About Helmden
Who built this, and what it is.
The clinicians
Helmden is built and reviewed by the physical therapists at Integrated Pelvic Care (IPC), a pelvic-health clinic and training organization. Every method in this app traces back to their clinical work, not a generic fitness or wellness template.
Woody Wu
Medical doctor by training (former orthopedic surgeon), physical therapist · Coach
Woody trained as a medical doctor and worked as an orthopedic surgeon in Beijing before retraining in physical therapy at McGill University in Montreal. That mix of a surgeon's screening eye and a therapist's hands is where this method comes from: he built the approach Helmden teaches, and he trains pelvic-health clinicians across North America in it. He is a founding member of Integrated Pelvic Care (IPC), and his judgment about when a problem is trainable and when it needs a doctor's eyes is built into this program.
Steven Tijerina
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Cert. MDT · Coach
Steven is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who directs IPC's US operations and runs an orthopedic clinic where he treats men's pelvic issues every week: pelvic pain, recovery after surgery, and control problems. He mentors physical therapists across the US in male pelvic care, builds IPC's clinician training courses, and hosts weekly coaching calls for the Pelvic Tribe, a professional community for pelvic-health clinicians.
Where IPC comes from
Integrated Pelvic Care started as a training program for pelvic-health physical therapists across North America. Woody Wu built the relax-first method Helmden teaches out of that clinical training, and Steven Tijerina directs IPC's US operations and treats men's pelvic issues in clinic every week. IPC also runs the Pelvic Tribe, a professional community of pelvic-health clinicians who mentor each other on this exact problem.
What Helmden is
Helmden is educational training. It teaches breathing, pelvic-floor control, pacing, and interoception skills that pelvic-health clinicians already use with patients, adapted into a self-paced program you can do at home. The coaches in this app are presented as coaches, guiding you through exercises, not as your treating clinician.
What Helmden isn't
Helmden isn't medical care, a diagnosis, or a prescription. Nothing in this app replaces an exam by your own doctor or physical therapist. If you have pain, numbness, weakness, or urinary symptoms, see a clinician before starting the program. Read our editorial policy for exactly how we decide what does and doesn't belong in this app.
Contact
Questions about the content or the program: email hello@helmden.com.