How Therapy Can Improve Pelvic Floor Health

By Brooke Meinema PT, DPT, FAFS

The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscles and connective tissue at the bottom of our pelvis. It acts as a sling to support organs in your pelvis, including the bladder, rectum, and uterus (women) or prostate (men). Contracting and relaxing these muscles allows you to control your bowel movements, urination, and sexual function. 

For some people, functions of the pelvic floor can be impacted for a number of reasons and can lead to dysfunction. Our Women’s Health team members are specialists trained to address these issues pertaining to the pelvic floor.

Support a Healthy Pregnancy
As any pregnant woman can tell you, the body undergoes dramatic changes during pregnancy. Some aches and pains may be normal, but when this becomes prolonged or begins to limit your ability to perform daily or enjoyable tasks, it may be time to get checked out. Our Women’s Health therapists can work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan to help you throughout the different stages of your pregnancy and postpartum journey. 

Address Leaking
Women of all ages, shapes, and sizes may experience this at some point in their life.  While it may be common, leaking should not be considered normal. Whether it be postpartum, hormone/menopause related, pelvic floor dysfunction or weakness, muscle tension, or during sports and higher level activities, there are a variety of ways to address this issue.

Lessen Pelvic Pain
There are many potential causes of pelvic pain. Some may be pain secondary to interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, endometriosis, or poly cystic ovarian syndrome, others due to tight muscles, pregnancy, and in some cases, previous trauma. Our therapists are sensitive to the nature of these issues and will work with each woman to reduce this pain and reach each patient’s unique goals. 

Managing Prolapse
A prolapse can lead to feelings of heaviness and difficulty with voiding. This can be caused by pelvic floor muscle weakness, pregnancy and delivery, hypermobility and laxity within the supportive ligaments, and other trauma or injury. Our team can help walk you through what this can mean for you, ways to manage, ways to strengthen, or even work towards recovery following a surgery to address this.  

Different Needs at Different Stages
Our bodies and our needs change over time. What used to work at one stage in life may no longer be sufficient as we age. Because of this, it may be time to reassess and update your routine to address your current needs. We can work with you to assess your current level of function from head to toe to keep you doing what you love. 

Learn More with a Free Consultation
Not seeing what you need help with? Contact us! If desired, we can offer a free, 10 minute one-on-one consultation with a pelvic floor rehabilitation therapist prior to scheduling any appointments. An initial evaluation can help determine the root cause of your issues and develop your personalized treatment plan.