Pelvic Health and Physiotherapy at HOHC By Natalie d'Entremont MScPT
Pelvic floor dysfunction is common. Many women suffer from the conditions listed bellow. Research continues to show that pelvic floor rehabilitation, when carried out by a qualified pelvic health physiotherapist, is highly successful and should be first-line treatment before surgery or medication. Women who are experiencing the following symptoms should consider consulting our pelvic health physiotherapist.
Incontinence, leakage of urine or bowels (from coughing, sneezing, or not getting to the bathroom in time)
Urgency (needing to go to the bathroom often, unable to wait to go to the bathroom)
Bowel and rectal disorder (constipation, straining and pain)
Pain in pelvic area, genital area or rectum (endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, hemorrhoids, frequent UTIs, etc.)
Unexplained ongoing low back pain
Pain during or after sex
Pelvic organ prolapse (pressure, heaviness or bulging in the pelvic region)
Pre- and post-pregnancy care, muscle re-education, pain management
Scaring and abdominal weakness from c-sections
Scaring from vaginal deliveries from tearing or episiotomy
Who do we treat?
We treat adult women aged 18+. The majority of pelvic floor problems will occur for women after pregnancy and child birth, but many women experience pelvic floor dysfunction without child-bearing. Many women who are post-menopausal experience pain, prolapse and incontinence due to changes in estrogen levels. Many athletes will experience incontinence, prolapse, and pain due to pelvic floor muscles that are too tight. Many sedentary women will experience pain, incontinence and prolapse from a very weak pelvic floor. The list goes on.
What to expect on your first visit
The first visit in intended to get a very thorough medical history. Your physiotherapist will want to know all the details of your pelvic floor and how it is affecting your life. We talk about everything related to the pelvis: poop, pee, pain, pregnancy and sex. The physiotherapist will then evaluate the pelvic structures - your posture, strength, the muscles and joints of the spine and hips. She will also evaluate directly the pelvic floor muscles. This is done internally through the vagina (similar to a routine PAP test) with a finger to test the function of the muscles. An internal pelvic exam is considered goal standard in assessing and treating pelvic floor dysfunction, but some women may chose not to have and internal pelvic exam done. Remember that pelvic health physiotherapists are highly trained and sensitive professionals. The physiotherapist will discuss with you all aspects of the treatment, your goals, and your options before proceeding.
Talking about your pelvic health is nothing to be shy about! It is a very important component to your quality of life and we can get dysfunction in muscles anywhere - our pelvic floor is not exempt. Contact us at the clinic if you are interested in having an assessment or if you're a patient of one of our other practitioners, don't hesitate to ask them about whether you could benefit from pelvic floor physiotherapy!
Comments