Women’s Health and Pelvic Floor Therapy
Conservative Treatment for Incontinence and Pelvic Pain.
Pain or incontinence interfere with your life, affect your relationships, or impose activities restrictions? There is an option that can help: Pelvic Floor Therapy.
WHAT IS INCONTINENCE?
Urinary incontinence is the leakage of urine at inappropriate times. With incontinence you may have trouble starting the urine stream or have trouble holding urine when you feel the urge to go.
There are different types of incontinence:
Stress Incontinence – Usually results from weakness or lack of support from the pelvic floor muscles. Small amounts of urine leak when there is increased pressure on the bladder, such as with exercises, laughing, or sneezing.
Urge incontinence – Your bladder muscles are “over active” or go into spasm. This may cause urine to leak or give you the urge to urinate. This may happen occasionally or as often as every 15 minutes.
Mixed incontinence – you have both stress and urge incontinence. Functional incontinence – Urine leaks when you cannot get to the bathroom in time.
PELVIC FLOOR TREATMENT
Treatment techniques performed by a trained pelvic floor therapist may consist of:
- Strengthening and flexibility exercises
- Relaxation/diaphragmatic breathing
- Bladder and bowel training
- Postural education
- Ultrasound / thermal agents
- Electro therapy
- Urge suppression techniques
- Pain management
- Myofascial release
- Visceral mobilization
- Scar management
- Trigger point release
- Pelvic floor and core strengthening
HOW PHYSICAL THERAPY CAN HELP
Your PT will perform an examination to help identify the causes of your symptoms. Based on the evaluation results, your physical therapist will create an individualized treatment plan to address your pelvic floor dysfunction. Your physical therapist can help you gain control over your incontinence or pain and will educate you about the steps you need to take to improve your symptoms.
PELVIC PAIN
Pelvic pain can present in many places and be an indicator of pelvic floor involvement. These areas include abdominal pelvic region, low back, external genitalia, buttock, hip or thigh.
- Vulvodynia
- Postpartum Pain
- Vaginismus
- Dyspareunia
- Levator ani syndrome
- Endometriosis
- Pudendal neuritis
- Myofascial restrictions
- Post surgical pain
PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES
These are the muscles that attach to the bottom of the pelvic bones and run front to back, forming a bowl-like structure that lifts to support the internal organs and controls the sphincter muscles. The pelvic floor muscles also work to strengthen the low back, stabilize the pelvic bone , and help with sexual function.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) includes:
- Urinary / fecal incontinence
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pudendental neuralgia
- Male pelvic pain / erectile dysfunction
- Pain with intercourse
- Endometriosis
- Coccydynia (tailbone pain)
- Pregnant / postpartum wellness
- Post surgical scar pain related to episiotomies / cesareans / hysterectomies / prostatectomies / prolapse reductions
- Lower back / hip pain
It is estimated that 1 in 3 women and men suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, many of whom never receive treatment. According to current guidelines, lifestyle modification and conservative treatment can significantly improve quality of life and reduce symptoms related to pelvic floor dysfunction. Through specific exercise prescription and progression, patients often report significant improvements in only a few sessions and feel like they are in better control of their health.
GETTING STARTED
Contact your physician and ask about physical therapy for your Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. We will need a prescription or referral to initiate your treatment.
INDIVIDUAL EVALUATION
An individual evaluation performed by our pelvic floor therapist specially trained in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction can offer a variety of treatment options tailored to meet your unique needs.
Maggie Covell, DPT
Maggie is a doctor of physical therapy who has been trained to evaluate and treat pelvic floor dysfunction. During a typical evaluation, she will assess your alignment, tissue elasticity and muscle strength to design a treatment plan specifically geared toward your diagnosis.
All treatments are done in a safe and comfortable setting to help you learn strategies to regain control of your pelvic floor. Schedule an evaluation today.
505-207-2344
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