Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located deep inside the pelvis that act like a hammock, providing support for your pelvic organs including your bladder, bowels, and uterus. Males, females and non-binary individuals all have pelvic floor muscles with similar anatomy.

The muscles of the pelvic floor act to: 

• Control your bladder and bowel (preventing incontinence - involuntarily leakage of urine or stool) Act as a support for your pelvic organs
• Aid in the stability for your lumbar spine, hips and sacroiliac joints
• Act as a sump-pump, pumping  blood and lymphatic fluid around your body
• Play a role in sexual arousal 

Often times clients are referred to pelvic floor physiotherapists to treat: 

• Bladder/ bowel incontinence
• Pelvic pain Painful menstruation
• Constipation
• Urgency and/or frequency
• Post natal concerns
• Painful intercourse 

What to expect during a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy appointment? 

Your initial visit with Brittany will be about 60 minutes long. You will be sent an intake form prior to your appointment to fill out that will ask about your medical and surgical history and any concerns you are having. It will also ask questions about your bladder, bowel and sexual habits. Brittany will meet with you to go over your form. It may be difficult for you to discuss some of these issues, but Brittany will help you feel comfortable and supported during your visit. If you don’t feel comfortable discussing something with her, that is fine and she will also accept this without any judgement. Your comfort is the mainstay of Brittany’s treatment. 

With your consent, Brittany will assess you physically to gain information about your problems. Assessment may include an external examination of areas such as your lower back, pelvic joints, and hip joints as well as your posture and breathing pattern. Your pelvic floor muscles can be assessed externally (from the outside) as well, but the most accurate way to assess these muscles is by doing an internal assessment.

An internal exam is done to assess tension, strength, endurance and reflexes of the pelvic floor muscles. It tells us how well they are working and contributing to your symptoms. An internal examination does not use a speculum or other instrument. Brittany understands that this process can make you feel very vulnerable, but she will do everything she can to make you feel supported. She will provide explanations along the way and check in with you throughout the exam to make sure you are feeling comfortable. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and she will go over the risks and benefits of doing an internal exam before starting. You can choose not to consent to an internal examination, and you can also withdraw your consent at any point if you change your mind during an internal exam. As said before, comfort is the most important thing to Brittany and she will still be able to help you. She will likely do an external assessment as an alternative, and provide you with education and exercises based on this information, along with your personal history.

If you have any questions about if physiotherapy is right for you, please contact the clinic or email Brittany at brittany@islandoptimal.com