Women's Health and Wellness

Anyone who is experiencing pain, stiffness, weakness, swelling, incontinence or decreased endurance which interferes with the ability to sit, sleep, engage in intimacy, work, perform housework or gardening, provide childcare or engage in recreational activities should seek our help.

Conditions Treated

• Pre and Post Partum
• Chronic Pelvic Pain
• Incontinence
• Prolapse of pelvic organs
• Pelvic floor tension and pain
• Painful scars
• Vulvodynia
• Vaginal Pain
• Dysmenorrhea
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Endometriosis
• Sexual pain
• Following a hysterectomy or abdominal surgery
• Sacroiliac or coccygeal pain
• Following breast surgery
• Osteoporosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Athletic or exercise related injuries
• And many more

Evaluation and Assessment

An initial evaluation will  be conducted to understand the individual's problems, concerns, and goals regarding his/her condition.  The examination will be conducted in a private treatment room.  A family member of friend may accompany the patient to each session.  The examination may include evaluation of postural alignment, sensation, muscle strength, pain intensity and source, range of motion, flexibility, reflex activity, sensitivity to touch, tone of muscles, presence of scar tissue and movement patterns with various activities.  Baseline surface electromyography may be performed to help determine muscle activity.  Voiding diaries may be used to determine factors contributing to incontinence.

Treatment

We listen to our patients and design individual treatment programs to address their needs.  Physical therapy treatment options will be explained at your first visit.  You will make the final choice.

Treatment sessions may include: 

• Education in normal anatomy and physiology of the urogenital and musculoskeletal systems.
• Heat, cold, ultrasound, and other modalities will be used as needed for pain control, improving muscle relaxation, and increasing the extensibility of soft tissue and scars.
• Manual therapy and massage may be used to increase tissue flexibility, scar mobility, and muscle relaxation.
• Therapeutic exercises increase flexibility, strength, postural support and endurance.  Pelvic floor, abdominal, back and hip muscles are usually addressed for pelvic floor rehabilitation.
• Electric stimulation may be used for pain control or to increase muscle excitation to give weak muscles and extra boost.
• Biofeedback provides visual or audible indication of muscle contractions.  Many people have difficulty knowing if they are contracting the correct muscles.  Biofeed back lets them know which muscles they are using and is useful in monitoring effectiveness and progress of the treatment.
• Postural correction improves muscle function and pain.  Daily activities, prolonged positions, and surgical scars can cause some tissues and muscles to become tight and others to become painful and weak.  Postural changes can affect the strength of several muscles including  the abdominal, back, hip and pelvic floor muscles.
• Body mechanics education is an integral part of maintaining good posture and proper muscle recruitment during functional activities.
• Home program instruction in the use of modalities, exercises, supports and self management will be provided to support he therapy program.
• Fluid and dietary intake will be monitored when indicated with education on alterations which could improve the individual's condition.

Pregnancy and Post-Partum Physical Therapy

There are many physiological changes which occur in a woman's body when she becomes pregnant.  In some women, these changes may contribute to medical conditions which cause pain, weakness or sensory changes that interfere with daily activities.  Physical therapy is frequently performed to address these problems.

Conditions Associated With Pregnancy

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Thoracic outlet syndrome
• Back and neck pain
• Sacroiliac pain
• Coccydynia
• Pubic symphysis pain
• Rib/diaphragm discomfort
• Tendonitis
• Incontinence
• Edema
• Varicosities
• Ligament strain
• Foot and ankle pain

Conditions Associated with Post Partum

• Pain from scarring
• Abdominal weakness/pain
• Post surgical weakness/scaring/pain
• Pelvic Pain
• Incontinence
• Diastasis recti
• Sacroiliac pain
• Coccydynia
• Dyspareunia
• Organ prolapse
• Pubic symphsis pain
• Hip pain
• Spasm of pelvic floor muscles
• Thoracic and rib pain
• Headaches
• Low back pain

Urinary Incontinence

True or False?

• I urinate 7-8 times per day.
• I urinate at intervals between 2-5 hours.
• I do not wake up more than once during the night to urinate.  (This applies to women under 65 years of age).
• I do not wake up more than twice during the night to urinate. (This applies to women under 65 years of age or pregnant women).
• I never leak urine when I sneeze, cough, laugh, exercise.
• When I need to urinate, I can get to the bathroom without rushing.
• I am not wearing panty liners or "just in case" I leak urine.

If you answered false to any of these questions, please talk to your physician.  Ask if physical therapy could help in your situation.

Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of urine severe enough to have adverse social or hygienic consequences.  It is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom associated with a number of medical conditions.

An estimated 10 million Americans are affected with this problem.  Incontinence is not only a problem of od age.  Pelvic weakness often occurs after childbirth, with back or pelvic pain, during menopause and after pelvic surgery.  Some sources state that 80% of incontinence that is related to pelvic floor weakness can be cured or improved with physical therapy.

Most Common Types of Urinary Incontinence

Stress Incontinence is most often caused by pelvic floor weakness.  Leakage occurs with coughing, laughing, sneezing and exercising.

Urge incontinence is due to an irritable bladder.  Leakage happens with a sense of sudden urge to urinate.

Mixed incontinence is due to a combination of weak muscles and bladder irritability.