Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

For every mom, with or without symptoms! Make sure you can be active and go on life adventures with your family now and throughout your lifetime!

Pelvic floor dysfunction can show up immediately or years later, and mimic bowel/bladder dysfunction, as well as low back or hip pain.

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Your pelvic floor muscles deserve equal attention as the rest of your body, but they are usually neglected or treated in an isolated way.

We make sure your pelvic floor can keep up with the movement your life requires without pain, pelvic pressure, bladder, or bowel problems by treating them as a part of your whole body. We don’t just focus on your pelvic floor alone- we make sure your pelvic floor is working in good synchrony with the rest of your body, top to bottom!

Some of the things we help with:

  • Pelvic pain, pelvic heaviness, leaking with sneezing, coughing, jumping or running

  • Increased urinary urgency and/or frequency

  • Bladder pain

  • Pain with sexual activity

  • Back and hip pain that won’t seem to go away

  • Guidance for exercising during pregnancy

  • Prepping for labor and birth 

  • Postpartum assessment and recovery

  • Return to exercise postpartum 

  • C-section recovery and scar tissue mobility

See how we help you exercise or run without pain, leaking, or pelvic floor pressure!

Pelvic floor physical therapy

Do I need Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

  • Are you currently pregnant right now? Are you planning on having a vaginal delivery? Are you planning on have a c-section? Are you hoping for a smooth delivery with no tearing? Are you hoping for an easy postpartum recovery?

  • Have you ever delivered vaginally or had a C-section? Did you tear? Did you require a vacuum or forceps to assist with delivery? Have you had multiple deliveries?

  • Do you constantly complain of specific pain? Do you avoid doing activities or chores because of the pain? Are you grumpy from your pain? Are you not wanting to lift your child or play with them because it hurts?

  • Do you suffer from frequent, constant or periodic pain in your lower belly, pelvis, low back, vagina, groin, hips, buttocks or down the leg? Do you have endometriosis, painful bladder syndrome, frequent UTI's, or prolapse? Do you feel a sense of heaviness or pressure in your vagina, rectum or perineum?

  • Does your menstruation pain prevent you from doing activities? Are you needing to stay in bed with a heating pad an Advil all day? Is Advil sometimes not enough?

  • Do you leak when you cough, sneeze, laugh, lift, bend, or exercise? Do you pee a little as you’re running to the bathroom urgently? Do you have to wear annoying pads to protect against leakage? Do you continue to urinate when you stand up from the toilet?

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  • Do you know where all the bathrooms are in town? Are you uncomfortable being out of the house because you have to go to the bathroom so often? Do you have to get up at least once during a movie because of your bladder? Do you not sleep as well because you have to get up more than 1 time per night? Do you go to the restroom every couple hours or more often?

  • Do you feel like you have to get to the restroom "now"? Do you sometimes not make it to the restroom in time? Do you have to stop what you are doing to get to the restroom?

  • Do you suffer through painful intercourse? Are you reluctant to have intercourse because of pain? Do you feel guilty because you have to say "no"? Do you have pain inserting tampons or menstrual cups?

  • Do you have: Constipation? Bowel urgency? Passing gas without the ability to stop it? Painful bowl movements? Loss of bowels/bowel leakage? Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

 Frequently Asked Questions

 

  • The first session:

    It all begins like any other assessment- we talk to get to know one another. Before any physical assessment begins, I make sure I have a detailed idea about your concerns and anything that affects them. If you have already filled out a bladder diary, we will review it. I also make sure you feel comfortable with me and welcome all comments and questions.

    Before I start the assessment, I explain everything I am about to do, WHY, and make sure you’re cool with it.

    Then, I get to know your mobility, strength, soft tissue restrictions, functional mobility, posture, c-section scar mobility (if applicable), breathing mechanics, and anything else unique to you I need to look at.

    Next, I do an external and internal pelvic exam (see “Can you explain an internal exam?” in FAQ’s).

    If there is enough time the first session (though there usually isn’t and this is done the second session), I also assess the pelvic floor doing standing and functional movements. Your symptoms probably occur when standing, so we need to make sure your pelvic floor is keeping up with it’s movement and exercise demands!

    Throughout all of this, I give TONS of education. I make sure you have an understanding of what I am saying and what I am doing, as well as why I am doing it.

    The finale: tying everything together for YOUR unique body and it’s requirements- and then explaining it to you!!

    You will leave with answers, knowledge, exercises, and tools to use to begin meeting your goals!

  • Absolutely! I will describe a basic pelvic floor exam right here for you.

    First let me explain why I do it. It’s the best way I can figure out why you are having symptoms or if something is happening which can likely cause symptoms in your future. Also, to be clear, I will NEVER do it without your full consent.

    I am looking for: muscular restrictions (or lack thereof), hip mobility connections, abdominal soft tissue/fascial connections, C-section scar connections, ability to lengthen and contract your pelvic floor, breathing synchrony, sensation, tissue health, nerve mobility, and prolapse.

    I begin the exam with you laying down (and in charge!). This is done using my eyes and my index finger.

    First, I look without touching. Then, I palpate (touch) externally to feel for any soft tissue restrictions.

    Now here is what you want to know:

    Your pelvic floor has 3 layers (tip: look at your index finger)- 1st knuckle, 2nd knuckle, 3rd knuckle. This is my guideline to assessing your pelvic floor around the “pelvic bowl”. I go one level at a time (on one side at a time) and I am feeling for everything mentioned above in each muscle within the pelvic floor.

    In following sessions, I will also perform more functional exams, including in standing. Let’s hop on a discovery visit call so I can tell you more about those!

  • While an internal exam at some point (sooner than later) is gold standard, there is a lot we can do without it. And I will never force you to have one.

    You’re 100% in charge of your body. Even with me.

    So if you don’t want an internal exam, then I will happily agree and go on without it.

  • That’s totally up to you. It doesn’t affect me one way or the other and we can proceed as usual! We can always hold off on any internal work if it makes you uncomfortable and proceed with other important things until your period is over.

  • Yes!! If you’re feeling uncomfortable when working out, let’s fix that so you can get back to doing what you love!