Pelvic Floor Therapy
WHAT IS PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY?
The muscles of the pelvic floor sit inside the pelvis and support your internal organs, assist proper bowel and bladder function, contribute to sexual function, and support healthy movement of your hips and core. In other words, they are involved in a huge variety of daily activities and can significantly impact your quality of life. Boone’s pelvic floor physical and occupational therapists have received specialized training to help you understand your pelvic floor and get back to the activities you love without limitation.
IS PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY RIGHT FOR ME?
Pelvic Pain
Increased tightness in the muscles of the pelvic floor can lead to pelvic pain. This can make pelvic exams, the use of menstrual products, and sexual activity very painful or even impossible. Muscle imbalances between your pelvic floor, hips, core and breathing can also contribute to pain in the pelvic region, hips, and low back. Pelvic floor therapy will guide you in understanding the root causes of your pain and beginning the road to recovery.
**Boone’s providers are trauma-informed and are sensitive to the ways trauma may interact with pelvic pain. Please feel free to reach out to our clinic to further understand what pelvic floor therapy may entail prior to arriving and learn more about how we provide a safe treatment environment.
Bladder Control
Individuals of all ages deal with urinary leakage during activities like coughing, sneezing, and jumping, or even just throughout the day. Whether from attempts to avoid leakage, strong urgency, or incomplete bladder emptying, frequent bathroom trips can begin to take over your life. The muscles of the pelvic floor support the bladder to sit in the correct position and help you achieve proper toileting habits. Bladder control issues may be caused by weakness and/or tightness of the muscles of the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor therapy will help you understand how your pelvic floor works together with your core, breathing, and daily habits to achieve bladder control and to back control of your schedule.
Bowel Control
Bowel control issues, like chronic constipation and fecal leakage, can leave you feeling uncomfortable and nervous in public settings. Boone’s pelvic floor therapists take a comprehensive approach to bowel control, assessing all the areas that may be contributing to symptoms. This includes pelvic floor, hip, and core function, breathing mechanics, diet, toileting habits, posture, and overall movement mechanics. Pelvic floor therapists work as part of a multi-disciplinary team with your physician, dieticians, and gastrointestinal specialists to help you begin regaining bowel control.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Often experienced as a sensation of pelvic heaviness, pelvic organ prolapse can occur after childbirth or after repetitive straining during activities like weightlifting or toileting. When one or more organs, including the bladder, uterus, or rectum, have dropped lower than their normal position, this is considered prolapse. A pelvic floor therapist can help you understand if prolapse may be the root cause of your pelvic heaviness and teach you pressure management techniques to manage your symptoms. Pelvic floor therapy can help you return to activities like walking, running, and weighted exercises safely and with control.
Pregnancy and Postpartum Rehabilitation
A variety of aches and pain can arise during pregnancy that suddenly limit your ability to move. After childbirth, these same issues and new ones can continue to plague you. Boone’s pelvic floor therapists are specially trained to understand the issues that arise during pregnancy and the postpartum healing phase. They specialize in addressing pubic bone pain, sacroiliac pain, pelvic pain, and diastasis recti (commonly called “ab split”), as well as all of the issues listed above. Pelvic floor therapy can help you regain the function you had prior to childbirth and return to movement without limitation.
Other Pelvic Conditions
Pelvic floor therapists act as part of a multi-disciplinary care team to help mitigate the symptoms of many conditions, including the following:
- Coccydynia (tailbone pain)
- Hip Impingement and Labral Tears
- Interstitial Cystitis or Painful Bladder Syndrome
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pudendal Neuralgia
- Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction and Piriformis Syndrome
WHAT DOES PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY ENTAIL?
Boone’s pelvic floor therapists take a comprehensive approach to care, looking at the way your whole body functions together. On your first visit, your therapist will assess your movement patterns, posture, breathing mechanics, hip and core strength, and perform any additional specialized tests pertinent to your symptoms. It is often recommended to perform an internal vaginal or rectal examination to assess the strength, muscle tension, and motor coordination of the pelvic floor. This exam also allows your therapist to assess for organ prolapse and check for scar tissue if applicable. An internal assessment provides valuable information for you and your therapist to understand the root cause of your symptoms. However, internal examinations are completely voluntary based on patient comfort.
Based on the results of your initial assessment, you and your therapist will work together to design a personalized treatment plan that addresses your goals and gets you back to the activities you love without limitation. Ask your doctor for a referral to physical and occupational therapy if you think pelvic floor therapy may be right for you.