Table of Contents

What Is Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation?

The muscles in the interior and bottom of your pelvis make up your “pelvic floor”. These muscles, believe it or not, are what your body uses to maintain its core. The pelvic floor is required to support your entire back and full body functions. Despite popular belief to the contrary, a pelvic floor is a muscle group that both men and women have and require.

There are symptoms that you may need pelvic floor rehabilitation, and many of our patients travel a winding path before arriving at our pelvic floor treatment facility. It can sometimes be difficult to diagnose at first because so many symptoms and many physiological functions are linked to the pelvic floor.

Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation

Is Pelvic Pain Considered Normal? ​​​​​

It is not unusual to experience pain in the pelvic region, but you are not obligated to live with it. It’s also not unheard of to experience back discomfort, pelvic pain, or tailbone pain during or after pregnancy. Pelvic floor treatment can help with these concerns; they are not something that a person has to live with untreated.

Is It Normal To Leak Urine When You Cough Or Sneeze?

When you sneeze, cough, jump or do any other physical movement, it is not unusual to spill a small amount of urine or feces if your pelvic floor is vulnerable. However, it’s clearly best to prevent these occurrences and so physical treatment for the pelvic floor can help with these problems.

What Can I Expect From My Initial Treatment?

Your pelvic health therapist will ask specific questions during the initial evaluation to determine what’s causing your discomfort. You’ll talk about the type of exam to do, and you’ll decide together which treatments you’re most comfortable with moving forward. Permission to take any exams will always be requested. Your comfort is critical for successful outcomes, so we will always discuss everything with you beforehand and answer any questions you may have. ​

Is It Necessary To Take An Internal Exam?

An internal examination is the most effective technique to find out how well your pelvic muscles are working (and the source of your difficulties). On the other hand, internal exams are optional and will only be conducted if you are entirely comfortable with them. Your pelvic floor therapist will always go over your options and let you choose the evaluation and treatments you are most comfortable with.

How Frequently Will I Require Treatment?

This depends on the severity of your injury and how quickly you want to see results. Our goal is to get you back to full fitness and function as soon as possible while also keeping you safe. Following your initial visit, your physical therapist will be in a better position to address this question.

What Should I Wear To Physical Therapy?

Wearing something comfy which allows you to move around is recommended. We will have you disrobe from the waist down and cover up with a cotton sheet for modesty if you’re okay with the therapist performing an internal pelvic evaluation once described to you.

Benefits Of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Pelvic floor physical therapy can help with the following diagnoses:

  • Bladder
    • Urinary leakage
    • Urinary frequency and urgency 
  • Bowels
    • Stool leakage
    • Urgency and frequency of bowel movements
  • Pain
    • Pain in the abdomen
    • Intercourse discomfort (Dyspareunia)
    • Pregnancy and postpartum pain
    • Pelvic discomfort
  • Prostatectomy (removal of the prostate)
  • Prolapse of the pelvic organs
  • Endometriosis
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

These are some of the most common reasons patients seek a pelvic floor physical therapist:

  • If you run, laugh or lift something, you pee a bit
  • You’ve recently given birth (or are expecting a child), especially if your back hurts or your feet swell
  • Sex can be excruciating at times or all of the time
  • You have endometriosis
  • You’re experiencing pain in your back, hips, buttocks (sacroiliac) or tailbone

You don’t have to suffer from pelvic floor pain. Simply visit fraserlifephysio.ca for more information or call us in Langley at (778) 278-4755 today.