Pregnancy:
In pregnancy, where there is no pelvic floor dysfunction but there is pain such as sciatica, low back pain, pubic symphysis dysfunction, physical therapy can be very helpful by utilizing education, therapeutic exercise, and manual therapy. In pregnancy, where there is previous pelvic floor dysfunction (or if a client is worried about how their pelvic floor muscles might respond to vaginal birth), pelvic floor physical therapy can help prepare the muscles for an easier birth through manual techniques, proper breathing and therapeutic exercise.
Post-Partum:
After the baby has arrived and the post-partum phase has set in, pelvic floor rehabilitation can be really helpful in getting back strength and endurance in all the core muscles. There is a lot of demand on the post-partum body, so this type of rehabilitation can be very beneficial in this area.
Bowel Dysfunction:
Fecal incontinence or fecal urgency, constipation, bowel pain can be caused by pelvic floor dysfunctions i.e muscle weakness or tightness, poor coordination of muscles, sphincter disruption, impaired anorectal sensation, pelvic pain, and nerve dysfunction.
Bowel dysfunction is grossly under reported and many more people live with bowel dysfunction than statistically shown. It can be very difficult and embarrassing to even mention this to a doctor. When someone is living with these problems, they often can have issues with self-esteem, social isolation, and overall poor quality of life. In Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, people can gain control back as well as improve quality of life with treatment based on education, therapeutic exercise, and manual therapy.
Bladder Dysfunction:
Poor bladder control, pelvic organ prolapse, and urinary urgency and frequency can be related to pelvic floor dysfunction. This is so common an occurrence that most people just decide to “live with it.” They continue to buy bladder control pantyliners, which leads to pads and then eventually to full-on underwear. Not only is this expensive, but there is also added concern about offensive odors—which, of course can give rise to emotional and self-image issues as well. So again, this can certainly affect one’s quality of life. Pelvic floor rehabilitation can help these issues with education, therapeutic exercise, and manual therapy.
Pelvic Pain:
Many varied diagnoses are tied to general pelvic pain, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome, bladder infections, Interstitial Cystitis, Endometriosis, and others. These often have a pain component arising from the muscles of the pelvic floor. Another variation is penetrative pelvic pain where people have pain with sexual activity, pain with using a tampon, and pain from pelvic exams. Again, pelvic floor rehabilitation can address all of these problems.
