Pelvic Health Physiotherapy
What is Pelvic Health Physiotherapy?
Pelvic floor physiotherapy involves specialized assessment and treatment for pain and dysfunction of the pelvic floor. It includes a comprehensive assessment of the function and
quality of your pelvic floor to diagnose, treat, and help optimize muscle, nerve, and joint function to help improve quality of life. The goal of treatment is to improve whole body
function including soft tissue, muscle, joint, and nerve function using strengthening exercises, education, therapeutic modalities like TENS or heat, stretching, manual or hands-on treatment, and lifestyle changes.
What is Your Pelvic Floor?
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues within the bottom of your pelvis and groin area. The muscles run front to back and side to side, attaching to the front of your pelvis, the sides of your pelvis, and your tailbone. They have several functions including supporting your organs, working to maintain bladder and bowel continence, helping with lymphatic flow, and aiding in sexual functioning. Since the pelvic floor has a large muscular component, it is important to ensure the muscles are coordinated, flexible, and strong enough to do all their jobs properly. The pelvic floor muscles should be able to contract when necessary but also be able to relax to function properly.
What is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?
The muscles in the pelvic floor can become too tense or become weak. Symptoms can include pelvic, back, or hip pain, bladder or bowel incontinence, increased urge to pee, constipation, and feeling of pressure or bulging at the bottom of your pelvis. This often can occur after childbirth or after surgery. Dysfunction can also develop over time in people with low back, hip, or pelvis pain. Pelvic floor dysfunction can have a large effect on quality of life, but it is a very treatable condition. Any person can experience pelvic floor dysfunction and we are a gender-inclusive clinic. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it would be beneficial to book in with our pelvic health physiotherapist for an evaluation.
What to Expect on Your First Visit?
First, we will provide you with intake forms to fill out before your session. It is important to fill these out to the best of your ability so that we can have a good understanding of your health history. Your initial assessment will then begin with the physiotherapist asking questions to learn your health concerns and goals for treatment. We will explain the options for a physical exam and then perform a full physical exam. A thorough examination will ideally involve an internal assessment where the pelvic floor physiotherapist assesses for any tenderness, weakness, or dysfunction in the pelvic floor and areas around it. It is possible to only do an external assessment of the pelvic floor also but there are limitations in not performing an internal examination. Without an internal examination, it is hard to gauge the ability of the pelvic floor to appropriately contract or relax and we cannot get a comprehensive measure of strength. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of an internal examination, please let your physiotherapist know as it is not mandatory. After the physical examination is done, we will work with you to determine the best treatment options and begin treatment. All treatments are highly individualized and tailored to your specific needs and concerns. It is important that you continue to engage in your exercise program as prescribed to receive the best outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, we can still perform internal exams or treatments when you are menstruating. We can
also focus more on non-internal work, exercise, and other treatments as needed.
Yes, an IUD is not a barrier to receiving pelvic floor physiotherapy sessions.
The examination is one-on-one in a private room. It is common to be nervous and we will do our best to minimize any fears or concerns you may have before beginning the examination. Our physiotherapist is trained in making the experience as gentle as possible. It is a very important assessment to perform as it is the gold standard assessment to evaluate the function and quality of the pelvic floor. The examination is performed manually with one or two fingers and with the use of gel lubricant. The physiotherapist will explain each step and will aim to make it as comfortable as possible.
No, you do not need a referral to book an appointment. However, your insurance plan may require a doctor’s referral. You may want to check your insurance details before booking in to ensure coverage.
- Low back or hip pain
- Urinary or bladder incontinence (leakage)
- Urinary or bladder urgency (needing to pee too frequently)
- Bowel or fecal incontinence
- Constipation
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pelvic pain
- Postpartum recovery
- Diastasis recti
We can treat anyone from young to older adult and of all levels of physical abilities. Our pelvic floor physiotherapist is experienced in working with athletes, too!