Prenatal Care/Birth Prep
Expert services to support you through pregnancy, from birth preparation to managing pregnancy aches & pains. Many women are coming around to the idea of pelvic floor therapy after they have given birth, but still aren't aware of the benefits of receiving pelvic floor therapy during pregnancy to prepare for birth. The pelvic floor and pelvis play a vital role in baby's ability to navigate through the pelvis during labor and delivery so it is imperative that they work in sync! If you plan to have a c-section, it is still worth coming to pelvic floor therapy to talk about management tips post c-section to try and avoid injury, hernia, and prolapse. We can also discuss the best ways to care for your incision. Diastasis recti is another common concern that also needs to be addressed, ideally before it becomes problematic.
Bladder and Bowel Control
Urinary incontinence is probably the most popular reason women attend pelvic floor therapy, but there are many different urinary and bowel conditions that benefit from skilled pelvic services to include, overactive bladder, interstitial cystitis, urinary urgency/frequency, bowel urgency, fecal leakage, hemorrhoids, and constipation. We discuss what is considered normal and talk about healthy bladder and bowel habits at your first visit so that you can immediately start applying them to your daily life!
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Are you wondering if you have prolapse? Have you been told you have prolapse? Some symptoms indicating possible prolapse include feeling or seeing a bulge at the vaginal opening, feelings of heaviness/pressure, pain with intercourse, urinary leakage, difficulty emptying your bladder, feelings of incomplete bladder and bowel emptying, and constipation or straining/splinting with bowel movements. There are various types of prolapse that can include bladder, urethra, uterus, or rectum. These are all things that can be addressed with pelvic floor therapy! Before opting for potential surgery or feeling like you just have to deal with symptoms, make sure to get assessed so your therapist can discuss your options with you.
Sexual Wellness
Sexual dysfunction can come in MANY forms. Pain with intercourse can present as pain with initial penetration, pain with deep penetration, or even pain after intercourse. There are some formal diagnoses for some of these symptoms to include vaginismus, vulvodynia, and dyspareunia. You could also experience difficulty reaching orgasm, changes in sensation, and changes in lubrication. Many times changes in lubrication have to do with lack of hydration or hormonal changes (typically in menopause and postpartum - however, there are still many reasons aside from these that can cause a change in lubrication). If you experience any of these symptoms, know that you are not alone and we are here to help! Not sexually active? You should also not have any pain with tampon insertion or during your well women's exams!
Reproductive Wellness
Painful periods are another topic I love to share about. Many of us women have grown up thinking that having really heavy and painful periods were normal and just another joy of being a woman. PMS is a term used to describe any of the unfavorable symptoms prior to your period, but PMS is really just our body's way of telling us that something is "off." Some women are laid up in bed for 1-2 days per cycle, sometimes more. This is NOT normal! There are many reasons your periods could be painful and pelvic floor dysfunction can be one of them! I can help you determine possible instigating factors with a holistic approach to health and wellness.
Low back pain/Pelvic pain
I think low back pain speaks for itself, but I also wanted to mention a few other things that I see very commonly that we are able to remedy with pelvic floor therapy. Other possible causes of "low back pain" can be from the sacroiliac joints or from an angry piriformis muscle. Let me just say that the piriformis gets angry for a reason and we aim to find the root cause so we can treat your pain for good! Pubic symphysis pain is also common in pregnancy and postpartum and can also be addressed with pelvic floor therapy. Don't worry if you don't know what any of these words mean. I pride myself on patient education and will make sure you leave each session with all the knowledge you need (and probably more than you want)
