What is Pelvic Floor PT?
Do I need pelvic floor PT?
Do you leak when you cough, sneeze, or laugh? Do you struggle with painful sex? Sexual dysfunction? Low back or pelvic pain? Are you pregnant or have you given birth? Do things feel “not right” down there? You may need pelvic floor PT.
The pelvic floor is a sling of muscles that attaches from your pubic bone to tailbone. It plays a role in supporting pelvic organs, bowel and bladder function, breathing, and core control. The pelvic floor is a part of the “core canister,” meaning, the muscles of the pelvic floor work together with the surrounding muscles, your deep abdominal muscles, the transverse abdominis, and your deepest spinal stabilization muscles, the multifidus, to make up your “core”. Our pelvic floor is a foundation to having good trunk control, bowel and bladder control, sexual function, and organ support!
People of all genders have pelvic floors and can benefit from pelvic PT if they are struggling with symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. This includes: sexual dysfunction, pain with sex, bowel or bladder incontinence, difficulty emptying bowel or bladder, constipation, pelvic pain, hip pain, and low back pain.
During a pelvic PT session, I will carefully interview you to understand your story. I will cater an exam based on your needs and comfort level that will include assessment of your trunk and hip mobility, core strength, movement. One way to assess the pelvic floor muscles is with an internal (vaginal or rectal) pelvic floor assessment. This will be performed if it is deemed appropriate to gain a bigger picture of what is going on in your body. This doesn’t always happen day one, and certainly only if you are comfortable with the exam. If for any reason you are not, we can assess the muscles to the best of our ability through an external exam, or simply work on education.
I will work with you to develop a treatment plan to help fit your needs. This will likely include breathing techniques, movement strategies, postural integration, bowel, bladder, and sexual habit training, and pelvic floor muscle retraining. It is not only about kegels! You may need to learn to relax your pelvic floor muscles, or work to better coordinate them with the surrounding support muscles.
Pelvic floor PT can help change lives to improve bowel, bladder, sexual function and relieve pain. It is my hope you can reclaim the life you want to live, starting with feeling empowered in your pelvic health!
