Born from Love

Growing up in Lewes, Delaware, Logan Shuttle-Worth enjoyed science classes. However, the Wilmington University alumna also relished her creative side. “I went back and forth between wanting to be a special education teacher or physical therapist,” she says.

She found the perfect marriage in occupational therapy. “It’s a beautiful blend of science, anatomy and creativity,” she says. An occupation involves any meaningful activity, not just a job. It includes parenting, managing your home, shopping and playing sports. However, disease, surgery, and injuries can hinder any of these occupations and affect the quality of life.

The profession has a variety of subgroups, and shortly after the birth of Shuttleworth’s daughter, she found her focus. “I was listening to a podcast about maternal health, and it made me realize that babies get about 12 visits in their first six months, and moms get one. In other countries, women get an automatic referral to pelvic floor therapists after giving birth.” 

Pelvic health therapy can also benefit athletes, people with spinal cord injuries, and children. In Shuttleworth’s Lewes-based practice, Triumph Pelvic Health, she helps young women, athletes, pregnant and postpartum women, and women experiencing urogynecological changes related to perimenopause and menopause. 

Her journey to college graduate and entrepreneur took a high-pressure turn when the star volleyball player learned she was pregnant. At the time, Shuttleworth was a West Chester University student. She needed to move home to be near her supportive family. The expectant mother also wanted to quickly earn a degree to provide for her daughter. “I needed to come up with a game plan, and Wilmington University was a huge part of it,” she says.

By taking WilmU courses through-out the year, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Science one year earlier than planned. Five days after graduation, she entered a master’s program in Occupational Therapy at Shenandoah University, which had a hybrid program.

Shuttleworth interned for Dr. Megan Anderson in Lewes, who specializes in treating women with pelvic pain. “She’s been a wonderful mentor to me,” says Shuttleworth, who also completed a rotation at Bayhealth Medical Center and in the Cape Henlopen School District.

In 2023, she earned the M.S. in Occupational Therapy and started working in an outpatient clinic. However, the insurance-based model didn’t give her enough time with patients. So, she opened Triumph Pelvic Health to provide personalized, holistic support.

Services include evidence-based interventions to treat incontinence, constipation, pain with intimacy and prolapse. Take, for instance, myofascial release, internal and external trigger-point release, visceral manipulation, diaphragm manipulation, core rehab, pressure management and strength training.

The certified pregnancy and post-partum corrective exercise specialist also uses exercises to improve functionality. For instance, a client with postpartum back pain learned to breathe and mindfully move as she cared for her toddler. Concentration and repetition lead to automatic corrections over time. 

Not all the treatments are physical. Women experiencing painful sexualintercourse learn to manage their bodies’ nervous systems’ response to anticipated pain. Consequently, the brain views intimacy as an opportunity for safe connection and pleasure instead of a perceived threat. Owning her own business has helped Shuttleworth maintain her work-life balance, a priority she started in college. 

“I was taking a strong course load for a while, but after I picked my daughter up from school, I did not use my computer until after she went to bed,” says Shuttleworth, who plans to receive a post-professional doctorate of Occupational Therapy this summer. “I worked really hard before and after. Even when I was in school, even when I was coaching volleyball, I had to have time with her. She comes first.”

—Pam George