Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in Chicago

What is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

Pelvic floor physical therapy provides care for bladder, bowel and sexual health and function. Physical therapists who specialize in pelvic health have taken additional training to treat tightness, weakness, or other issues that may be contributing to pelvic floor dysfunction. Treatment goals can include continence, decrease in pain with daily activities, prenatal care and postpartum healing, and improved sexual function.

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What can it treat?

People experiencing the following symptoms may benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy:

  • Urinary or fecal urgency

  • Urinary or fecal incontinence

  • Bladder leakage of any amount

  • Organ prolapse

  • Pain with sex

  • Tailbone pain

  • Birth prep for Labor

  • Postpartum healing

  • Diastasis Recti

  • C-Section scar healing

  • Painful bladder syndrome

  • Vulvodynia

Types of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy We Offer

  • Internal and external manual therapy

  • Behavioral changes

  • Bladder Retraining

  • External Radio frequency devices- INDIBA

  • Exercises + Stretches

  • Postural Education

Pelvic Floor PT Frequently Asked Questions

  • You might need it if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms we treat, like pelvic pain, bladder leakage, urinary or fecal urgency or incontinence, or you’re preparing to give birth or have given birth.

    The important thing is, it’s never “too late” to start – even if you had a baby years ago, or have been experiencing symptoms for a long time. If you think pelvic floor PT is a good fit, reach out for an evaluation.

  • Your physical therapist will collect a history of symptoms to better understand what may be affecting you. An external evaluation of hip, back and pelvis strength, mobility and tightness will be performed.

    Depending on your therapist’s recommendation and your comfort level, a short internal exam may be performed. No speculum is used, instead, one gloved finger is inserted to check for muscle weakness and tightness. It takes a few minutes, and then it's over. Your therapist will check your comfort level the entire time.

  • Typically your therapist will continue externally checking your pelvic mobility and stability, use manual techniques to release tight muscles and tissue, and then exercises to make sure you're properly strengthening and re-patterning postures that caused the original issues.

  • Despite often being prescribed for pelvic floor issues, Kegels aren't a one-size-fits-all treatment. They are a contraction of the pelvic floor muscles and are effective for patients who have pelvic floor weakness (hypotonic).

    But if you are too tight (hypertonic), then you'll just be reinforcing the problem and maybe making it worse.

    Not sure if you need them? Be sure to be evaluated by a pelvic floor physical therapist, and they can guide you.

Whether your symptoms started a few weeks ago or you've been living with them for years, they are real, and they are not something you simply have to live with. It's never too late to feel better.

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