What To Expect From Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Physical therapy internal exams are different from the pelvic or gynecological exams performed by your medical health practitioner.
What to expect from pelvic floor physical therapy. What does pelvic floor physical therapy cover. The pelvic exam is an internal and external check of the health of the tissues in your pelvis including skin muscles and nerves. Also a couple of my amazing colleagues have an informative podcast called pt below the waist. And that is an initial evaluation with a pelvic floor pt at sullivan physical therapy folks.
Most of the therapists are physical therapists and that is the assumption for this article. Whether you were referred to physical therapy pt by your doctor it was recommended to you by a friend or you read that you may benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy online or in a book it can be nerve racking before your first visit when you don t know what to expect. Many pelvic floor conditions can be managed and healed without surgery. Vanderbilt experts explain the pelvic floor physical therapy how it can be beneficial and what to expect.
Seeing a physical therapist pt or an occupational therapist ot who is trained as a pelvic floor therapist may help you better understand your symptoms and design a personalized program to help alleviate your pelvic discomfort or pain through retraining and strengthening your muscles. Why see a pelvic floor therapist. Pelvic floor physical therapy is an evidence based non surgical approach to treating chronic pelvic pain and pelvic floor disorders. Your pelvic floor physical therapist will have been trained in pelvic anatomy and the surrounding areas including the organs joints muscles nerves and connective tissues.
Treatment starts with an assessment by a specially trained physical therapist pt who has received specialized training in evaluating and treating pelvic floor disorders the initial evaluation typically includes. Pelvic floor physical therapy. We evaluate the pelvic floor muscles joints ligaments and fascia for strength quality endurance and motor. There has been a lot of discussion in the news about the purposes of pelvic floor physical therapy and the proper uses of it for a patient.
Kristin christensen a physical therapist pt who specializes in pelvic floor disorders then brought me back to the exam room. Prior to your evaluation for pelvic floor physical therapy you may have a few questions. Before assessing your pelvic floor your pt should run through what to expect during the exam showing you on the pelvic model or using pictures to see the muscles we assess and answering any questions you have. Pelvic floor therapy is a specialty in physical therapy that focuses on more than the pelvic floor and can include the muscles and fascia in the pelvis hips back and thorax or.
Many patients are initially hesitant when the therapy is brought up as part of treatment plan. We do not use a speculum and we are not evaluating the reproductive urinary or intestinal systems.