What is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

Pelvic floor physical therapy is simply Physical Therapy geared toward treating the pelvic floor muscles and structures. To learn more about what the public floor is see this blog, What is the Pelvic Floor.

Pelvic floor physical therapy can go by many names, and these terms can be interchangeable. You might come across terms like pelvic therapy, pelvic floor therapy, pelvic health therapy, pelvic health physical therapy, and women's health physical therapy. For the sake of simplicity, we will use the term pelvic floor therapy throughout the rest of this blog.

Who provides pelvic physical therapy?

Physical therapists, and some occupational therapists, who take additional training after receiving their entry-level degree can provide pelvic floor therapy. These clinicians spend much time and energy learning the intricate details of how to properly treat the pelvic floor.

These clinicians are orthopedic therapists first. They understand the bones, muscles, joints, nerve innervations, and functions of the structures around the pelvis. This includes the abdomen, hip girdle, shoulders, and legs. These clinicians take their knowledge of orthopedics and niche down to the pelvic region. Though pelvic floor therapy is geared towards people with pelvic floor dysfunction, good pelvic floor therapists incorporate different areas of the body in their treatment plan so that their patients get optimal outcomes.

In what settings is pelvic floor therapy offered?

The great thing about pelvic floor therapy is there are lots of options for where to receive these services. Some clinicians prefer to provide services on location, or in their clients’ homes. This is perfect for patients that are not very mobile. Many new mothers received in-home pelvic floor therapy. This is a great service as they are recovering from the birth of their new baby.

Other clinicians provide intimate, 1:1 services in an office setting. Generally, these visits are 45 minutes to an hour and the therapist is able to work with the patient without interruption to maximize their potential. This is the service offered at Marrón Pelvic Health, contact us today if you would like more information.

Other patients with pelvic floor concerns are treated in a more traditional orthopedic setting that is hospital-based. These patients generally have part of their session in a private room with the therapist, and the rest of their session in an open gym with other patients doing exercises.

Patients can also receive virtual pelvic floor therapy with the use of HIPAA-regulated telehealth software. This is great for clinicians that are not local to the patient. At Marrón Pelvic Health we offer this for patients if they are unable to come into the office for their scheduled in-person visit, for example, taking care of a sick loved one at home or are long-distance.

Want to know what happens during a pelvic floor visit? Read the following blog.