Pelvic Health Physiotherapy
What is Pelvic Health Physiotherapy?
Pelvic health physiotherapy is an evidence-based treatment for common conditions within the pelvis such as incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain. A comprehensive subjective and objective evaluation is conducted to identify all the factors that are contributing to your symptoms. A treatment plan will be formulated with personalized short and long-term goals.
The subjective assessment can include reviewing your past medical history and asking appropriate questions pertaining to pain, bladder and bowel, and sexual function with the use of validated and reliable outcome measures.
The objective assessment will look at global contributors such as breathing, posture and alignment, movement patterns, overall strength and conditioning, the lumbar and thoracic spine, and the pelvic floor muscle function.
The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that attach to the front, back and sides of the pelvic bone and sacrum, which act like a hammock or sling. They also wrap around your urethra (where urine comes out), rectum, and vagina (in women). The pelvic floor muscles must be able to contract to maintain continence and relax to allow for urination, bowel movements, and in women, sexual penetration.
Treatment Techniques
Your treatment may consist of the following:
Manual Therapy: In addition to teaching you how to control and exercise your pelvic floor muscles, your physical therapist may conduct manual therapy to treat you.
As one of the tools and techniques for the pelvic floor, manual therapy involves the PT using hands-on pressure and massage, either externally or internally, on the muscles of the pelvis.
Manual therapy is useful for improving blood flow to the affected muscles, as well as helping those muscles to stretch and relax. This approach may also utilize certain tools to help stretch, educate, and massage muscles back into a healthy state.
Relaxation Techniques: Sometimes, treating the pelvic floor involves helping tense muscles to relax. Relaxation techniques can be effective in relieving muscle tension and related pain and other issues.
Biofeedback, with the use of a sensor pressure probe that is inserted into your vagina or rectum, to sense the strength of contractions of the pelvic floor muscles to help you be aware of when you are contracting or relaxing these muscles
Electrical stimulation to help elicit pelvic floor muscle activation
Pelvic floor therapy devices like vaginal dilators, which are cylindrical objects of varying widths that are inserted into the vagina to gently stretch the pelvic floor muscles and allow them to relax with insertion.
Weighted cones, which can be inserted into the vagina or rectum, and used during contraction exercises to provide increased resistance
Pelvic health conditions We can help treat
- Prenatal and postnatal issues for women
- Incontinence (urinary and fecal)
- Pelvic Pain
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- List ItemUrinary Symptoms (Urgency, frequency)
- Bowel disorders (IBS, constipation)
- Post surgical rehabilitation
- Cancer rehabilitation
Clinical Specializations
Rostered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario to perform pelvic internal examinations
- Pelvic Health Level 1: The Physical Therapy Approach to Female Urinary Incontinence
- Pelvic Health Level 2: Female Pelvic Pain
- Pelvic Health Level 3: Biopsychosocial Reframed Clinical Skills for Treating Pain
Frequently Asked Question
What is pelvic floor physiotherapy?
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a specialized treatment that assesses and treats the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues of the pelvic floor to improve bladder, bowel, sexual, and pelvic health.
What conditions can pelvic floor physiotherapy treat?
Pelvic floor physiotherapy can help with urinary incontinence, urinary urgency, pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, constipation, painful intercourse, pregnancy-related pelvic pain, and postpartum recovery.
Do I need a doctor's referral for pelvic floor physiotherapy?
No. You can book an appointment directly with a pelvic floor physiotherapist without a doctor’s referral. Some insurance plans may require a referral for reimbursement.
What happens during my first pelvic floor physiotherapy appointment?
Your physiotherapist will discuss your symptoms, medical history, and goals. A physical assessment may include posture, movement, breathing, and—with your informed consent—an internal pelvic floor examination if appropriate. Your treatment plan will be tailored to your needs.
Can pelvic floor physiotherapy help during pregnancy?
Yes. It can help reduce pregnancy-related pelvic and low back pain, prepare the pelvic floor for childbirth, and teach exercises that support a healthier pregnancy.
Can pelvic floor physiotherapy help after childbirth?
Yes. Postpartum physiotherapy can help strengthen the pelvic floor, improve bladder control, reduce pelvic pain, support recovery after vaginal or cesarean delivery, and safely return to exercise.
Is pelvic floor physiotherapy painful?
Treatment is generally gentle and should not be painful. Your comfort and privacy are always respected, and every step of the assessment and treatment is explained before proceeding.
Ready to Start Your Journey to Better Health?
Contact Us Today to begin your journey to better pelvic health and enjoy a pain-free, comfortable life.