Pelvic Health Therapy | Physiotherapy | Peoria Illinois

WHAT IS PELVIC HEALTH PT?

What is pelvic health physiotherapy?

Pelvic health PT is the treatment of ANYTHING

related to the pelvic floor or abdomen

Bladder conditions, such as:

  • Urinary incontinence (YES, even a “little bit” counts!)
  • Urinary urgency and/or frequency
  • Painful bladder syndrome, aka interstitial cystitis
  • Cystocele (aka bladder prolapse)


Bowel conditions, such as:

  • Constipation or fecal incontinence
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Rectocele (aka bowel prolapse)


Pain conditions, such as:

  • Pelvic pain (endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome - PCOS, etc)
  • Painful intercourse (dyspareunia)
  • Healing from abdominal surgeries - open or laparoscopic

Pre- and post-partum conditions, such as:

  • Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) or pelvic girdle pain
  • Round ligament pain
  • Recovery from c-sections
  • Recovery from perineal tearing or episiotomies
  • Recovery from creating another human being :)
  • Recovery from caring for said small human being!
  • Uterine/cervical prolapse


Gender affirmation surgeries:

  • Vaginoplasty
  • Phalloplasty
  • Mammoplasty
  • Chest implants


Peoria Il therapists

Image used with permission from Pelvic Guru®, LLC www.pelvicglobal.com

pelvic floor specialist

Image used with permission from Pelvic Guru®, LLC www.pelvicglobal.com

It’s treatment of the WHOLE person

  Did you know that one of your hip muscles is also a pelvic floor muscle?  The obturator internus provides a direct connection between hip pain and pelvic floor issues.  Ever had lower back pain or sciatica, and struggled with a tight or spasmed piriformis muscle? 


  The piriformis is also part of the pelvic floor. As such, it provides a direct link between lower back pain and pelvic floor issues as well.  Your pelvic floor even moves as you breathe!  So problems with your hips, lower back, or even breathing can cause pelvic floor dysfunction - and vice versa.  And a pelvic floor PT can treat ALL of those things - even your lower back pain!


  The pelvic floor also controls your bladder, bowel, and sexual function. 

  So if you struggle with constipation and have some urinary leakage - those two things are definitely related.  Feel like you have to pee all of the time and have problems with pain or discomfort during sex?  Those things are also linked.


  A pelvic floor PT can help you put all of these puzzle pieces together to get to the root cause of the issue.  No need to see a urologist for your bladder, a gastroenterologist for your bowls, and a gynecologist for sexual dysfunction. 

  Pelvic floor PTs are the experts in pelvic floor disorders, and can help you achieve true healing of all of these related issues.

It’s SO much less embarrassing

than going to the gynecologist or having a prostate exam!

physical therapy for prolapse Peoria Il

  A pelvic floor PT doesn’t use a speculum or stirrups - only a finger.  Additionally, pelvic floor PTs  understand how to do pelvic floor examinations gently.  This is because when we learn how to do vaginal and rectal examinations, we practice on each other as patients!  We’ve all had bad exams and don’t want to repeat that experience for our patients.


  When you arrive, you can expect to be seen one-on-one in a private treatment room.  No pelvic floor examination or treatment should EVER occur in a large gym, even if it’s behind a curtain.  And at Pelvic Love Physio, there is no front desk staff or PT tech to whom you have to explain why you are attending therapy. 


  As your PT, Stephanie will listen carefully to you describing your symptoms and history.   And since your pelvic floor is affected by your whole body, your examination starts from the outside in.  She will first examine your posture and do some functional testing, like watching you move or walk.  She’ll then examine your abdomen and watch you breathe, and check your flexibility as well.


  The last part is the pelvic floor examination.  This is ONLY done with your explicit consent, and sometimes we don’t even get to it on the first day.  Stephanie will leave the room as you undress from the waist down, lay on the bed, and cover up with a sheet.  The examination will begin by just looking at your pelvic floor from the outside, and by gently touching a few external structures to see if they are causing any symptoms.


  The internal examination will involve one finger being placed into the vagina or the rectum.  And remember - we are assessing muscle function!  The pelvic floor muscles are like muscles ANYWHERE else in the body - they can be tight/spasmed, lengthened or weak, painful, etc.  So you will be asked to complete a few different movements of your pelvic floor muscles as your therapist assesses their function. 


  And that’s it!  You’ll be done and it will be over in a flash.  At the end, patients almost always say “well, that was much easier than I expected!”  Stephanie will explain her findings, and you’ll be provided with exercises or other recommendations to help your symptoms.

It’s NOT just kegels

  By now you have learned that the pelvic floor is influenced by the entire body.  The pelvic floor is affected by your posture, how you breathe, what your abdominal and hip strength are like, how flexible (or not!) you are, etc.  Pelvic health PT is NOT, and NEVER should be, only prescribing Kegels or pelvic floor strengthening exercises.


  Because the pelvic floor controls your bladder, bowel, and sexual function - it’s also influenced by how your internal organs are behaving.  So pelvic health PT also involves talking about what you are eating and drinking, how you are sitting on the toilet, your stress levels, and in certain cases even what soap or laundry detergent you are using!  And if you have any issues with sex, we even dive into topics like what lube you are using, which sexual positions are more painful than others, and how you are feeling or thinking about sex.


  Please don’t ever let a medical professional tell you that you don’t need pelvic health PT because “your pelvic floor is doing well” or “you have a good squeeze!”  There is so, so much more that a pelvic health PT can help you with that you may not even realize.  It never hurts to go for a PT evaluation and at least get an opinion how how pelvic health PT may benefit you.  (And, if pelvic health physical therapy can’t help you, we will also let you know that!)

pediatric pelvic floor therapy

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Pelvic Floor Specialist | Physiotherapy | Physical Therapy | Peoria Illinois