What is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?
If you or someone you know has ever suffered from pain during sex, sitting for a long amount of time, or wearing tight pants, you might be scratching your head as to the root of your pain. You may think it’s a urinary tract infection, or maybe even an STD. But when the tests are negative, you and your healthcare provider may not be aware that this pain could be thanks to musculoskeletal dysfunction, which can be treated by a pelvic physical therapist.
Your pelvic floor is a set of muscles that support the bladder, bowel, rectum, and uterus. Pelvic floor pain is something that is not talked about enough in our everyday lives and on social media. Women can suffer from pelvic floor pain, and not even know it! In many cases, bladder, bowel, or pelvis symptoms may be occurring due to problems with the muscles, joints, nerves, or connective tissues in that area.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can help with many different kinds of problems including:
- Frequent urination
- Urgency: Strong urge to urinate
- Incontinence: Unwanted leaking of urine or stool
- Constipation
- Overactive or weak pelvic floor muscles
- Endometriosis
- Menopause
- Pain in the pelvis, hip, abdomen, low back
- Painful intercourse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Pregnancy/post-pregnancy pain or intercourse
- C-section recovery
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- Vulvodynia
- Bladder pain syndrome
- Tailbone Pain
- Postsurgical rehabilitation
These symptoms may be caused by the strength of the pelvic floor and associated muscles and structures. Thus, the movement, muscle tone, and strength of your low back, hips, abdomen will be assessed, together with your posture and alignment. Pelvic floor physical therapists can treat many different conditions and can help you keep your pain in check. Women need to know that pelvic pain isn’t normal during menopause or any other time. Also, the longer one experiences chronic pain, the more likely nerve receptors will become sensitized to it.
Here at New York Plaza Physical Therapy, we wish to open that dialogue about the countless people, especially women, who suffer from pelvic pain and provide some treatment options to assist them in living a pain-free life. We understand that the implications of pelvic pain going unnoticed or unchecked can deeply affect one’s quality of life. So if you’re stricken by unexplained chronic pelvic pain or any of the above symptoms, it may be wise to give us a call today.
References:
Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, October 13). Pelvic physical therapy: Another potential treatment option. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/pelvic-physical-therapy-another-potential-treatment-option
Tate, L. (n.d.). What in the World is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy? Retrieved December 18, 2020, from https://www.pennpartners.org/blog/expertise-general-outpatient-therapy-pelvic-floor-physical-therapy-specialty/what-world-pelvic
