Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

London Ontario

AKA Pelvic Health Physiotherapy.

Do you pee a little when sneezing, coughing or jumping? Or when you laugh too hard? Are you ever afraid you won’t make it to the washroom because the feeling is so urgent? These situations are not fun and can be a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction.

The good thing is that we can help! Pelvic floor issues are common but not normal. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can help to reduce incontinence, improve strength and release tension in the pelvic floor muscles.

It can also help with chronic pelvic pain and many other conditions involving the pelvic area.

A little bit about the pelvic floor…The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that attach to the pelvic bone and tailbone. They support the bladder, uterus, prostate and rectum. Dysfunction of these muscles can lead to many issues including those mentioned above. Pelvic floor dysfunction is assessed and diagnosed through the use of external and/or internal manual techniques as well as strength testing in concordance with your symptoms.

Pelvic physiotherapist Jessica Tomlin in London, Ontario explaining pelvic floor anatomy to a client and why she may be experiencing issues

If you are experiencing any of the following, you may benefit from pelvic floor physiotherapy:

  • Urinary frequency

  • Urinary urgency

  • Urinary or fecal incontinence

  • Constipation

  • Pain during or after intercourse

  • Pelvic organ prolapse

  • Chronic pelvic pain

 

Are you pregnant or postpartum?

Pregnant mama in pelvic floor physiotherapy to address pubic symphysis pain, decreased mobility in the hips, abdominal strengthening, and preparing for birth in London, Ontario.

Jessica also loves treating pregnant and post-partum mamas!

Please book an assessment if you are:

  • Experiencing any discomfort during your pregnancy (low back/hip/pelvic pain)

  • Looking for some help to prepare for labour/giving birth

  • Wanting to feel stronger during your pregnancy

  • Wanting to exercise during pregnancy but not sure what exercises to do

  • Wanting to return to exercise post-partum

  • Worried about diastasis recti abdominis

  • Experiencing urinary incontinence

  • Wanting to return to specific activities post-partum but need guidance

 
 

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy FAQ

  • Pelvic floor physiotherapy or pelvic health is a specialized branch of physiotherapy that involves the assessment and treatment of various conditions in the pelvic area. Dysfunction of pelvic floor muscles can result in chronic pelvic pain and/or incontinence. It involves assessing the pelvic floor and determining a specific treatment plan tailored to your condition and your goals.

  • During the initial assessment, you will discuss with your physiotherapist symptoms you are experiencing. Your physiotherapist will ask questions as needed for further detail. This information can be quite sensitive and so at any point throughout the assessment, you can ask to skip a part of the assessment. The next part of the assessment is the more objective portion which may involve a few different components depending on your situation, what the physiotherapist deems necessary, and your comfort level. This may involve a general movement screen including areas of the lower back, hips and pelvis, as well as an external pelvic exam and/or internal pelvic exam.

  • Wear something comfortable that you can move in! As well as something that is easy to remove on the lower half of your body for the pelvic exam.

  • Yes, pelvic floor physiotherapy can still help! We can assess why this may be happening and develop an appropriate treatment plan. There are many different treatment options that may be available to you. If pelvic floor weakness is the issue, we can work on strengthening those along with other muscles in the pelvic region.

  • Yes! The discussion with the physiotherapist on your symptoms and things that seem to make them worse or better is really helpful. There are other parts of the assessment that do not include an internal exam and we can determine how the pelvic floor may be functioning without the internal exam. That being said, there is some valuable information obtained from the internal exam including the general tension of the pelvic floor muscles and strength measures. If you do not want to do an internal exam, please let your physiotherapist know during the assessment and they will focus the assessment on the other components.

  • Whenever you are experiencing issues or questions come up regarding your pelvic floor/strength/mobility. If you are experiencing any pain in the lower back/hip/pelvic areas, then pelvic floor physiotherapy may be able to help. The physiotherapist can follow you throughout your whole pregnancy as well as through post-partum.

  • Yes, of course! We love seeing the little ones at the appointments. We understand they need to be close to mama and we will do what we can to support you during your appointment time.

  • Ideally, 4-6 weeks post-partum. At this point we can assess your pelvic floor, mobility, strength, etc., and help give you more tools to help your body heal and become stronger. We won't be getting into any intense workout programming at that stage, don't worry! It is always beneficial to have a pelvic floor assessment completed whether you had a vaginal delivery or caesarean section delivery.

  • Yes, for sure! We definitely want you to come even if you are on your period. We are still able to do an internal exam if that is indicated; however, only if you are comfortable with it!

Learn more…