I propose the question: who wouldn't benefit from pelvic floor therapy? I've helped women from ages 15-90 years old. Pelvic floor therapy has improved the lives of gardeners to horseback riders to high level athletes. I believe that an annual pelvic floor exam is beneficial for all women, and a pelvic floor exam should be the standard of care for post partum women. If you only leak urine with the occasional cough or jump, then you may only need a couple of visits. If you come in to get help with abdominal weakness, we could prevent constipation and future back pain. It is proposed that 40% of women are having painful intercourse and don't realize there is help. Wouldn't it be amazing to prevent a future prolapse surgery by being proactive and treating a mild prolapse now?

That's OK, it can be confusing to hear about a new therapy that works closely to some private areas. Please reach out and let’s discuss further if you are unsure if you would benefit. I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to hear a little about your story, answer questions, and see if pelvic floor physical therapy is right for you.

Jen has 23 years of clinical experience and took her first pelvic floor course in 2007. She is one of few providers in the area who specializes solely in pelvic floor. She is passionate about her area of expertise and goes above and beyond to get you relief. You can expect progress, a lot of useful information – even “ah ha” moments –every time you meet with her. Due to Jen’s experience and efficient process, you will most likely need fewer visits total. Biofeedback is also an extremely useful modality that is not available at most clinics. This non-invasive tool is able to monitor your muscle activity (like an EKG would monitor your heart muscle) and will help you coordinate your pelvic floor area quicker and more effectively.

The pelvic floor evaluation will be about 75 minutes. The evaluation is where I gather a lot of information so I know how to direct your treatment for the best results. During the evaluation, we first chat about your symptoms, concerns, and medical history. By the way, this is done fully clothed in comfy chairs. This information helps us guide the next steps. The physical assessment could include looking at posture, breathing strategies, the mechanics of how you walk, body mechanics, spinal alignment and hip and abdominal strength etc. All of these assessments are with clothing on. If comfortable, the pelvic floor exam includes undressing the lower body and draping with a sheet. On the outside of your body we check skin quality, sensation, and ability to tighten and relax your pelvic floor muscles. On the inside, trans vaginally, with one gloved finger, we can test strength, coordination and tension of the muscles as well as any scar tissue, nerve irritation, etc. We explain every step as we go and you are in control of what we do every visit, every time.

Follow up treatments will be about 60 minutes. Each treatment typically involves a check in on your goals, education provided with corresponding handouts, exercise or movement to guide you in attaining the functional movement you want, soft tissue or manual therapy work to assist in softening of tight muscles or joints, laughing /telling stories, and getting to know you better each time so you can achieve the best outcomes possible.

No. Pelvic floor dysfunction can affect anyone. A study by Ingrid Nygaard concluded that at an average age of 20 years old, 1/3 of female athletes suffered from urinary incontinence when playing sports. The sports relating to these issues are as follows: Trampolinists- 72.70% Gymnastics- 56% Ballet- 43% Aerobics- 40% Badminton- 31% Volleyball- 30% Basketball- 17% With the statistics above, it is evident that pelvic health issues can affect young and fit athletes as well. The repetitive nature and consistent loading of the pelvic system is a lot to manage. Here at Miles PT, we want to support you doing the activities you love, but with adequate strength and mechanics to be successful.

No. I get this comment often. Leaking of urine is common, but not normal at any time. There are so many strategies and techniques we have to fix your symptoms, so let’s get started.

On average, people need 4-8 visits for pelvic floor therapy. Physical therapy is a practiced science and I have been practicing for 23 years. I will speculate using my expertise and knowledge on the approximate number of visits expected to reach a specific outcome, but no two patients are the same. Healing is a complex, multifactorial, individualistic response that involves several factors. I am one of the factors in your healing journey as well as proper diet, exercise, mental wellness, and having a good medical team.

Changes are usually seen after a couple of visits if you comply with your plan. Most patients are pleasantly surprised at the rapid resolution of symptoms and their increased function. You may experience improvement in your symptoms, improved mobility, improved function, or improved feelings of general physical and emotional wellness. You may experience improved knowledge of your condition, improved self-management, and decreased pain and dysfunction.

You’re sitting on it! Your pelvic floor is a hammock-shaped, 3-layer muscle group at the base of the torso, linking together the ring of bones that make up the pelvis… kind of like a trampoline. This muscle group is responsible for some really important things related to bowel, bladder, and sexual functions. It controls the sphincters, supports the pelvic organs, helps with blood and lymphatic flow through the lower body, stabilizes the pelvic ring so we can maintain a solid foundation for moving around, and helps achieve orgasm for healthy sexual function.

Yes! Very common question… pelvic floor therapy is looking at the whole body and only 10-20% of the time may include internal treatment. There is plenty we can do when on your menstrual cycle, so unless you have very painful periods and are unable to participate, please come on in.

One of the biggest myths is that pelvic floor therapy and Kegel exercising are the same. I couldn’t disagree more. Quite often, the pelvic floor has too much tension or imbalanced tension and I would not prescribe a Kegel program. Not to mention the 100 other items we look at besides pelvic floor strength when you are working with a pelvic floor specialist. I will be looking at you from head to toe to figure out your pelvic floor puzzle.

There are studies that show that less than 50% of women are completing a Kegel correctly with verbal cues alone. We have an awesome biofeedback unit at Miles Pelvic Therapy to assist you in learning how to contract and relax these muscles correctly. This will help you coordinate and be more aware of these muscles so they can do a better job for you.

Yes. Oftentimes, certain diagnoses can have musculoskeletal involvement as well. For example, if a person has endometriosis, they will often have pelvic floor trigger points and connective tissue restrictions. If the endometrial tissue is removed via excision surgery, but the soft tissue restrictions remain, pain may persist. A multidisciplinary approach to pain tends to be the most optimal way to help people achieve the best results, and a pelvic floor therapist is a good person to have on your team.

If you were going to have knee surgery, you’d want to be prepared. The same goes for prepping for pelvic surgery. The more awareness, education, and strength you can gain prior to surgery, the better your outcomes will be. And oftentimes after surgery, the pelvic floor system needs additional balance and strength.

No, it’s not too late to improve the function of this system. Our body is a vessel that keeps changing and modifying and improving. I can’t tell you how many cases I’ve solved of women who came in ,…15….30 years later and left pelvic floor PT averaging 90% or better improvement with their symptoms. Sometimes our body just needs guidance in the right direction.

Carrying a baby for up to 9 months and having a major abdominal surgery should not be taken lightly. Did you know that 43% of those who deliver via cesarean section have pelvic floor dysfunction? (Compared with 58% of women who deliver vaginally). We can help with decreasing hypersensitivity in the lower abdomen and flattening scar tissue. We will definitely address any pelvic floor dysfunction, and check for a diastasis recti. Back pain is often paired with pregnancy and C-section recovery as well and we are happy to address those symptoms.