Pelvic Floor PT and Women's Health

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and Women's Health

Physical therapy for pelvic bowl and pelvic floor is an approach utilizing physical therapy and manual therapy principles to change the structures of the pelvis and pelvic floor towards fully normal again in both structure and function. More commonly pelvic physical therapy targets the pelvic floor and pelvic muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues including fascia.

The need for pelvic physical therapy may arise from aging, illness, childbirth, pregnancy, surgery, or trauma. Pt are usually referred to PT when they have pelvic pain or pelvic floor pain, painful intercourse, bowel problems, bladder/urination problems, endometriosis, vaginismus, prolapse, incontinence, or recovering after childbirth.

How is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy performed?

First, all our hands-on treatment is done externally. It is our opinion that manual internal treatment is both uncomfortable for the patient and therapist and unnecessary. Second, A thorough evaluation will be done to find the underlying cause of what is going on. Tension patterns in tissues such as organ, nerve, vascular, muscle, ligament, fascia, or connective tissue will be found and rectified. These tension patterns are very common after childbirth and other traumas that are part of “life.” These tension patterns will pull on all the structures in pelvic bowl including bladder, uterus, rectum, colon, pelvis, etc. causing pain and dysfunction such as incontinence, constipation, bladder emptying issues, pain, and other problems. Once the tension patterns are corrected these organs are not pulled and are free to work normally under less duress. These tension patterns also cause muscle imbalances. This will be addressed through a special set of exercises developed by Janet Hulme to strengthen and balance the pelvic floor. Many people do Kegels, it is our feeling that Kegels can be much less effective and these special pelvic floor exercises really act to strengthen the pelvic floor to get rid of all dysfunctions more effectively.

Can you help pregnant women?

We also see a great deal of pregnant women to assist in both back pain and hip pain during pregnancy as well as opening the pelvis and soft tissue to allow a much easier birthing process. This is done though techniques such as Integrative Manual Therapy, Myofascial Release, and Visceral Manipulation. We have helped hundreds of women both have and easier delivery and get back to normal life after childbirth.

What about Men’s Health?

Yes, we also help men with all kinds of symptoms including pain and dysfunction. The theory is the same. We address tension patterns in the soft tissue that are pulling at structures causing dysfunction. Once rectified these structures start working normally again. Then it is always good to have a therapeutic exercise program to follow up with to address muscle imbalances, weakness, and stability.