Pelvic Health Physical Therapy
Pelvic Health Physical Therapy
Dr. Hannah Williams, PT
Pelvic Health Specialist
At Peak Health and Performance we value an integrative, holistic approach to rehab and training. With years of training and experience in orthopedic, sports, neurologic and pelvic PT, we have found that the best treatment for you is just that. A fully customized, integrated plan specific to you and just you. We believe including modalities like dry needling and electrical stimulation are powerful tools to get back to moving the way you want. Just ask Joe Rogan – He recently talked about how the exact same ESTIM machine helped him get back to good movement!
Our therapists treat based on movement systems and developing functional, productive movement patterns. To truly improve our movement patterns, it’s best to understand our FULL body, including our pelvic floor. This component can commonly be the missing piece to the system of preventative movement and/or addressing current issues related to ways in which our bodies function. We are finding more and more, and with plenty of research to support it, our hips and pelvic floor are more key than we realized (American Physical Therapy Association, n.d.). Our own Dr. Hannah is here to guide us through this maze!
First, a little bit about myself. I specialize in post-operative, sports, tactical, and pelvic health rehabilitation and training. I am certified in trigger point dry needling and Neufit ESTIM, both of which are profound tools on the road to recovery and enhancing performance. Now, onto the main point!
So, what is our pelvic floor and why should we be aware of it? In terms of our anatomy, you have your bony pelvis that includes your pubic bone, hips, sacrum, tailbone and sit bones. Your pelvic floor is the group of muscles that form a hammock across the floor of the pelvis. It has many functions including support, stability, sphincteric, sexual and sump-pump.
Why is it so important? Everyone’s pelvic cavity is a very intricate network of bones, muscles, joints, nerves, tendons, ligaments and organs. There is voluntary control, involuntary control, emotions, and hormones that also must be recognized. So much to consider! Hard to believe it took us this long to consider it as seriously as we now are!
Pelvic floor PT’s, like Dr. Hannah, often get asked the question, “Why do you like doing this?” The best answer, and our pelvic PT’s belief, is the pelvic floor is an undertreated, crucial component to nearly all our movement and a major factor in our internal pressure regulation systems. It sounds silly, but the research is showing ignoring the pelvic floor is as good as ignoring the smoke detector when that late night cookie snack is turning to ash!
Dr. Hannah’s goal is to help her patients simplify it with a preventative and educational approach. There’s plenty of “woo woo” and taboo surrounding our pelvic floor and many of you may hold some outdated belief about pelvic health and what treating it could do for you. Let’s take a look at things you may have heard or even said yourself.
Common misconceptions regarding pelvic floor PT:
“I have never had a baby, and I am not currently pregnant so, I don’t need it.”
Definitely not the case! In the beginning, pelvic floor PT revolved heavily around this population. Certainly Dr. Hannah loves to see these women in clinic and enjoys treating them as a post-partum mom herself. However these days, the patient population seeking out pelvic floor therapy varies widely for men and women. We all have one and almost all of us could use some help with it!
“I don’t have any pain or incontinence, so I don’t need pelvic floor therapy.”
We don’t want anyone to have pelvic floor dysfunction and we firmly believe anyone can benefit from pelvic floor therapy (Dumoulin, Hay-Smith, & Habée-Séguin, 2014). There is much more to the pelvic floor than only addressing current and obvious symptoms such as pain or incontinence. The approach is through a preventative and educational standpoint. Our bodies are constantly changing and there may come a time when you find yourself with some pelvic floor-related issues. You might also be surprised to find that hip or nagging back pain is actually your pelvic floor trying to get your attention.
“Pelvic floor is only meant to teach me what a kegel is.”
Not at Peak Health & Performance! We do things differently here. Our role is to integrate proper pelvic floor coordination into functional movement patterns. These patterns are already being assessed and addressed in your plan of care, whether it’s to treat current issues or as a preventative measure. Sure, kegels can be important in some treatment plans but there is much more information to learn that is associated with your basic movement patterns which need to be addressed first. Yes, your pelvic floor is there to help with processes such as bowel, bladder, and sexual health but, it’s also part of the area that allows for the initiation of all human movement, your CORE (Bø & Hilde, 2013). But really we’re talking about all things related to the pelvic floor which helps you increase your freedom of movement via breathing mechanics, core engagement, pelvic floor coordination, and full-body movement.
“I’m not a woman; my pelvic floor doesn’t need help.”
Surprise, you don’t have to have given birth or even be a woman to have a dysfunctional pelvic floor! You have a pelvic floor and odds are it could be operating below its potential. Erectile dysfunction, prostate issues, or testicular pain/torsion are all uniquely men’s pelvic health issues. Other common concerns could be post hernia surgery, in addition to universal challenges like incontinence, decreased athletic performance, and general hip and low back pain. You don’t have to suffer, pelvic health is for everyone!
We want to validate, educate, and walk with you on your wellness journey, whether it be to help with a current issue or as a preventative measure, and your pelvic floor could be the missing component. See the list below or contact us now to explore more how pelvic health physical therapy can help you!
Things Dr. Hannah treats:
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Exercise through all stages of life for all pelvic floor presentations
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Incorporation of pelvic floor stability and appropriate activation in athletes
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Fine-tuning your movement patterns with an emphasis on pelvic floor coordination
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Guidance for prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum
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Pelvic pain
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Bladder and/or bowel incontinence
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Adjustments to make during menopause or perimenopause
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Dyspareunia and sexual health
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Endometriosis care
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Post-operative abdominal care
As always, our physical therapy clinic does participate in most insurance plans, including Tricare Select, Tricare Prime, and Tricare For Life for military active duty, military retirees, and their dependents. As military families ourselves, we at PHaP are excited to continue to serve our nation’s guardians and their families.
References
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American Physical Therapy Association. (n.d.). Pelvic Health Physical Therapy.https://
aptapelvichealth.org/ -
Bø, K., & Hilde, G. (2013). Does it work in the long term?—A systematic review on pelvic floor muscle training for female stress urinary incontinence. Neurourology and Urodynamics, 32(3), 215–223. https://doi.org/10.1002/nau.
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Dumoulin, C., Hay-Smith, J., & Habée-Séguin, G. M. (2014). Pelvic floor muscle training versus no treatment, or inactive control treatments, for urinary incontinence in women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (5), CD005654. https://doi.org/10.1002/
14651858.CD005654.pub3 In health,
Dr. Hannah Williams, PT, MPC
Pelvic Health Specialist
Movement Performance Coach
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