Start from Correct Pelvic Floor Exercises
Many pelvic floor conditions ( for both men and women) can be managed and treated without surgery. Seeing a physical therapist (PT) who is trained as a pelvic floor therapist may help you better understand your symptoms and design a personalized program to help alleviate your symptoms. A pelvic floor therapist may assess strength and flexibility, create a specialized exercise and self-care program, assist with learning to do Kegel exercises correctly, and give personalized guidance for maintaining pelvic floor health.
Some conditions treated by a pelvic rehabilitation therapist include:
- Bladder and bowel issues
- Incontinence
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pelvic pain
- Painful sex or an inability to have penetrative sex
- Colorectal cancer side effects
- Vaginismus
- Vulvodynia (pain of vulva)
- Musculoskeletal aches and pains (involving the back, hips, SI joint, groin, abdomen and sometimes limbs)
- Pregnancy & postpartum recovery
What to Expect During Appointments:
The first appointment should include discussion about your experience, including an account of symptoms as well as medical history and lifestyle. Pelvic floor therapists are trained to be sensitive to how personal and intimate these topics and this part of your body can be. The therapist will conduct an abdominal and pelvic floor assessment, evaluate your posture, back, and hips, and should also explain along the way what they are noticing and how physical therapy can help.
The Take-away: Treatment Plan, Goals and Timeline:
During the first appointment, you may receive some initial advice and education and discuss a complete treatment plan. Your physical therapist should be able to give you an approximate timeline, though rehabilitation and healing is not always predictable. We recommend collaborating with your therapist to set specific treatment goals, such as having comfortable sex, alleviating back pain, managing incontinence, etc
Ready for your consultations?
STARS Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists
