Pelvic rehabilitation services
Pelvic health is important for women, men and children. It includes good health and function of the bowel, bladder and reproductive organs. When a medical condition or injury affects your pelvic health, a physical therapist with special training can help you restore or regain healthy pelvic function.
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About pelvic rehabilitation services
Physical therapists with special training will work with you on therapy techniques to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and treat other issues that may be affecting your bowel, bladder or sexual functioning. This also can help decrease or eliminate urinary or fecal incontinence and improve symptoms related to pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, and a variety of bowel and bladder conditions.
Instruction in normal bladder function and helping restore normal bowel and bladder habits and patterns are key to pelvic health.
How pelvic rehabilitation services help
When performed correctly, physical therapy helps you retrain your pelvic floor muscles to use them properly.
Pelvic health treatment may include abdominal, core and pelvic floor strengthening and stretching exercises, soft tissue mobilization, behavior modification, diet recommendations and/or biofeedback.
Pelvic floor stimulators may also be used in treatment.
Good to know
At least 13 million Americans have some type of urinary incontinence. It can affect people at any age but is more common in women. This is due to difference in anatomy, injury during childbirth, abdominal surgery such as hysterectomy and hormonal changes caused by menopause.
A man’s potential for developing urinary dysfunction increases with age. It can be caused by an enlarged prostate, prostate surgery, changes in muscle tone or neurologic or degenerative conditions.
Fecal incontinence, which is less common, involves involuntary leakage of feces and gas. This also can be caused by weak pelvic muscles.
Conditions treated
- fecal incontinence
- male urinary dysfunction caused by neurologic or degenerative conditions or prostate surgery
- pediatric bowel/bladder incontinence (at some locations)
- trauma caused by childbirth or surgery
- urinary incontinence, including stress and urge incontinence
Related links
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Urogynecology: Women’s pelvic health and reconstructive surgery
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When Kegels aren't enough
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Patient therapy intake form
Source: Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute
Reviewed by: Michelle Parra, PT
First published: 4/8/2019
Last reviewed: 4/8/2019