Community Highlights: Meet Alyssa Rives of Momumental Physical Therapy & Performance

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Rives.

Hi Alyssa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my business after navigating two very different birth and postpartum experiences of my own. My second birth was empowered and peaceful because I finally had the right education, support, and care—and it completely shifted how I viewed women’s health. It showed me just how much outcomes change when women are given time, information, and individualized support.

As a physical therapist, I spent years working in traditional outpatient settings where burnout was common and care was rushed. I was often seeing two to three patients an hour, leaving little time to truly sit down, listen, and engage. Insurance limitations frequently dictated what could and couldn’t be treated, often reducing complex, whole-body issues to a single body part or checklist of exercises. I knew women deserved better—especially during pregnancy and postpartum, when their bodies are undergoing immense change.

That realization pushed me to create a practice built around time, connection, and whole-person care. In my current practice, women receive 60–90 minutes of one-on-one treatment with a licensed physical therapist—no technicians, no cookie-cutter programs, and no insurance restrictions limiting care. We treat the entire body, not just symptoms, and every plan is individualized to the woman in front of me.

My ideal clients are pregnant or postpartum women who want to feel like themselves again—especially active moms who want to return to movement, sport, or fitness safely and confidently. I love showing women that they don’t have to choose between being an athlete and being a mom—they can be both.

At the core of my work is a strong belief that perinatal and postpartum care needs to change. Care should exist without fear-based messaging or blanket recommendations. Postpartum recovery should involve far more than a single six-week follow-up appointment. Being told to “do nothing” for six weeks and then suddenly resume normal activity is a recipe for injury. Women’s bodies deserve more education, more support, and more thoughtful progression both during pregnancy and well into the postpartum period. My goal is to provide that missing care—so women feel strong, informed, and confident in their bodies again.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting this business has absolutely not been a smooth road. One of my biggest challenges was simply taking the leap and having the confidence to bet on myself. Stepping out of the familiarity of traditional healthcare and into entrepreneurship pushed me far outside my comfort zone.

Building a business from scratch while raising two young children—ages three and ten months—has also been a major challenge. Much of the work happens during nap times, early mornings before my kids wake up, or late at night after they’re asleep. Learning how to balance motherhood and entrepreneurship has required flexibility, patience, and a lot of late nights.

That said, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have an amazing support system. My husband has been my biggest encourager from the start, constantly reminding me that I’m capable of doing this. Our family—my mom, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and husband—have all stepped in to help care for my kids when I’m working. I truly would not be able to build this business without their support, and I’m deeply grateful for the role they’ve played in making this possible.

We’ve been impressed with Momumental Physical Therapy & Performance, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My practice bridges the gap between pelvic floor physical therapy and sports rehab. While some pelvic health providers may stop at symptom relief and most orthopedic physical therapists overlook the pelvic floor, I combine specialized pelvic floor physical therapy with sport-specific training—because moms are athletes too. As both a clinician and lifelong athlete, I understand the athlete mindset and never use fear-based messaging like “you shouldn’t lift” or “you’ll never do that again.” Movement is medicine, and with one-on-one care outside insurance limitations, I’m able to take a whole-body, performance-driven approach that helps women return to the heavy lifting, running, and training they love—without fear or limitation.

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with advanced training in pelvic health, I bring both clinical depth and performance expertise to my work. I’m also a lifelong athlete, having competed on American Ninja Warrior and trained as a CrossFit athlete, which deeply informs how I approach pregnancy and postpartum care. As a mom of two, I understand firsthand the physical and emotional demands women face during this season and design care that respects both their bodies and their lives.

I primarily work with pregnant and postpartum women in the North Atlanta area who want to return to strength training, running, and sport safely and confidently. Education is a cornerstone of my practice, helping women rebuild trust in their bodies and move forward feeling informed and empowered.

One offering I’m especially proud of is my New Mama Reset, which is a complimentary 30-minute hands-on session at the second visit that relieves tension from all the muscles involved in feeding, holding, and rocking in those early postpartum days. It gives new moms a chance to relax, recharge, and feel genuinely cared for during a season where support is often lacking.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that might surprise people is that I’ve had six knee surgeries, including one when my first daughter was just three months old. That injury and recovery turned what should have been a joyful postpartum period into a very difficult season and gave me firsthand experience with what it feels like to be the patient—to feel out of control, limited by your body, and afraid you may never return to the activities you love. That experience deeply shapes how I care for women today, with empathy, reassurance, and a focus on helping them rebuild both physical capacity and confidence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.momumentalptp.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/momumentalptp
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/momumentalptp

Image Credits
Peyton Smith