Pelvic Health Therapy
Incontinence, prolapse, pelvic/genital/sexual pain? Physiotherapy can help many pelvic health concerns.
At Burrard Physiotherapy, we recognize that having symptoms which concern your bladder, bowel or sexual health can be a difficult topic to talk about and you are not alone. It has been shown that less than 50% of people seek help with bladder related problems (eg leakage of urine, difficulty passing urine, frequent bathroom visits) and some may delay visiting their Family Doctor for a year or longer.
- Do you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, jump, exercise?
- Do you have frequent urges to rush to the bathroom, or have difficulty initiating the stream?
- Do you have difficulty with bowel movements?
- Do you have pain or feel pressure in the pelvic and/or genital area?
- Is your pelvic pain aggravated by exercise e.g. cycling, running?
- Do you have concerns about painful sex?
If so, this may be related to how your pelvic floor (saddle) muscles are working, in combination with the other muscles around your pelvis and trunk. The pelvic floor muscles are at the base of the pelvis and connect the pubic bone, coccyx (tail bone) and sitz bones. They support the pelvic organs (vagina and uterus in females, urethra, bladder, and rectum) and are part of the ‘core’ muscle group which provide support and stability to your spine and pelvis. ‘Kegel’ exercises which are used to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles may help address concerns for some people, but they are not appropriate for everyone. Many people need to learn how to relax these muscles, if they are tense, so they can function better.
A detailed pelvic health physiotherapy assessment will evaluate how the different systems (muscles, joints, nerves, organs) function in your body and how they contribute to your pelvic symptoms. There are many factors which can impact pelvic function e.g fluids consumed during the day can affect your bladder, tight trunk muscles can increase pressure on the pelvis, stress and anxiety can ‘wind up’ your nervous system which can increase muscle tension and your pain experience. An understanding of the different factors contributing to your symptoms helps you and your physiotherapist develop a plan to help you regain control.
If you are experiencing pelvic health concerns, book an appointment with Lynda Lawrence, our pelvic health physiotherapist. Lynda has over 30 years of experience with specialized training in treating pelvic health related concerns including: incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic/genital/sexual pain. After a comprehensive assessment she will discuss with you how physiotherapy can help you achieve your personal goals and support a return to enjoying your usual activities, e.g: improved bladder/bowel control, resuming sports/daily activities or less pain with sex/sexual contact.
All our treatment rooms are large and private, and we ensure your concerns can be discussed confidentially with your therapist.
We request you book an initial one-hour appointment for pelvic health assessments.
Don’t let life pass you by. We can help.