Are you experiencing problems "down there" with going to the bathroom, sex, or have symptoms like pain and pressure? You could benefit from seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist! Pelvic health physios address concerns like incontinence (urinary or fecal), urgency, pain with sex or insertion of menstrual products, and pressure in the vagina or rectum. They can help with recovery after any type of uro-gynecological surgery or cancer treatment, and they also treat pregnant and post-partum patients to help prepare the body for birth (either vaginal or cesarean) and to recover after birth.
A pelvic health physiotherapy appointment will start with a detailed health history and determination of the goals and needs of the patient. Pelvic health physiotherapists take special training to assess the muscles of the pelvic floor with an internal vaginal or rectal exam, however this is not necessarily done at every appointment. Some patients are not comfortable with an internal exam and this is 100% ok. There are numerous muscles of the pelvis and hips that can be assessed and treated externally and they are very relevant to pelvic floor function. Keep in mind that a pelvic floor physio is still a regular physio and that it is still important to look at the relationship of different areas of the body, rather than focusing on just the problem area. The Integrated Systems Model pairs very well with pelvic health physiotherapy. For example, some patients have an improvement in pelvic floor muscle recruitment with a correction of their thorax/ribs.
Many people feel embarrassed, don't like to talk about problems with their pelvic floor, or just assume that the problems they are having are normal. (How many moms have we heard say "I can't jump and run around since I had my kids, but that's normal right?") Remember that you are not alone and all of the symptoms or situations discussed in this blog post are very treatable! If you think that pelvic floor physiotherapy might be right for you don't hesitate to reach out or book an appointment.
