The pelvic floor is a layer of muscles that supports organs within the pelvis (the bladder and rectum in men and the bladder, rectum, and the uterus in women). The pelvic floor stretches in four directions--tailbone to pubic bone (front to back) and between the sitting bones (side to side) to create a “sling” or trampoline for these organs. When functioning properly, the pelvic floor wraps firmly around the openings of the urethra and anus to control the elimination of urine and feces. Because the pelvic floor is a muscular system, it can be strengthened and trained to improve control and overall core strength and function.

Pelvic floor therapy is the therapeutic treatment of the pelvic floor and surrounding musculature to address symptoms affecting the urinary, bowel, and reproductive systems. Approaches may include behavioral strategies, biofeedback, manual therapies, therapeutic exercise, education, and functional re-training.

Evaluations are 90 minutes, during that time we review the intake paperwork you completed prior to the appointment and we have a conversation about your symptoms, lifestyle, and goals for treatment. A thorough physical assessment is then performed to evaluate lumbopelvic range of motion, strength, and movement patterns. If appropriate given assessment findings to that point and you are willing, we’ll perform an internal assessment to gauge pelvic floor range of motion, strength, coordination, and tender points. Within 48 hours of the evaluation, we will schedule a call to discuss findings and the plan of care going forward.

Evaluations and treatments can take place either in the office or the client’s home. Regardless of location, evaluations are approximately 90 minutes and treatments are approximately 60 minutes. Nearly all evaluation and treatment procedures can be performed in a client’s home except the internal assessment and treatment, that procedure is only performed in-clinic. A home visit is an excellent opportunity to tailor your plan of care even further to meet your needs so you can reach your health goals more quickly. If interested and you’d like to learn more, ask about home visits during your discovery call!

Truly, everyone’s recovery time is so unique to his/her circumstance. However, I have noticed a strong correlation between home exercise adherence and faster recovery times – the more often and consistently you implement what we’ve discussed, the faster you will improve and your symptoms will subside. My goal is to help you achieve your goals as fast as possible and to teach you how to manage symptoms going forward if necessary.

Columbia Pelvic Health accepts cash, check, credit card, and HSA debit cards. Additionally, we can provide you with a document called a “superbill” to submit to your insurance for reimbursement up to the amount that your insurance pays providers for the work we performed that visit. Our practice chose this reimbursement model so we can provide the best and most tailored care possible to help you reach your goals in the least amount of time. We are not dictated by insurance companies’ standards of care, and therefore, can tailor our evaluation and treatments to meet your specific needs. In our experience, this model often results in fewer visits needed and higher client satisfaction at the end of our time together.

Great question! A lot of people express nervousness about their initial pelvic floor therapy session, it’s nice to know what will occur. Your first session will be a 90 minute evaluation. During this time, we review the intake paperwork you completed prior to the appointment and have a conversation about your medical history, current symptoms, lifestyle, and your goals for treatment. Then a physical assessment is performed to assess joint range of motion, muscle strength, flexibility and overall movement patterns in the thoracic, lumbar, lumbopelvic, and abdominal regions. If appropriate and you are 100% comfortable, an internal assessment of pelvic floor musculature will be performed to determine range of motion, strength, coordination, and tender points. After the physical assessment, we will review findings and discuss a treatment plan going forward. Lastly, we will review a home program that you can start implementing right away.