About Me
Beth Shelly is a Doctor of Physical Therapy board certified in women’s health and biofeedback for pelvic floor dysfunction. She has practiced for over 35 years, specializing in women’s and men’s health.
Beth graduated from Northeastern University suma cum laude in 1985. She has been in the field of women’s health since her graduation working in a variety of settings including hospital based in and out patient and free standing PT clinics. Beth spent 5 years at Maternal and Child Health Center in Cambridge MA working with Hollis Herman and another 5 years at Women’s Hospital in Baton Rouge LA. She moved to the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa in 2000.
Beth completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa in 2007 with the completion of her research in the methods PTs use to learn PFM examination.
- Methods used by physical therapists to learn pelvic floor muscle examination Neurourol and Urodynam, 2009;28(7):821-822
- Characteristics of therapists reporting high and low skill confidence in examination of pelvic floor muscles. Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy. 2010;34(3):89-98.
- Poster presentation International Continence Society Ultrasound Imaging Use in the Clinical Practice of United States Pelvic PT’s, Philadelphia, PA, August 31, 2018
Current & Recent Projects
Recently published – Beth has joined a group of internationally known leaders in the field of pelvic health to define standard terms in this field.
An International Continence Society (ICS) report on the terminology for pelvic floor muscle assessment
Helena Frawley & Beth Shelly & Melanie Morin & Stephanie Bernard & Kari Bo & Giuseppe Alessandro Digesu & Tamara Dickinson & Sanchia Goonewardene & Doreen McClurg & Mohammed S. Rahnama’l & Alexis Schizas & Marijke Slieker-ten Hove & Satoru Takahashi & Jenniffer Voelkl Guevara
An International Urogynecological Association (IUGA)/ International Continence Society (ICS) joint report on the terminology for the conservative and nonpharmacological management of female pelvic floor dysfunction
Kari Bo & Helena C. Frawley & Bernard T. Haylen & Yoram Abramov & Fernando G. Almeida & Bary Berghmans & Maria Bortolini & Chantale Dumoulin & Mario Gomes & Doreen McClurg & Jane Meijlink & Elizabeth Shelly & Emanuel Trabuco & Carolina Walker & Amanda Wells. Int Urogynecol J (2017) 28:191–213.
Pathology Implications for the Physical Therapist 5th ed
2021 by Goodman and Fuller, Elsevier Publishers. Beth is the section editor for woman’s health and edited and wrote for 4 different chapters.
Facing Pelvic Pain – A Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Resource for Patients with Pelvic Pain 2021, https://www.facingpelvicpain.org/
Differential Diagnosis for Physical Therapists screening for referral. 7th edition – Women’s health editor, content in multiple chapters. Eds CC Goodman, J Heick, RT Lazaro. Elsevier Publications, in publication.
