What is Pelvic Health Physical Therapy?

If you are unsure of what pelvic health PT is and if it would be right for you, you are not alone! While this specialty is slowly becoming more mainstream, many people still don’t even know that Pelvic PT is an option for them. A Pelvic Health Physical therapist is a PT who has completed their clinical degree in physical therapy and then attended additional education to specialize in pelvic health.

Pelvic health physical therapy involves the muscles of the pelvic floor and the bony pelvic girdle. The muscles of the pelvic floor have the following functions: 

• Provide support to the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, rectum, prostate)

• Have sphincteric functions for bowel and bladder control

• Help with stability of the pelvis, low back, and hip joints

• Help with sexual arousal and orgasm

Pelvic health physical therapy can be a primary treatment for incontinence, pain during pregnancy, postpartum rehab, difficulty with bowel movements or urination, constipation and IBS, chronic pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, tailbone pain, and low back pain.

Pelvic health physical therapy is a treatment option for folks of all genders and genitals. Some common diagnoses a pelvic health physical therapist can help you with is vaginismus, vulvodynia, endometriosis, diastasis recti, pubic symphysis pain, coccydynia/tailbone pain, dyspareunia, chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, painful ejaculation, testicular pain, inguinal hernias, etc. Dr. Hannah Strom specializes in chronic pelvic pain, musculoskeletal pain during pregnancy, postpartum rehabilitation, postpartum return to sport, tailbone pain, and endometriosis.

Pelvic health physical therapists use a variety of techniques to help you, including:

• Education: we will talk about the anatomy of the pelvis/pelvic floor and the body and how everything is working together. Will also go through different strategies, habits, or lifestyle changes that can help with your symptoms and recovery.

• Exercise: movement, exercise, and mobility work is an important part of the physical therapy process. The exercises that we focus on will vary depending on your goals and symptoms. Gentle yoga and pilates may be utilized to help improve muscular restrictions, whereas strength and cardio-based exercise may be used to help you return to activities such as running or CrossFit.

• Manual therapy : hands-on massage, joint mobilizations, and soft-tissue work is performed to help improve muscular or connective tissue restrictions, blood flow, and mobility. We also use bodywork modalities such as cupping therapy and dry needling.

Pelvic health PT may be a part of a comprehensive treatment plan that involves your MD, mental health therapist, acupuncturist, chiropractor, massage therapist, etc. At Awake Pelvic Health & Wellness we believe in a holistic approach to physical therapy that is individualized to your needs.

We’d love to chat with you to see how we can serve you! Give us a call at (651) 432-0250 or email us at hannah@awakepelvichealth.com.