The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that goes from your tailbone to your pubic and sit bones. Like any other muscles in the human body, these muscles can get sore, weak, or overactive. When these muscles aren’t working quite how we want them to it can cause difficulties with urination, bowel function, and sexual function. Pelvic floor physiotherapy helps to optimize the function of these muscles through education, exercises, hands on techniques, and lifestyle modifications.
Our physiotherapist, Ashley Andrews, has been trained in multiple post-graduate courses to use both internal and external assessment and treatment techniques to improve pelvic floor symptoms in women. Ashley can treat stress urinary incontinence (i.e. peeing when you cough, run, jump, etc.), overactive bladder, and constipation. Ashley can also help with c-section recovery and incision pain. You are also welcome to have a third-party present during these physiotherapy appointments if you would prefer..
Pelvic floor physiotherapy involves obtaining a full history about your condition. Ashley will go through the anatomy of the pelvic floor and explain what she is assessing. There will be an external exam to look at breathing and movement strategies, before moving on to the internal exam. The initial internal exam usually takes 5-10 minutes or less. T An internal exam is NOT mandatory, and you can withdraw your consent at any time. Treatment consists of addressing the specific issues that lead to your dysfunction such as teaching how to squeeze or relax the muscles.
Physiotherapists such as Ashley, who are trained to assess and treat the pelvic floor in Canada have gone through advanced training to perform internal exams. An internal exam is very helpful as it provides the physiotherapist with information about the pelvic floor muscles such as their strength, endurance, coordination, tone and laxity. The most important thing is your comfort, so if you do not want an internal exam or treatment, that is fully your choice.
If pelvic floor physiotherapy sounds like something that will benefit you, if you want to get back to living your life “leak” free, or if you just have some questions for Ashley, please give us a call.