering committee and the Knowledge Transfer Task Force, as well as serving on the international education committee.

Through her involvement in international organizations Tracy has developed an expertise in treating patients with obstetric fistula as well as providing capacity building for Physical Therapy Education in Ethiopia. Her publications include topics associated with clinical practice guidelines for post-partum pelvic girdle pain, capacity building in Ethiopia, chronic pelvic pain, diagnosis for pelvic floor conditions; diastasis recti abdominis; movement-related urinary urgency; and physical examination of the pelvic floor muscles.

Dr Spitznagle’s professional activities have resulted in presentations at multiple professional meetings including; the Midwest Global Health Conference Keynote speaker, American Urogynecological Society Conference and the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting, World Congress of Physical Therapy, World Congress on Low back and Pelvic Pain and the International Pelvic Pain Society. 

She has traveled to Ethiopia many times to develop physical therapy training programs and clinical capacity, working especially with the Physical Therapy Program at the College of Health Sciences at Mekelle University.