Pelvic Health Physiotherapy

The Pelvic Health Program is carried out by a pelvic health physiotherapist and focuses on treatment of incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain in both men and women.

  • Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
    • ICS 2003 study showed 1 in 3 women and 1 in 9 men have stress induced urinary incontinence
    • Dufour 2016 study found a 96% correlation between low back pain and pelvic floor dysfunction in women.
      • Of that 96%, 84% had HYPERtonic pelvic floor muscles
  • Misconceptions
    • “Common” = “Normal”– NOT true! Leakage of any kind, at ANY age is common but NOT Physiotherapy can help address this.
    • Kegels are good for everyone- NOT Most people are hypertonic and therefore need to work on relaxation of tissues before strengthening occurs.
    • Pelvic Physiotherapy only treats incontinence- NOT We can address a number of pelvic issues.
    • People don’t want to talk about this area- NOT The prevalence and impact on quality of life is so high, it is crucial that we as health care professionals make discussions around these issues comfortable and normalized.
  • Physiotherapy
    • 60 mins assessment looking at complete health and functional history taking a biopsychosocial approach
    • Includes external and, if consented to, an internal assessment that looks at pain, tissue resistance, scarring, strength and coordination.
    • The pelvic floor is closely associated with the back, SIJ and hips, having direct muscular attachments and similar innervation which is why a comprehensive internal and external assessment is important.

 

 

Some Pelvic Health Conditions…

  •   Vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, vaginismus
  •  Dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea
  • Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM)
  • Interstitial Cystitis (IC) /Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS)
  • Diastasis recti, pre and post-partum
  • Endometriosis
  • Hip labral tears
  • Chronic Non- Bacterial Prostatitis
  • Pudendal Neuralgia
  • Urinary and/or fecal incontinence

 

For more information, please contact Caitlyn Goodfellow, Registered Physiotherapist or Client Services at 519-622-4529