Why pelvic floor strengthening is so important?
Pelvic floor is formed by a series of muscles, ligaments and other connective tissue which sits at the bottom of your pelvis and supports organs of the abdomen such as uterus, bladder and sexual organs. These structures work together and stabilize the pelvis, sacrum and hip joints. They play an important role in urination, bowel movements, and sexual function. Like any other muscle groups in the body, pelvic floor muscles can be stretched, mobilized and strengthen to perform better and prevent injuries.
Any compromise of these muscles and ligaments can cause pelvic pain, incontinence, and sexual dysfunctions such as pain with activity. It is not uncommon to have a compromise of this structure’s function after pregnancy and giving birth.
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Can Pelvic floor physiotherapy help incontinence?
When bladder or the pelvic floor muscles weaken, this results in urinary incontinence. The muscles support the rectum, bladder, and other important organs. In addition to age-related urinary incontinence, some common reasons for urinary incontinence are pregnancy and childbirth in women and surgery such as prostatectomy in men.
Pelvic floor muscles can be strengthened by training and stimulating the muscles to properly perform their role of supporting the bladder and assisting the body to regain control of spasms, leakage, and urine stream.
A pelvic health physiotherapist can teach the patient several pelvic floor muscle re-training techniques that have shown to be effective in preventing and minimizing the symptoms of urinary incontinence in males and females. The treatment usually includes home programs and education on lifestyle changes.
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Pelvic floor physiotherapy during pregnancy
Prenatal physiotherapy care refers to care provided by a physiotherapist. Pregnancy takes a toll on women’s bodies. The changes in posture in addition to the ligamentum laxity caused by hormonal changes can cause back pain and other orthopedic conditions. Expectant mothers may experience lower and mid back pain, muscle spasms, abdominal bulging, SIJ joint pain, bladder control problems, constipation or straining, and carpal tunnel symptoms.
About 40% of women experience urinary incontinence during pregnancy. This increases their risk for long-term incontinence post-natal. Risk also increases with more difficult deliveries, such as the use of forceps and prolonged delivery. Pelvic health physiotherapists help a pregnant woman with support for a pain-free or complication-free pregnancy. The physiotherapist designs a tailored treatment program consisting of pelvic floor exercises to prepare the body for childbirth, reduce pain and manage complications such as incontinence and organ prolapse.
Studies show pre-natal pelvic floor muscle training will lower the rate of prolonged second-stage labor, reduced pregnancy-related low back pain, and pelvic pain. Just a few sessions with a pelvic health physiotherapist can help you develop better awareness and control of your pelvic floor muscles to prepare you for delivery. You will receive feedback on correct breathing, pushing, and pelvic floor muscle training to reduce urinary incontinence postpartum. Perineal stretching and internal muscle release will also help reduce the chances of tearing if you have a tight pelvic floor.
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Is it safe to have pelvic floor physiotherapy while pregnant?
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is safe during pregnancy. In fact, the physiotherapist is specially trained to treat prenatal women.
If you have been told by your doctor that 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.
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Postpartum pelvic floor physiotherapy
Having a baby affects the mother physically, emotionally and mentally. In the early days and weeks after giving birth, a woman’s body goes through a lot of changes affecting bladder, vagina, breasts, core and postural muscles. Having pain, bleeding, constipation, incontinence, and organ prolapse are common complaints of women after giving birth.
During or after pregnancy you should not experience:
- Leaking urine, gas or stool when you laugh, cough, sneeze, jump or run.
- Ongoing pelvic or back pain
- Feeling of pressure or heaviness in your vagina or rectum
- Experience of pain during intercourse
If you experience any of the above symptoms visit a pelvic health physiotherapist. A pelvic physiotherapist plays an important role in helping women after giving birth to manage pain, bladder and bowel problems, and other pregnancy-related complications. A pelvic health physiotherapist can provide guidance in a safe return to life and physical activities.
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Why choose Physiomobility for your pelvic health physiotherapy care?
Located in the beautiful CF Shops at Don Mills, Physiomobility Pelvic & Women’s Health Centre is a division of Physiomobility Health Group that offers our patients a comprehensive, convenient, active approach to addressing health and wellness issues unique to women. Pelvic floor physiotherapy in Physiomobility is offered by a registered physiotherapist and is covered by most extended health benefit plans.
During pregnancy, we help pregnant women prepare their bodies for labor & delivery and manage lower back pain and Sciatica, edema and other complications. After childbirth, we assist new moms to properly manage common postpartum conditions such as Diastasis Recti, organ prolapse, and incontinence. We also offer preventive care for aging women to avoid conditions like incontinence and prolapse. Our Pelvic Health Physiotherapist commonly treats IBS, constipation and some other digestive and urological conditions. Although more known for women, Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy is not just for women, our therapists treat men with pelvic conditions and after surgeries such as Prostatectomy.
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Is pelvic floor physiotherapy covered by insurance?
At Physiomobility, all physiotherapy services including pelvic floor physiotherapy are provided by registered physiotherapists. If you have coverage through work or a private plan for physiotherapy, all or part of your treatment cost should be covered by your plan. We do not need a referral for pelvic floor physiotherapy. Occasionally, insurance payers may need a referral from a physician to reimburse your treatment cost. Our administrative team will assist you with direct billing to your insurance when your plan allows direct billing.
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