Pelvic floor physical therapy evaluates and treats musculoskeletal and behavioral aspects within the abdomen and pelvis of all genders. Muscles of the pelvic floor support the function of the reproductive, digestive, and urinary tracts as well as providing postural stability. These muscles play a critical role in postural stability because they work in conjunction with other core muscles. When these muscles do not work efficiently, this can result in pain or pelvic floor dysfunction.

As we mentioned in last weeks blog, our trunk, when aligned, contains a pressure system that supports the spine. It’s not just about core strength. When looking at Mary Massery’s “Coke can” model, where the top of the can is the diaphragm, the sides of the can are the deep abdominals and obliques, and the pelvic floor is the bottom of the Coke can, If any one of these aspects of the “Coke can” is dysfunctional, it will have a huge impact on the abdominal pressure system. If the pelvic floor is too tight (stress), too weak (poor posture, post pregnancy), in the wrong position (poor posture), or if you took a bad fall on your hip or buttocks while skiing 15 years ago (coccyx/tailbone), the pelvic floor might be the missing piece to the pain you’ve been having over time. Even if the pain is in the legs or the lower back, it may be due to a dysfunction in the pelvic floor.

Here are some common conditions treated with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy:

• Urinary Leakage/Incontinence
• Urinary urgency and frequency
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Post-Prostatectomy
• Prostatitis
• Fecal Leakage/Incontinence
• Constipation or difficulty emptying bowels
• Genital pain
• Vaginismus, vulvodynia, vestibulodynia
• Endometriosis
• Pelvic Pain
• Dyspareunia/Painful Sex
• Abdominal pain
• Tailbone/Coccyx pain
• Pudendal Neuralgia
• Postpartum
• Diastasis Rectus Abdominis
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse

If three or more of the following apply to you, you may have pelvic floor dysfunction and may benefit from an assessment by a pelvic floor physical therapist. Pelvic floor dysfunction isn’t limited to just these conditions, and it often doesn’t necessarily have to do with only bowel, bladder, or sexual dysfunction, so even if you’re not sure whether you have any of the above conditions, talk to your PT and give them a full history of your pain or discomfort so they can get your treatment going in the right direction. And remember, pelvic floor dysfunction does not just happen in women, it may be just as prevalent in men, but often it goes unreported.

Beacon Physical Therapy

At Beacon Physical Therapy, we support our clients in establishing healthy movement patterns that help maintain strength, flexibility and mobility. If you are having an issue, make an appointment today. We’d love to meet you and get you back to doing what you love.