Have recently heard about pelvic floor physical therapy(PT) but don’t know what it is or who it’s for? Maybe you saw something about it on social media or your close friend mentioned it after having a baby. The truth is, pretty much everyone can benefit from seeing a pelvic floor therapist!
So what exactly is pelvic PT and what is a pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, organs, and connective tissue that sit inside the pelvis and control bowel, bladder, and reproductive function. A common misconception is that only females have a pelvic floor. This is completely false. Everyone who has a body also has a pelvic floor; therefore pelvic floor PTs treat all sexes and genders. Pelvic floor therapy is to assess and treat any dysfunction related to bowel, bladder, and reproductive health,
How do you know if you should see a pelvic PT?
Dysfunction with bowel movements: A normal bowel movement should occur in a range from a few times per day to every 3 days. It should be soft, well-formed, and log-shaped, and shouldn’t be painful to pass. If you are straining or your stool is too loose this is also dysfunctional.
Peeing too often, straining to pee, or urinary leakage: These are just a few common complaints of people with bladder dysfunction. In general, we should be emptying the bladder about every 3-4 hours during the day. Going too often or holding your pee too long can both cause issues with the bladder. We also shouldn’t have to “push” the pee out. If you are straining to pee, there is most likely bladder dysfunction. And finally, urinary leakage is never normal! No one should be peeing their pants, no matter how hard they are laughing.
Pain with vaginal penetration: This might mean pain with pelvic exams at your GYN, pain with inserting/removing a tampon, or pain with vaginal sex. None of the above should be painful! It is often caused by muscle tightness and pelvic floor “downtraining” or muscle relaxation can help.
Pain with erections, ejaculation, or erectile dysfunction: Similar to pain with vaginal penetration, the same muscle tightness in the pelvic floor can present in pain with erections or ejaculation as well as difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection. Learning how to relax these muscles can help to treat all of these issues.
Pregnancy and postpartum: Pelvic floor therapy is a great place to learn how to prepare the body for the birth process, treat any aches and pains that arise during pregnancy or postpartum and also strengthen the core and pelvic floor muscles following childbirth.
These are the top reasons we see patients, but there is a wide range of conditions we treat at Wellest Integrative Health in Boston, MA.
Want to learn more about the services we offer? Follow us on Instagram @wellesthealth or send us an email at hello@wellesthealth.com.
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