MEN & WOMEN’S HEALTH/PELVIC HEALTH

Pelvic Health The pelvic floor is an integral part of movement and function and often forgotten about, both in males and females. More than just a part of our “core muscles”, it provides strength and support for 3 important body systems: the urinary system, our gastrointestinal system, and the reproductive system. When our pelvic floor goes awry, some or all of our bowel, bladder, and sexual function can be affected, or pelvic pain can be present. The pelvic floor when working properly also helps aid in balance, support posture and core strength, and respiration. With Pelvic Floor physical therapy, a specially trained therapist can assess the function of your pelvic muscle system, how it integrates with surrounding musculoskeletal structures, and the impacts it is having on your bowel, bladder, and sexual health. Once identified, the therapist can use many tools, including manual work, use of biofeedback, specialized exercises, postural and positional training, as well as lifestyle habits to begin to restore the function of the pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor is like a trampoline in the bottom of a bowl that the bony pelvis creates. It has to be balanced on all sides to support the trampoline, as well has have enough ‘give’ to provide the proper support for all of the organs sitting above. It cannot be too tight or rigid otherwise there is no give/take in the system. It cannot be too loose otherwise there is not enough support for the weight or pressure from above and the trampoline will sag. A pelvic floor PT will assess all components of not just the trampoline, but the frame holding it up and how it allows structures above it to ‘bounce’.

Conditions Treated or helped:

• Sacroiliac, tailbone, hip and low back pain
• Bladder incontinence
• Fecal incontinence
• Pelvic pain
  • Heavy feeling in the pelvic area
  • Radiating leg pain
  • Pain with urination and or defecation
  • Suprapubic pain (over the bladder)
  • Stomach pain or bloating
  • Painful intercourse
  • Pain in the scrotum, perineum
  • Vaginal pain
  • Pain with ejaculation
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Endometriosis
• Prenatal and Postpartum
• Diastasis Recti
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse