Pelvic Floor Therapy: A How To Guide on Finding the Right Fit.
What to look for in a pelvic floor therapist and how to find pelvic floor therapy near you.
In recent times, pelvic floor therapy gaining popularity and most people have either heard of pelvic floor therapy or know of someone that went to seek help from a pelvic floor therapist.
What is a pelvic floor therapist?
Unfortunately the term “pelvic floor therapist” and “pelvic floor therapy” are not protected terms. Meaning, anyone that is doing any kind of treatment to the pelvic floor can say that they are doing “pelvic floor therapy”.
A pelvic floor therapist SHOULD be a licensed occupational or physical therapy that has advanced training in rehabilitating pelvic floor conditions. OTs and PTs will have a deeper understanding of WHY you might be having your symptoms and will work to rehabilitate your pelvic floor and your body as a whole.
Be cautious if you go to “pelvic floor therapy” and it is a nurse that is having you do repetitive pelvic floor contractions (kegels) while connected with a biofeedback unit (which is a computer system). Nurses are wonderful, but they are not rehabilitative experts and are not licensed therapists. Their scope on rehabilitating muscles (such as the pelvic floor muscles) will be limited because their rehabilitative training is not as in depth as a physical or occupational therapist.
What should pelvic floor therapy look like?
Pelvic floor therapy should include BOTH internal and external assessment and treatment (if relevant). Internal means inside the pelvis and is typically done via intravaginal or intrarectal exam, and external means that it is outside of the pelvis and typically involves your therapist looking at surrounding joints such as your back, hips, feet, and shoulders.
Your therapist should not only care about how you contract your pelvic floor, but should also care about how you are moving, standing, and living your daily life. Being able to perform Kegel contractions over and over will not translate to you being able to move better and live your life without symptoms. Your treatment needs to include both the ability o control your pelvic floor and the ability to move better.
What are some red flags that maybe I am not getting the best pelvic floor therapy?
The first sign is that they are not a licensed PT or OT, and are not willing to disclose where they received their pelvic health training. All of our therapists have taken close to a dozen pelvic health trainings, so making sure you aren’t going to see someone that just took a weekend class on the pelvic floor is key!
Also, make sure that your therapist is doing more than teaching you how to Kegel! Your pelvic floor is so much more complicated than one exercise and your treatment plan should consist of both pelvic floor directed treatment AND functional treatment including helping to teach your how to move better.
You also want to make sure that your therapist isn’t rushing you and that you are getting quality time with them. At Vivid, our sessions are one hour in length and are one-on-one with the therapist the entire time. If you are feeling rushed, or don’t feel like you are getting enough time with your provider, it may be time to switch!
Lastly, you want to make sure that your rehab program is progressing! It shouldn’t be the same treatment every time you go. As you get stronger, and get more connected with your body, your rehab program should progress to begin to match the demands of the tasks that are giving your difficulty.
What else should I look for in a pelvic floor therapist?
You want to make sure that your pelvic floor therapist treats your specific condition. Believe it or not, within the specialty of pelvic floor therapy, there are subspecialties. Those include:
Women’s health
Pregnancy and Postpartum
Men’s Health
Trans Health
Pediatrics
Oncology
Neurology
Not all pelvic floor therapists treat all conditions! At Vivid, we specialize in women’s health pelvic floor therapy with an emphasis on pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.
How do I find the best pelvic floor therapist?
Use this link to search for a pelvic floor therapist near you. When you talk to them on the phone, please make sure that you are getting your questions, and concerns addressed. The person you talk to on the phone should walk you through what pelvic floor therapy entails and what to expect.
