Women’s health conditions are treatable with physical therapy.
In the DMU physical therapy clinic we emphasize the latest research, self-reliance and effective, yet gentle, hands-on treatment.
All sessions of a sensitive nature will be carried out in our private, comfortable treatment room and your physical therapist promises to listen carefully to your needs. Expect your first visit to last about 90 minutes. We will spend as much time as necessary discussing your history and conditions and help you understand your symptoms and the anatomy involved. That same day we will most likely assess your posture, muscle strength and flexibility and low back/pelvis mobility.
Depending on your diagnosis, we may or may not elect to perform an internal vaginal exam to determine the condition of your pelvic floor muscles. Your pelvic floor muscles are just like any other muscle in your body, except they are located inside your pelvis and are hard to reach externally. These muscles can be tight, sore, long or weak, and are best reached vaginally for treatment. Treatment may consist of soft tissue massage, trigger point treatment, stretching, strengthening or muscle retraining (some women hold their pelvic floor muscles in a tightly contracted state and don’t know it).
If your primary complaint is urine leakage, we can often assess your pelvic floor muscle strength without an internal exam using our ultrasound machine. We will discuss helpful behavioral changes, such as diet and urge suppression techniques. You may be asked to fill out a bladder diary, consisting of how frequently you urinate, the beverages you drink and details about your urinary leakage, such as how often, how much and what activity you were doing when you leaked. This information can help your physical therapist decide on a bladder-retraining schedule to help you regain control over your bladder.
Below are some of the issues we can assist with:
- Pelvic pain
- Prenatal & postpartum periods
- Urinary incontinence
- What is a kegel?
- Talking about your condition
- Do I need a referral for physical therapy
- What to expect on your first visit for urinary incontinence
- Sample bladder diary
- Talking with your doctor