The American Physical Therapy Association has dedicated an entire section to the pelvic needs of men and women. In fact, the APTA Academy of Pelvic Health has provided mountains of research and support for physical therapists across the country. Surprised? We’re not. Every day, we treat men and women with health issues ranging from pregnancy-related back pain to urinary incontinence.
These are just a few of the pelvic health issues that can be effectively treated with physical therapy:
- Incontinence
- Pregnancy-related pelvic issues and back pain
- Pelvic prolapse
- Pain during sexual intercourse (men and women)
- Coccydynia
- Vulvodynia
Beyond Kegels
The Cantrell Center held a seminar entitled “Beyond Kegels”. During the seminar, Jamie Lochner, DPT, PRC, discussed how pelvic position can affect the ability of the pelvic floor muscles to work correctly leading to pain, incontinence, and constipation. By altering the position of the pelvis, the position of the spine,and rib cage are changed. This causes dysfunction of our respiratory diaphragm.
Lola Rosenbaum, DPT, discussed how pelvic health physical therapy can help with male and female urinary and fecal leakage, urinary frequency, and pelvic pain. Performing exercises to allow the pelvic diaphragm and respiratory diaphragm to work together again. By getting the pelvis, spine, and rib cage back into the correct position, it can resolve the issues of pelvic pain, incontinence, and constipation. When coming to the Cantrell Center for pelvic health matters, our expert clinicians will perform a thorough evaluation. Afterwards, they will design an exercise program specifically for you. Ultimately, the goal of the program is to ensure that your pelvis is in the correct position and that your pelvic floor muscles are able to function correctly.
If you are experiencing in any of the following symptoms, talk to your doctor to see if you could benefit from physical therapy:
- low back pain
- pelvis pain
- pain in genitals
- rectum pain
- pelvic muscle spasms
- a frequent need to urinate
- painful intercourse
- chronic constipation
- straining with bowel movements
What to Expect During Treatment
Pelvic floor muscle exercises, or kegels, can help strengthen the muscles that support the pelvis but, they must be done correctly to achieve results and aren’t the cure for every pelvic floor problem. Our expert clinicians teach people with pelvic pain or overactive muscles to relax the pelvic floor muscles to reduce pain. Clinicians may recommend a device such as the Kehel that uses biofeedback to teach how to contract and relax the pelvic floor muscles. In addition, our physical therapists will cover the importance of diet, fluid intake, posture, and positioning during elimination.