PELVIC HEALTH
Pelvic Health is for Everyone!
We believe you and your physiotherapist are a team - your care should be collaborative, not one-sided. Pelvic physiotherapy starts with a conversation about your symptoms, goals and comfort level. Your physiotherapist will explain assessment and treatment options, including both external and internal techniques, and work with you to decide what feels right for you. Every step is explained and your consent and comfort always come first.
Here are the most common reasons to book in for a Pelvic Health Assement:
Urine loss when you sneeze, laugh, cough, run or jump (Stress incontinence)
Feeling like it is an "emergency" to get to the bathroom, or losing bowel or bladder control if you don't make it in time (Urgency Incontinence)
Managing pelvic organ prolapse
Pelvic pain
Pain with intimacy
Chronic low back or hip pain
Preparation and recovery for/from birth (including Cesarian section)
Common Myths about Pelvic Health Physiotherapy
MYTH: Only people who have had children need pelvic physiotherapy:
FACT: Pelvic physiotherapy is for anyone with a pelvic floor - which means it is for everyone! People of all ages and genders can (and often do) experience pelvic floor dysfunction and are deserving of care. Our pelvic physiotherapist is trained in pediatric pelvic floor, trans and gender diverse care, and sees people of all sexes for concerns such as pelvic pain, back pain, incontinence, and more!
MYTH: If you have a cesarian section, you don't need pelvic physiotherapy.
FACT: cesarian sections are a major surgery that can have huge impacts on your pelvic floor, bladder and bowel, sexual health, and back pain. Pelvic physiotherapy can help address (and prevent!) common concerns such as scar healing and appearance and even abdominal separation (diastasis recti).
MYTH: It is normal to lose some urine when you sneeze after you have kids.
FACT: Losing urine when you cough, laugh, sneeze, jump or run is called Stress Urinary Incontinence, and it is not normal at any age or stage of life. Pelvic physiotherapy is the best-evidenced treatment to resolve this issue
MYTH: I should wait until I give birth to see a pelvic physiotherapist.
FACT: Evidence supports pelvic floor physiotherapy in pregnancy to improve birth experiences and outcomes, and to prevent common concerns such as incontinence and pain after birth. Pelvic physiotherapists often help pregnant people to manage or eliminate pain in their back, pelvis, hips and more than are common in pregnancy.
MYTH: Doing kegels at home will get rid of issues related to the pelvic floor.
FACT: Did you know a large portion of people actually have a pelvic floor that is too tense - not too weak? Kegels are one of hundreds of tools to address pelvic floor dysfunction, but they may not be the right tool for you and doing them without professional guidance can (and often does) worsen the issue. It is important to be assessed and followed by a qualified medical provider before beginning any at-home treatments.
Pediatric Pelvic Health Visits
Did you know we also offer Pediatric Pelvic Health Physiotherapy?
Common reasons to see a pediatric pelvic physiotherapist include if your child is having daytime bowel or bladder control issues, bedtime wetting (enuresis), potty training concerns, constipation management, and more!
Our pediatric pelvic physiotherapist sees children aged 5 and up, but there may be exceptions to this depending on what the issue is, and if you are referred by a urologist. Contact us to learn more and see if this service is right for your child.
