What to expect from my Pelvic physiotherapy assessment on my first visit & how to prepare for it?
In a private treatment room, your pelvic health physiotherapist will take a detailed medical history to understand your bladder, bowel, and sexual function. This will include questions regarding your symptoms, health history, activity limitations, and goals. A physical examination follows to assess your posture, strength, tissue health, and any scars in your abdomen and pelvis. With your consent, your pelvic health physiotherapist is specially trained to perform an internal vaginal or anal assessment of the pelvic floor muscles. Gentle palpation, without the use of instruments, will help you and your therapist discover areas of scar tissue, tenderness, tension or weakness. An internal assessment is not mandatory. Your therapist can assess and treat externally; however, an internal assessment will provide additional information and feedback to you for the rehabilitation of deeper pelvic floor muscles. This does not have to take place in the first visit and will proceed only at your comfort level.
Some common questions are listed below:
Can I come in for my appointment if I am on my period?
Yes, being on your period does not change the assessment/treatment at all
If I am coming in for a prenatal consult, when can I start?
Our pelvic floor physiotherapist will begin to see pre-natal clients as early as 12 weeks into their pregnancy
If I am coming in for a postpartum appointment, how soon can I come in?
Please wait until after you have had your 6 weeks follow up with your midwife or OB and they have cleared you for an internal assessment and/or resuming intercourse.
If I have been told by my doctor I cannot have intercourse, can I still have an internal assessment?
No, if you have been told you cannot have intercourse, an internal exam is also contraindicated. You are still able to come in for a pelvic floor assessment and the therapist will assess without the internal exam.
How many appointments will I need?
Every patient is different and the number of visits can be variable. Once you have had your assessment your therapist will put together a treatment plan and be able to provide you with an estimate of the number of follow up appointments.
By: Ingrid Yu, Registered Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
PDF version of the above questions and answers can be downloaded here:
Pelvic Assessment Preparation Questions & Answers
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