Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

What is Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?

Pelvic physiotherapists are specially trained to assess and treat muscles in the lumbopelvic region, especially the pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor physiotherapy is recommended as the first-line treatment for various pelvic floor dysfunctions.

Pelvic physiotherapy treatments at InvigoPhysio typically include:

manual therapy to release tension and increase mobility at the pelvic floor
acupuncture for external hip and low back muscles contributing to the pelvic disorder
education to help you understand your condition and how to manage it effectively
exercises to increase resilience at the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles.

What is Your Pelvic Floor?

Pelvic floor muscles are layers of muscle spanning at the bottom of the pelvis, from the pubic bone in the front to the tailbone in the back, and from one sitting bone to the other.

They support your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, bowel) and assist with bladder, bowel, and sexual function.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction is more common than most people think. The problem is that the symptoms can be uncomfortable to talk about and most people suffer in silence with their discomfort and pain. The good news is that pelvic physiotherapy can effectively treat almost all of the pelvic floor conditions.

Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Although the cause of pelvic floor dysfunction can be difficult to pinpoint, the symptoms are fairly hard to ignore and can severely affect your quality of life.

For symptoms and conditions specific for men or women, click on the links below.

Below is a list of common issues that people with pelvic floor disorder experience:

Leaking urine, stool, or gas when when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or perform exercise
Frequent urination
Urgent or uncontrollable sensation of needing to void
Difficulty with starting or stopping urination
Pain or burning with bladder movement
Constipation
Feeling bloated
Tailbone pain
Persistent lower back pain
Pain in the hips, genitals, or buttocks
Pain during or after sex
Pressure or heaviness in the rectum or vagina
A bulge in the stomach when carry heavy things or during exercise

Causes of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction can be a result of weak or tight pelvic muscles. Many factors can bring on problems at pelvic floor such as pregnancy and childbirth in women, age-related hormonal changes in women, prostate surgery in men, straining on the toilet, obesity, chronic coughing, heavy lifting without proper techniques, high impact exercises, past trauma. Despite the causes, it is possible to regain pelvic floor control.

Pelvic Floor Assessment

The initial assessment usually involves getting to know your concerns and medical history. It is the first step in determining the root cause of the issue.

The next step is the physical examination, which entails postural and movement assessments and pelvic floor evaluation.

An internal pelvic floor exam is considered the gold standard for checking the function of the deeper layer of your pelvic floor.

At the end of the session, we will discuss the findings and the treatment plan. In addition, you will receive a short treatment to begin addressing your concerns.

We can help you feel comfortable down there again.

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy for Women

Pelvic floor disorders can happen to women at various stages of life such as pregnancy, child birth, menopause, resulting in a negative impact on quality of life.

Signs and symptoms of a dysfunctional pelvic floor include:

Pain during, or after, intercourse
Pain with tampon insertion
A bulge in the belly with curling up or carrying heavy weight
Seeing or feeling a bulge coming out of the vagina.
A sense of fullness or pressure in the pelvis or perineum
Sensation of something falling out of the vagina
Pain or burning sensation around the vagina and clitoris

Don’t write off your symptoms. We can help you feel better and be happier.

Prenatal Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

During pregnancy, your pelvic floor is under a lot of pressure due to your baby’s growth. Women often turn to Kegel exercises thinking they will be beneficial, but it might not be appropriate for their needs. Besides, the pelvic floor needs to learn to relax and be ready to help deliver your baby.

Additionally, many pregnant women experience progressive weakening of their core muscles as their abdominal muscles get stretched out.

Therefore, it can be very beneficial to see a pelvic physiotherapist during pregnancy to learn how to strengthen your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles so that they can support your body’s needs.

Pelvic physiotherapy can help you through your pregnancy and improve your birth experience!

Postpartum Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

During a vaginal birth, there is a lot of strain happening at the pelvic floor level as baby comes through. Any tearing happened during this process can further weaken your pelvic floor muscles. This usually leads to urinary incontinence, bowel incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Perineal tears can also result in pelvic pain during intercourse.

On top of that, most moms still experience diastasis rectus abdominis (aka mummy tummy) up until 12 weeks postpartum, resulting in weak core strength and put them at risk of low back or hip pain.

Even if you had a Cesarean birth, it is still important to see a pelvic physiotherapist. It is not just your pelvic floor that is under significant pressure during pregnancy but your abdominal area also goes through a lot of stress. A pelvic floor physiotherapist will check your abdominal strength, and teach you how to take care of your C-section scar to avoid scar adhesion and chronic scar pain.

Learn more about how we support your postpartum recovery.

Diastasis Recti

Have you had your baby, lost the baby weight, but still have a frustrating baby-pooch that won’t go away? DRA is described as a condition in which the two rectus abdominis muscles are separated by an abnormal distance and characterized by a thinning and gradual widening of the linea alba.

At InvigoPhysio, we use an evidenced-based and holistic approach to help you recover and get stronger. Our DRA program focuses on alignment and posture improvement, optimal movement strategies, pelvic floor rebalancing, proper breathing pattern, and progressive loading of the abdominals

Learn more about how we can get your core back and stronger than ever.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)

Your pelvic floor muscles provides support to keep your pelvic organs in their place. POP is defined as the descent of one or more of the vaginal compartments as a result of inadequate pelvic floor support.

POP is a common condition that affects more than half of adult women. Mild to moderate prolapse responds well to pelvic physiotherapy and returning to your physical activity with prolapse is possible.

Learn more about how we can help you reclaim your body.

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy for Men

Just like women, men also have a pelvic floor and can experience pelvic floor dysfunction.

Clear signs and symptoms of a dysfunctional pelvic floor include:

Urinary or fecal incontinence
Constipation
Difficulty getting or maintaining an erection
Pain during sex (ie. pain after orgasm)
Pain in the tailbone, lower back, groin or abdominals
Pain in the perineum (the area between your scrotum and rectum)

Let us help you take charge of your pelvic health.

Prostatectomy & Post-Surgery Rehabilitation

Prostatectomy is a surgery to remove part or the whole prostate. It is usually indicated for prostate cancer or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also called enlarged prostate.

Urine incontinence is commonly experienced after surgery (or radiation for prostate cancer) and can take a few weeks to a year to resolve. Working with a pelvic floor physiotherapist before and after your surgery to strengthen your pelvic floor control can help you recover faster.

Learn more about how we can set your body up for a successful recovery.

Chronic Prostatitis

Chronic Prostatitis (CP) is defined as an inflammation of the prostate gland that continues for 3 months or longer with associated pelvic pain and urinary problems. Symptoms include difficulty urinating, painful ejaculation, urinary frequency, or urinary urgency among others.

The cause of CP is commonly attributed to a bacterial infection; however, 95% of the cases are nonbacterial and can respond well to pelvic physiotherapy.

Let us help you regain your pelvic floor control and feel better.

Book a Physiotherapy Appointment

Our evidence-based and client-centred approach to physiotherapy will help you bounce back from your injury.

Let us help you regain control down there.

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Toronto Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy