Top 6 Things to Know about Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Do you pee when you exercise? Do you experience pain with sex? Do you have painful bowel movements or constipation? Did you recently have a baby? Do you have tailbone pain or pain with pelvic exams?
These are just a FEW of the reasons why someone seeks out pelvic floor physical therapy. Your pelvic floor is the hammock of muscles and connective tissue that lay at the bottom of your pelvis. Its responsible for continence, sexual pleasure, core support, internal organ support, and acts as a sump pump to move blood and fluid up toward the heart. Pelvic floor physical therapists are musculoskeletal experts who specialize in treating disorders of the pelvic floor including urinary/bowel leakage, hip/pelvic girdle pain, pelvic/abdominal pain, pregnancy and postpartum rehabilitation and more.
There’s so much to know about this needed specialty, so here is a top 6 breakdown:
1. Pelvic floor physical therapists are educated professionals who take many hours of advanced clinical training (over the course of months to years) to develop their skills. If you decide to work with someone who is a “pelvic specialist”, ask about their background. Anyone can call themselves a “specialist” after only a 2 day class.
2. Many physicians do not know about the existence of pelvic floor physical therapy. In countries such as France, its common practice for a woman to receive at least 6 sessions of pelvic floor physical therapy after having a baby to help the mother rehabilitate. The US has not caught up yet. Pelvic floor physical therapists actively educate their communities on the importance of this service.
3. Pelvic floor physical therapy should be holistic and gentle. Your therapist should evaluate the whole body (including posture and strength) to see what could be contributing to your symptoms outside of the pelvic region. Internal assessments of the pelvic floor can be done vaginally or rectally but are extremely gentle (as in no stirrups or speculum) and are only done with patient consent. The therapist will assess your pelvic floor strength/coordination, as well as any areas of tenderness.
4. Therapy can take place in different settings. There are pelvic floor physical therapists who provide office based visits, see patients in-home, and also provide telehealth visits.
5. Your therapist will give you things to work on at home. Your therapist will support you in taking control of your well-being by giving you an active role in your healing. This may include home exercises specifically meant for the pelvic floor, breathwork, aerobic recommendations and more.
6. We haven’t forgotten the children! There are therapists like myself who not only work with adults, but also children to address bedwetting, fecal incontinence, pelvic pain and more.
Many people do not discuss the need for this important service as it involves talking about intimate matters, which have for long been labeled “taboo” to bring up in conversation. However, 1 in 4 women will develop pelvic pain in her lifetime. Bedwetting makes up nearly 20% of visits to the pediatrician’s office. If a woman has urinary leakage that has not resolved after 3 months from giving birth, it will likely persist after a year. If you or a member of your family is experiencing any kind of pelvic floor concern, you are NOT alone. Seek help from a pelvic floor physical therapist.
Marina D. Castellanos, PT has been a physical therapist in Westchester, NY for nearly 20 years. She specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders for women, teenagers, and children. She offers telehealth visits, in-office, and in-home sessions.
Website: www.marinacpt.com
Follow her at @marinacpelvicpt
