Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Kitchener
What is Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a specialized branch of physiotherapy that involves the assessment and treatment of the pelvic floor musculature. These muscles have a variety of functions including support of our organs, stability of the trunk, maintaining continence of the bowel and bladder, sexual function, and the return of blood flow.
Who Can Benefit from Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?
This service is for both women & men! Conditions that a pelvic floor physiotherapist can help with include:
- Bladder and/or bowel incontinence
- Urinary urgency and frequency
- Heaviness in the pelvis
- Pain or discomfort with sexual function
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pelvic pain (Vaginismus, Vulvodynia, Vestibuldynia)
- Painful tampon insertion or pelvic exam
- Pain associated with menstruation
- Endometriosis
- Pregnancy related pain
- Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
- Constipation
- Pre and post prostectomy
Common Myths About the Pelvic Floor
There are many common dysfunctions of our pelvic floor that we are made to believe are normal, when in fact they are a sign of a problem that could be fixed. Some of these myths include:
- Leaking with coughing, sneezing, and laughing is normal, especially after having a child.
- Pain with intercourse or a pelvic exam is normal.
- Pain with menstruation is normal.
All of these are common, but not normal! If you experience any of the above, seek advice from a pelvic floor physiotherapist to identify possible causes and develop a solution.
What Can I Expect For My First Appointment?
Before your first appointment you will be sent a comprehensive intake form asking a variety of questions regarding your symptoms, general health, and lifestyle factors. Completing these forms allows your pelvic floor physiotherapist to understand your concerns and individually tailor your assessment.
During your appointment, we will review your intake form to go over each concern, asking clarifying questions and giving you the space to discuss things in further detail. The objective portion of the appointment starts with an external exam which includes observing your posture, breathing patterns, how your low back and hips move, and how the tissues of the abdomen and around the pelvis are performing.
An internal exam of the pelvic floor may also be performed where a gloved finger is inserted vaginally and/or rectally to assess the tone, tenderness, and strength of the muscles and determine how they are involved. However, an internal exam is not always indicated on the first day depending on your symptoms and comfort level – you are in control of what you are comfortable with and consent to, and this can change within or between appointments. There are lots of treatment strategies that can be initiated without this portion of the exam.
Once the assessment is complete, we will review the findings of your exam and how they are contributing to your symptoms. We discuss what an individualized treatment plan would look like for you going forward which may include manual therapy, home exercises, and education. Treatment starts at your first appointment so you can leave feeling empowered and on the right track to recovery.
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Fees
- First Visit/Initial Assessment (60min): $130
- Follow-up Treatment (30min): $100
- Extended Follow-up Treatment (45min): $115
Get Started Today
If you have any questions regarding pelvic floor physiotherapy, please book in for an initial consultation with Rikki Krochak today.