about

Hanan (pronounced “haw-nun”) is the filipino goddess of the morning, dawn, and new beginnings, and I decided to name my practice as an homage to my Filipino roots. In Philippine mythology, Hanan holds special importance during major turning points and was invoked during childbirth, coming-of-age, death, the start of the planting and harvest seasons, and the New Year. In modern retellings of Philippine folklore, she is seen as a symbol of hope and new cycles.

Women go through many transitions in life such as puberty, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. During these phases, women experience a myriad of physical changes and begin having symptoms they have not experienced before. Incontinence, pelvic pain, constipation, pelvic floor heaviness, painful intercourse, etc., and one does not even need to have a history of pregnancy or childbirth to experience these symptoms! Women’s lives are cyclical in nature, and I feel Hanan’s symbolism perfectly matched what I aspire for my practice.

At Hanan Physical Therapy, my mission is to provide personalized care that creates a nurturing space for women to heal and thrive as they embark on new beginnings in their health journeys. I am dedicated to supporting your pelvic health and lactation needs with compassion and expertise.

Meet BERNADINE HOANG, PT, DPT

I’m a pelvic health physical therapist who specializes in women’s health including pelvic floor dysfunction, obstetrics, and breast pain related to the mastitis spectrum. I love supporting women in the community, and I especially love helping mothers stay active during pregnancy, prepare for childbirth, and return to running and weightlifting postpartum.

As a mother myself, I understand the struggles of juggling child rearing, working, housekeeping, and wife-ing while trying to make time to take care of myself. I’ve also had my share of symptoms related to pregnancy and postpartum recovery, and I found that having a team of people support me during those times crucial for my physical recovery (shoutout to my midwives, doulas, IBCLC, and pelvic PT!). While being a pelvic PT myself was helpful in navigating my pregnancies and recovery after childbirth, I felt that having others reassure me and provide objectivity regarding my health helpful.

A little more of my backstory

When I graduated from PT school in 2018, I thought I wanted to get into sports performance and orthopedics. With my husband (who is also a PT), we decided to do travel PT together for a couple years after graduating to explore different areas in our field and, of course, to travel. As a traveler, I gained experience working in a skilled nursing facility, school district, and outpatient orthopedic settings. Despite having experience in multiple settings, I couldn’t find a specialty that clicked for me.

Because of the pandemic in 2020, my husband and I stopped traveling, and we both settled for work in an outpatient orthopedic clinic. As time went on, I noticed some of my colleagues from PT school were getting into pelvic health, the one specialty I did not delve into nor thought I would have any interest in. I was content in working in an orthopedic and sports setting; yet out of curiosity and research, I came across a foundational pelvic floor course somewhat close where I did not have to fly to. On a whim, I decided to give pelvic health a try.

From that weekend when I took my first pelvic floor course in August 2021, I discovered a newfound passion that I never expected to find. Why did I fall in love with this specialty? That weekend, I felt like I learned (what should be) basic knowledge regarding women’s health and my health backed by research, yet there is so much misinformation, fear mongering, or simply a lack of resources for women to care for their bodies. Need to pee every hour? Thought that was normal. Sneeze peed after giving birth? Thought that was a rite of passage to motherhood. These were thoughts that I had as a graduate student who completed a physical therapy program! Until I decided to pursue further education in pelvic health, I did not realize the extent of the health disparity that is apparent in women’s healthcare. Ever since I obtained the knowledge to help these common stereotypes that women often joke about, how could I stay silent about it?

Thankfully nowadays, I do feel there is more awareness of pelvic health or pelvic floor rehab, and women more than ever are wanting to improve their quality of life rather than “just dealing with it.” From my experience in various settings and strong background in orthopedics and sports performance, I like to combine approaches from the pelvic floor and orthopedic world to provide holistic care to meet your goals. If you feel ready for a season of change, my hope by working with you is to give you a sense of confidence in managing your health by providing education and individualized treatments that are evidence-based while guiding you with what works best during your current season in life.

Credentials & Training

  • Graduate of Loma Linda University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program June 2018

  • Champion Performance Specialist (C-PS)

  • Pelvic Global Member

  • Herman and Wallace (H&W) Level 1, 2A, 2B

  • H&W Pregnancy Rehabilitation

  • H&W Postpartum Rehabilitation

  • H&W Menstruation & Pelvic Health

  • H&W Menopause Transitions & Pelvic Rehab

  • H&W Eating Disorders & Pelvic Health Rehabilitation

  • H&W Doula Services & Pelvic Rehab Therapy

  • H&W Breastfeeding Conditions

  • Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy - Physical Therapy in Gender-Affirming Care: Transgender Health

  • Carrie Pagliano’s Postpartum Return to Run Course

  • Women in Motion Wellness Therapeutic Ultrasound Course

  • Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist 2.0

  • Pelvic Global Menopause Virtual Webinar

  • Pelvic Global Bowel Bootcamp Virtual Webinar

  • Carrie Pagliano’s Run Strong Again Pro Certification