Pelvic floor physiotherapy (PFPT) is a specialized branch of physiotherapy involving assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor muscles. Those muscles are located between the hip bones and the sacrum, and they serve as a bowl to support the pelvic organs including the bladder, colon and uterus.
You may benefit from pelvic floor physiotherapy if you have any type of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Here is a list of examples for conditions we treat with pelvic floor physiotherapy:
- urinary incontinence (leakage), frequency and urgency
- constipation, straining or painful bowel movements
- pelvic organ prolapse (a pelvic organ shifts out of place creating heaviness or bulging at the vaginal or rectal opening)
- sexual dysfunction (inability to have vaginal penetration, or pain with penetration, erectyle dysfunction or pain during erection)
- pelvic girdle pain (related or not to pregnancy)
- pregnancy follow-up, delivery preparation and post-natal therapy
- dysmenorrhea (painful periods)
- vulvodynia and vaginismus
These pelvic conditions can occur during any point in a person's life. Sadly, people think they must live with these symptoms for the rest of their life, but luckily there is much that can be done to correct these problems and lessen/get rid of symptoms!
What should you know before your appointment?
Every treatment is tailored to your individual needs as a client. There is an external examination component where the skin, fascia, and muscles of the abdomen, lower back, and inner thighs are assessed. There is also an internal component to the exam which is done via a digital (finger) vaginal and/or rectal exam.
An internal exam is not always necessary, but it is encouraged to get a full picture of the issues you may have. It also adds valuable insight to better enhance your treatment plan and reach the best outcomes possible, in the shortest amount of time.