Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
PT Northwest’s pelvic floor physical therapy improves both acute and chronic symptoms accompanying multiple disorders. Patients of any age with a varying range of symptoms are welcome to our pelvic floor services. Treatments can be used to support pelvic organs, improve incontinence issues for both bowel and bladder and increase sexual appreciation in adults.
Evaluating Pelvic Dysfunction
How Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is Conducted
PT Northwest’s physical therapists assess your specific needs to provide the best course of treatment for each patient. These treatments include:
- Thorough external musculoskeletal evaluation
- Internal vaginal or rectal assessment of your pelvic floor muscles
- Biofeedback assessment of these muscles
- Pelvic floor muscle education
- Dietary/behavioral modifications and education
- Exercise to relax pelvic muscle tension or to strengthen these muscles
- Manual therapy, such as soft tissue work, trigger point release and stretching affected muscles
Your First Pelvic Therapy Appointment
Your first pelvic therapy appointment will last between 45 and 90 minutes, during which your physical therapist will conduct an evaluation that includes:
- A background of your symptoms and any past treatments
- Education of pelvic floor muscles and how they relate to your symptoms
- Education on dietary and behavioral changes that may be beneficial to your symptoms
- Techniques to improve your awareness of your pelvic floor muscles
- Exercise to strengthen pelvic muscles and relax tension
- Manual therapy, such as soft tissue work, trigger point release and stretching affected muscles
- Internal vaginal or rectal assessment
- Biofeedback assessment
Common Diagnoses Treated in PT Northwest’s Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Programs.
PELVIC PAIN
Pelvic pain in the perineum, pelvis or lower abdomen is most often caused by muscular or joint issues in the pelvis, hip or lower back. Nerve compression within the pelvic muscles can also lead to symptoms, such as:
- Burning, aching, or shooting pain
- Limited tolerance to sitting
- Tailbone pain
- Painful intercourse
- Limited range of motion in the hips or lumbar spine
- Urinary urgency, frequency or incontinence
- Painful bowel movements
- Constipation
- Straining during bowel movements
PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE
Sometimes, the support system within your abdomen or pelvis can be compromised, which causes the organs within your pelvis to drop lower in your body. These are identified as prolapsed pelvic organs. Symptoms of prolapsed organs include:
- Urine leakage
- Stain or fecal loss after a bowel movement
- Trouble having bowel movements
- Ache in the lower abdomen, groin, or lower back
- Bladder infection
- Feeling of heaviness, pulling, or fullness in the pelvis
- Feeling that something is falling out of the vagina
- Organ protruding from your vaginal opening
- Feeling the need to support the organs or perineal area to empty bladder or bowels
- Painful sexual intercourse
PREGNANCY RELATED PELVIC PAIN
Pregnancy causes a number of changes in a woman’s body, including fluctuating hormone levels and changes in posture that may lead to increased joint mobility. When the muscles become too tight or weak, they are unable to support the changes caused by the pregnancy, causing balance and mobility issues. Symptoms to watch out for include:
- Back, sacrum, tailbone, hip, pelvic, rib pain or sciatica
- Neck and upper back pain and/or stiffness, headaches
- Weak or tight muscles
- Decreased ability to do normal daily activities
- Pelvic pain with sexual intercourse, use of tampons or gynecologic exam
- Difficulties beginning or continuing an exercise program
- Urinary incontinence
BOWEL & BLADDER DYSFUNCTION
Many of us believe bowel and bladder dysfunction are a normal part of the aging process, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Incontinence, loss of bladder/bowel control, urinary urgency or constipation can be relieved through pelvic floor therapy. With treatment options ranging from behavior and diet adjustments to exercises that improve your pelvic muscle’s strength, we’ll get you back to living life comfortably.
