Meet Your Dallas Pelvic Pain Specialist: Dr. Rucha Kapadia
Dr. Rucha Kapadia is a pelvic pain specialist with experience in treating both male and female patients who experience chronic pelvic pain, core muscular and pelvic floor dysfunction, and musculoskeletal related issues.
Dr. Kapadia’s approach to treatment is rooted in care, compassion, and a strong belief in treating the patient as a whole human being, rather than a collection of symptoms. She understands the emotional and physical toll that chronic pain can take, and works hard to build an interdisciplinary treatment plan using all the tools available. Her treatments include diet modification, lifestyle changes, manual and mechanical movement, and as well as alternative modalities such as acupuncture and aromatherapy. When necessary, she uses minimally invasive, ultrasound guided procedures including steroid injections, nerve blocks, and trigger point injections to alleviate pain, inflammation, and discomfort. Her overall goal lies in implementing every non-invasive treatment choice to help alleviate pain and discomfort while avoiding invasive and life altering surgeries.
In her free time, Dr. Kapadia enjoys painting, baking, reading, and exploring the outdoors with her husband. She is an avid fan of classical Indian dance, an art form which she also teaches.
GET TO KNOW YOUR DOCTOR
WHY DID YOU BECOME A DOCTOR?
Though healthcare is a realm that is always changing and advancing, the human touch aspect stands strong and unwavering in this field. Becoming a physician has given me the opportunity to create relationships with my patients and aid in removing illness while restoring quality of life for them.
WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF YOUR APPROACH TO TREATMENT?
While the world of healthcare often focuses on treating the surface level symptoms that a patient experiences, my belief is that treatment should be holistic. My goal is always to find and treat the root cause of the problem. Very often, this entails just listening to the patient’s story and placing the puzzle pieces together to create a story. Pain especially is multifaceted and should be approached systematically as there is seldom only one trigger. The human body is a beautiful creation that actually has a plethora of self healing modalities through a bi-directional connection between structure and function.
WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO PELVIC PAIN?
Pelvic dysfunction is often related to more than just an underlying physical dysfunction, but very often has coexisting psychosocial, emotional, and personal factors. I consider it very important to get to know the patient and understand their individual journey and behaviors that led to them seeking treatment. Though pelvic pain can be a difficult topic to discuss, I strive to create an environment where my patients can openly discuss their deepest concerns with the hope of improving. My one goal is to get the patient better, allowing them to thrive in their daily lives.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
I love being able to make personal connections with each of my patients. I gain a sense of happiness and accomplishment in watching them take charge of their own care and make progress over time.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT PELVIC HEALTH?
While pelvic health issues are very common, it is still a taboo topic that is not discussed openly enough in our community. This in turn can cause very lonely and isolated feelings in the people who struggle with pelvic floor dysfunction. I want my patients to know that I understand that these are real conditions that affect your body - they’re not “all in your head.”
I also think it’s important for everyone to understand that there’s often no silver bullet or individual treatment that will make these problems go away. Treatment requires a broad and comprehensive approach over a period of weeks to months that we can work together to accomplish.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE PATIENT CARE?
It is so important that the patient feels that they are really being listened to. When someone comes to me for help, I try to form a personal relationship with them and make them feel as comfortable as possible expressing themselves openly. I want them to feel understood and validated. This is all necessary so that we can work together to come up with a personalized package of treatment that specifically addresses their needs and concerns.
I also believe in the importance of following through and making the effort to maintain that personal relationship. This means checking in, seeing what’s working and what isn’t, and being responsive and adaptable, even between appointments.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Dr. Rucha Kapadia, MD graduated from University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine in an accelerated 6-year program, completing Bachelor of Liberal Arts (2012) and Doctorate of Medicine (2014) degree. She then pursued her residency at Barnes Jewish Hospital/Washington University Consortium in St. Louis, MO and The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis.
LANGUAGES
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Dr. Rucha Kapadia completed the Interventional Pain Course presented by the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit of the McGill University Health Centre.
After receiving her MD from the University of Missouri- Kansas City in 2014, Dr. Kapadia completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Barnes Jewish Hospital/Washington University Consortium in St. Louis, MO and The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis. Throughout her residency, she was editor of Rehab in Review, a publication covering physical and rehabilitation. Dr. Kapadia co-authored and presented research on patient outcomes in acute care settings. She is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and was the recipient of a current ongoing fellowship with Institute for Functional Medicine Certification.