Is Pelvic Floor Therapy for Me?
What is the pelvic floor?
The term, “pelvic floor” refers to the muscles that sit inside of the pelvis- from the pubic bone to the tail bone and offer support to the pelvic organs like the bladder, uterus, and rectum. The pelvic floor is the base of the core. A functioning pelvic floor is not only crucial for proper bowel and bladder function but also incredibly important for core strength, overall stability and mobility.
Overtime the muscles of the pelvic floor can become weak or dysfunctional causing issues like pain in the hips or low back pain, pain with intercourse or difficulty achieving orgasm, urinary or stool problems including leakage, feelings of pressure, or prolapse. This can be due to pregnancy, abdominal surgery, trauma, PTSD, or gender dysphoria. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you would likely benefit from pelvic floor therapy to help improve the quality of your life.
What does treatment look like?
Treatment aims to target these symptoms to improve functionality of the muscles. A trained pelvic floor therapist utilizes manual therapy to address the muscles, fascia, and nerves in this part of the body.
At an initial visit is used to assess the problem and take a thorough health history. After the verbal assessment, a pelvic floor therapist will assess your muscle strength, tone, and endurance along with areas of restriction both internally and externally. At the end of the visit, you will go home with a treatment plan geared to assess your unique symptoms along with a plan for future treatments.
What about Kegels?
Kegels are definitely an important part of pelvic floor health, and many people benefit from practicing Kegels, however it’s easy to do them incorrectly by not contracting the correct muscles and sometimes they are not the correct treatment and can actually make certain symptoms worse. If you have been practicing Kegel exercises for a while and not getting the desired results, it is worth getting an expert assessment.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of pelvic discomfort, please know that it is possible to heal and regain strength. Many people report after just one session working with me that they immediately feel a better connection and sense of awareness to their pelvis. This is the first step to healing.