Women's Prenatal & Postpartum Health And Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Treatment

Over a woman’s lifetime it is very common to experience issues with pelvic health. Physiotherapists are trained in many techniques that assist in addressing common pelvic health problems.

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Prenatal and postpartum physiotherapy

Prenatal and postpartum physiotherapy consists of specialized movements, stretches, and exercises that target prenatal and postpartum hip, back, pelvis, and other joint and muscle pain resulting from pregnancy.

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Bladder and Bowel Incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence is when you leak urine due to increased abdominal pressure (from sneezing/coughing/jumping/laughing/lifting).

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Dyspareunia

Painful intercourse, or dyspareunia, can be treated with manual therapy and exercise. Our pelvic floor physiotherapist will begin by describing the role of the pelvic floor musculature in the pain cycle.

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Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)

Pelvic organ prolapse is when the muscles and tissues supporting the pelvic organs such as the uterus, bladder or rectum become weak or loose.

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Diatasis Recti

Another important area to look for postpartum is the abdominals. Sometimes during pregnancy you can have a separation in your abdominals, also know as diastasis.

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To book an appointment with My Toronto Physio’s pelvic floor physiotherapists, Call Us today at 416-691-3943 or contact us here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Women’s Pelvic Health

What are some techniques physiotherapists use to address certain pelvic health problems?
We use a variety of hand on assessments to assess the whole body starting from your abdominals, pelvis and pelvic floor. For the pelvic floor exam we use internal techniques that involve going into the vagina and also may include the rectum. Through palpation of the vaginal wall, physiotherpists can assess muscle tightness, areas of tenderness or pain, and muscle strength.
What are some pelvic floor excersices?
Some common pelvic floor exercises, are breathing to help to relax the pelvic floor and Kegals. Kegals are to help strengthen the pelvic floor to help to support your pelvic organs, maintaining your continence and for sexual function.
Does pelvic health physiotherapy treatment hurt?
With your consent, a pelvic floor physiotherapist will perform an internal exam of your pelvic floor to assess for tightness, and strength. We take the utmost care to take care while doing an internal exam. Much like any other manual therapy, there might be parts of the treatment that are a bit uncomfortable, but it shouldn't be painful and should leave you feeling better afterward.
How long does it take for you pelvic floor to get back to normal after physiotherapy?
There are a lot of factors in how fast you will get back to normal and what your new normal is. If you are assessed and given appropriate exercises that you do and follow up regularly, you should start to see results with physiotherapy. It really is a case by case scenario as there can be multiple factors that can delay your healing.
Why is it important to treat pelvic health post partum?
"here are lots of changes that have occurred to your body after giving birth. The muscles of the pelvic floor could be stretched, strained or torn during labour. Some of these changes can cause urinary incontinence, low back pain, pelvic organ prolapse or even pain with intercourse. A pelvic floor physiotherapist will work with you to help to strengthen your pelvic floor and guide you back to regular activities and exercise. They will also check for diastasis (separation of the abdominal muscles in the centre) and help restore the core. Even if you had a cesarean, it is still important to see a pelvic floor physio to ensure your scar is mobilized and to check your pelvic floor to ensure proper strength."
What are kegals?
Kegels are exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, which extends from the pubic bone in the front to the tailbone in the back, and it forms the bottom of your abdominal container. The muscles of the pelvic floor help to maintain your continence, protect your pelvic organs and help with sexual function.