Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a unique branch of physiotherapy which focuses on treatment of the pelvic floor — a group of muscles and associated ligaments which are anchored within the boney structure of the pelvis or the pelvic ‘bowl’. The pelvic floor forms a sling from the pubic bone in front to the tailbone in back as well as up the sides of the pelvic bowl.

Functions of the pelvic floor include primary core stability of the back and pelvis, support of the internal pelvic organs, proper bowel and bladder control, and sexual health.

Optimum pelvic floor function is essential for a healthy back and pelvis and for core stability — even if you have incredibly strong abdominals, if you are not activating your pelvic floor muscles correctly you may not be using an optimal strategy for core stability. You may also be leaving yourself vulnerable to issues with incontinence, prolapse, or back/pelvic pain.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a highly effective and conservative way of treating incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse and aims to restore your bladder, bowel, and sexual health. It is a comprehensive treatment which assesses the pelvic floor and retrains the pelvic floor muscles to contract optimally. With pelvic floor physiotherapy, assessment will often include an internal exam to determine the precise nature of the problem as well as allow a direct assessment of the pelvic floor musculature.

Conditions addressed with pelvic floor physiotherapy include:

  • Bladder and bowel incontinence (involuntary loss of urine or fecal matter)
  • Coccydynia (tailbone pain)
  • Constipation
  • Diastasis rectus abdominus or DRA (abdominal separation)
  • Dyspareunia (Painful intercourse)
  • Low back pain/pelvic girdle pain
  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Perinatal issues
  • Post-surgical issues (post prostatectomy, post-hysterectomy)
  • Vaginismus (vaginal tightness causing various symptoms with attempted insertion)
  • Vestibulodynia (pain arising at the entrance to the vagina)
  • Vulvodynia (chronic pain condition affecting the female genital area)