What is pelvic health PT?
Pelvic health (women’s, men’s, pediatric, and transgender health) physical therapy is a niche practice of physical therapy that specifically focuses on pelvic and abdominal health issues. It is strongly recommended that physical therapy providers treating these conditions receive extra training in the area of pelvic and abdominal health interventions, but not required by the state board.
Why would I need pelvic health PT?
Short answer: dysfunction of the pelvic floor and/or core system causing either pelvic region pain and/or issues with bowel and bladder function.
Long answer: The pelvic floor refers to the collection of muscles that lie at the base of your pelvis, also known as the “outlet”. These muscles support internal organs of the pelvis, assist in bladder and bowel control, contribute to sexual function, act as a sump pump to assist in blood flow and fluid management in the body, and, along with the rest of the core system, assist incoordination of upper body and lower body movements through dynamic stability of the trunk.
Like any other muscle group in the body, there can be impairments such as tightness, weakness, incoordination, etc, that can affect normal function of the pelvic floor, resulting in pelvic floor dysfunction.
What are some symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?
Click on the links to learn more in each individual blog.
- General Postpartum Tips and Resources
- Urinary Urgency
- Urinary or fecal leakage
- Prolapse
- Pelvic pain – pain with urination, intimacy, bowel movements, or functional activities
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Sexual dysfunction
- SI joint dysfunction and pain
- Pubic symphysis pain
- Hip pain
- Pain in neck, shoulders, mid back, or low back
Check out our other general pelvic health resources linked here.
Who could benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy?
EVERYONE…
Ok, maybe not everyone, but close.
People across the gender spectrum and lifespan could benefit to:
- Manage above listed symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction
- Assist in a healthy pregnancy
- Rehabilitate the postpartum body – no matter how long ago you had your baby/babies
- Recover from abdominal surgery or prolapse corrective surgery
- Regain function and connection following cancer treatment
What could and/or should treatment look like?
A pelvic floor PT utilizes the same principles as a general physical therapist to address pelvic floor dysfunction. They have special training in assessment of the pelvic floor intravaginally and/or intrarectally to determine what is contributing to your specific dysfunction on a focal level. But, then they also assess the entire kinetic chain – upper body, lower body, and core – to determine what global movement dysfunctions could be contributing to your symptoms. There are plenty of external treatment interventions if internal treatment is not something you are comfortable with at the time. Fun fact: the feet and toes are directly adjacent to the pelvis where our body parts are represented in our brains, called the homunculus.
Your individualized treatment plan may include: manual therapy (external and/or internal), exercises, recommendation on lifestyle changes including balancing your 6 Pillars of Health, and nervous system management strategies that will assist you in management of your condition and optimization of your function.
Who at Healing Motion Physical Therapy provides this kind of treatment?
Dr. Ashlee Roderick, PT, DPT, OCS, CMPT, CPT
Dr. Roderick is a pelvic health specialist, obtaining postdoctoral training at the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation INstitute. As a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist and Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist, she utilizes hands-on techniques and exercises to provide treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction. Dr. Roderick graduated from Pacific University in 2015. She is the owner of Healing Motion Physical Therapy and, most importantly, the mother of three beautiful little ladies.
Dr. Roderick currently treats at our Philomath location and treats patients all along the gender spectrum and lifespan.
Dr. Cassie McDonald Ross, PT, DPT
Dr. McDonald Ross is a pelvic floor rehabilitation specialist, completing postdoctoral training through the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. She is also working towards her CAPP-certifications in both pelvic health and pregnancy/postpartum through the Academy and has recently completed a Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist certification through Core Exercise Solutions. Dr. McDonald Ross utilizes a holistic approach to treatment and is very passionate about the overall health of her patients. She graduated from Grad Valley State University in 2017 and moved to the Corvallis area with her family in July 2022. She is passionate about assisting the women of the community in leading happier, healthier, more active lifestyles, even more so after becoming a mom to her two boys.
Dr. McDonald Ross currently treats at our Corvallis location and currently provides services to cis-females from adolescence through their post-menopausal journeys.
Not local? No problem.
Here is a link to some pelvic PT locators through the Academy of Pelvic Health and Herman & Wallace to locate a provider near you.
https://aptapelvichealth.org/ptlocator/
https://pelvicrehab.com/
Resources to Work to Improve on your Own
Check out the links below to learn how to better manage each condition. We will continue to link more as we write up the blogs!
- Urinary Urgency
- Urinary or fecal leakage
- Prolapse
- Pelvic pain – pain with urination, intimacy, bowel movements, or functional activities
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Sexual dysfunction
- SI joint dysfunction and pain
- Pubic symphysis pain
- Hip pain
- Pain in neck, shoulders, mid back, or low back
More tips and resources for other common pelvic health issues coming soon!
