One in three women will have a pelvic floor disorder sometime during their lifespan. The pelvic floor consists of a layers of muscles that support your anus, vagina and bladder. If you’re experiencing constipation, painful sex or bladder incontinence it’s possible you have a pelvic floor disorder.

Pelvic floor physical therapy assesses the health of the musculoskeletal structures of the pelvic girdle and pelvic floor. PT treatment helps integrate your pelvic floor muscle function with all your other core muscles,  to better support your pelvic organs and reduce your symptoms.

This specialized physical therapy treatment by our Pelvic Health PT’s will improve your bowel function, bladder control and increase your level of  comfort during sexual activity. Integration of these muscles is key to your success! Just because your muscles appear strong does not mean they are working correctly with other muscles.  

Learning how to coordinate these muscles during your daily activities, work and sports is very important. It’s a lot like listening to good music. If everyone is singing in harmony, it sounds great, if not, the beauty of the music is lost.

Lake City PT has worked hard to become a leader in Women’s healthcare in our community. Our pelvic health physical therapists are the best in our region. Patients can get pelvic floor physical therapy treatment at our Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Spokane Valley, and Post Falls locations.

Our goal is to help women in our community reclaim their health so they can have a higher quality of life for themselves and their families!

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Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy What To Expect

Pelvic floor physical therapy is a specialized field of care and often is not understood in our country.

Anything involving this part of our body can be scary for many people. Often topics like these are not openly discussed, so people are living with pain and dysfunction, that could be treated and or prevented. Lake City PT’s team understands this and provides a comfortable setting for you to get the pelvic healthcare you need.

During your comprehensive PT assessment and treatment you will receive everything you need to restore your pelvic health.

We feel that education and specialized instruction on integrated exercises are needed for your success. Just like our high level athletes, our pelvic health patients are taught to visualize the muscles and body working to do their job correctly.

Our PT’s utilize a variety of manual, hands on techniques to re-establish healthy abdominal and pelvic function, so movement in this area is smooth and their is fluidity. We utilize Biofeedback training with our patients as well to be able to visualize the activity of the pelvic floor whether externally or internally.

The sacral nerves S2-4, that innervate the floor, may need to be reminded of how to work, so often we use electrical stimulation, whether externally or internally to teach the nerve and muscles how to work together again. If the the floor is too weak or too tight, your PT will often include the use of internal weights to build strength in these muscles at home or dilators to help with relieving tension and pain during intercourse, bowel movements or overactive bladder issues.

Our newest real-time Ultrasound technology has been a great addition to our pelvic floor training and has enabled us to be able to see the pelvic floor as it is working during the breathing cycle. Due to the visual input on the computer screen we have been able to see and train the floor faster and with improved understanding for our patients.

Need pelvic floor physical therapy? We’ll help  you get a doctor’s referral. Use the form below or call (509) 891-2623

Pelvic Floor Education

An important goal of pelvic health physical therapy is to teach patients how their pelvic floor, abdomen, back and diaphragm muscles work together to make a strong core. We will help you develop good habits to reduce your symptoms and this education process lays the foundation for prolonged pelvic health.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Our Pelvic health patients are taught the most effective exercises to integrate into their daily life. These exercises teach you how to contract the floor in all their layers and how to relax your pelvic floor muscles after the contraction correctly. (No bearing down to have bowel movement anymore). Diaphragmatic and “box” breathing techniques are also part of the exercise regime so that the integration of all the muscles are more effective. All of this helps tone your pelvic floor to have the right level of strength and the flexibility for the floor, for full rest and relaxation. Exercise should always have the balance of activity and rest to be most effective.

Manual Therapy

Our physical therapists may use hands-on joint mobilization, myofascial release, massage, lymph mobilization to decrease pelvic congestion, visceral mobilization to ensure abdominal organ mobility or stretching to help with posture, blood circulation, and mobility. These manual movements help our therapists feel what’s going on with your body and it will assist in re-setting the Autonomic Nervous System, so you feel better quicker and with less pain.

Pelvic Floor Biofeedback

Biofeedback is used to “look” at how the pelvic floor muscles are working. Our team has a sEMG and or a internal vaginal and or anal sensor. These sensors can determine the electrical activity of the muscles so they are able to display your level of strength and your ability to relax the floor. On the computer screen you and the PT can visualize and analyze the images to see recruitment and derecruitment. Privacy, discretion and consent is utilized so you can feel comfortable with your training.

Electrical Stimulation

We utilize different forms of Electrical stimulation to facilitate the neuromuscular component of the floor muscles and nerves. The electrical current feels like a tingle and teaches your pelvic floor muscles how to contract properly and it facilities nerve recruitment.

Vaginal Dilators and Weights

These wand shaped, medical grade acrylic tools help patients learn to stretch and release their pelvic floor muscles. This technique is used with overactive pelvic floor muscles where there is pain present with shortened, tight muscle present. This technique is used to help you relax your pelvic floor muscles to be able to successfully void your bladder, evacuate your bowels without bearing down and before painful intercourse.

Vaginal weights are used to create more strength in the pelvic floor muscles. These are small graduated weights and each patient buys their own set. They will then be instructed on use, time frames and progression with the weights. Many of our long distance runners and endurance athletes need longer time frames of strength in their pelvic floor muscles.

Women who have been treated for gynecological cancer and resulting radiation, may also use these wands or a vaginal or anal silicon type dilator to stretch and mobilize tight restrictive tissues after treatment. We will assist our patients in knowing when and how to do these interventions.

New Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Machine to Visualize the Pelvic Working!

Lake City Physical Therapy is utilizing a new amazing technology to exam the pelvic floor contracting and relaxing with real time ultrasound. The visual input is powerful in training and assisting the floor in its ability to recruit muscles in all layers and release them with diaphragmatic or “box” breathing techniques.

Need pelvic floor physical therapy? We’ll help  you get a doctor’s referral. Use the form below or call (509) 891-2623

Lake City Physical Therapy is able to see all patients through direct access. This means that you can call any of our offices and make an appointment. We take cash and insurance payments. Our staff will help check with your insurance regarding coverage and if you need a Physician’s referral we can assist you. This is only for your insurance reimbursement that you may need a referral. When you make your appointment simply say you need pelvic health physical therapy and we will get you started.

Please call any one of our offices pelvic floor physical therapy offices in Coeur d’Alene, Hayden and Spokane Valley to schedule an appointment.

Pelvic floor physical therapy often incorporates many professionals, like your physician, sex therapist and mental health professional. We understand the challenges you are facing and we believe a team approach provides the greatest benefits.

Just know Lake City PT is part of your team and we hope to see you in the office soon.

Below is a short video talking about pelvic floor physical therapy.