What can cause pelvic dysfunction?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that holds the pelvic organs (the vagina, bladder, rectum or uterus, in a woman). When these muscles become weak or too tight, they can cause low back, hip or pelvic pain and/or incontinence. Pregnancy, childbirth, c-section, poor posture, advanced age, high impact sports (running), cancer treatments, pelvic or urogenital surgery are all risk factors for pelvic dysfunction.
What can be done?
You’ll find that not all physical therapists who say they treat pelvic floor issues are actually trained to do the internal examination and treatment that is necessary. This comprehensive evaluation allows our pelvic health specialists to determine the root cause of your pelvic floor issues quickly. They take a non-surgical approach for strengthening and releasing the pelvic floor and restoring proper movement with manual therapy, biofeedback, surface EMG, patient education and therapeutic exercises, including Pilates. Our pelvic health specialists are trained as orthopedic physical therapists, which means that while they will specifically treat your pelvic health concerns, they will also take your entire body into account and anything that affects your pelvis will also be treated.
What can I expect?
Your pelvic health physical therapist will perform both internal and external exams, testing specific muscles to assess strength deficits, coordination, tight muscles, tender points and myofascial restrictions. Did you know that a physical therapy pelvic exam is completely different than the pelvic exam your OB does? No ice cold speculums here! And you’re always in the driver’s seat. Not quite ready at the first visit? No problem, we’ll wait until you’re ready. From there we’ll develop a treatment plan for you that includes independent, take-home exercises that will empower you to prevent further issues down the road.
