Pelvic floor physical therapy
Relieving pain, restoring function
Pelvic floor physical therapy will help alleviate your discomfort and improve function. Treatment can help you navigate issues before and after baby, changes associated with menopause or pelvic surgeries, and offer relief from many pains that reside between the belly button and knees.
We can work with you on concerns around bowel, bladder and sexual health. Through our individualized and expert care, we’ll help you live, play, and exercise at the level you chose with the fewest limitations.
Private, 1-on-1 treatment
Pelvic floor physical therapy clients benefit from full-hour appointments and are always one-on-one with your clinician—you'll never be handed off to an assistant. You'll enjoy the comfort of private treatment rooms where your care is our only focus.
Direct access—no referral required
Our direct access approach simplifies your healthcare experience and provides quicker access to care.
Direct access means that you can begin treatment at Hurt & Co Physical Therapy in Southern Maine without a doctor's referral or prescription, allowing treatment to start faster. You can come straight to us!
Direct access empowers you to take control of your health by allowing you to choose an approach that will best suit your needs.
The male pelvic floor
Many pelvic floor related conditions don’t distinguish between genders. While the male pelvic floor is not impacted by the reproductive lifespan (menstruation, insertion, pregnancy, delivery, and menopause), any patient can suffer from concerns around pelvic, hip and tailbone pain, or dysfunction related to urinary or bowel comfort and function. We also treat for pre- and post-prostate surgeries.
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Common conditions we can help with
- Bowel incontinence
- Bowel urgency
- Coccyx (tailbone) pain
- Constipation
- Difficulty or pain emptying bowels
- Fissures and hemorrhoids
- Frequent urination
- Pain with penetration
- Painful bladder function
- Pelvic pain
- Postpartum care
- Pregnancy care
- Trouble emptying the bladder
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinary urgency
- Vulvar pain
What to expect on your first visit
The pelvic floor physical therapist (PT) will begin your appointment by talking with you about the discomfort that brings you in. She will ask what kinds of things you are unable to do or can’t do at the level of comfort or freedom you would like to have. She’ll ask questions about how long ago symptoms began, as well as whether there was an acute event that preceded the problem or the onset of your symptoms was more gradual. If you’ve ever seen a PT for neck pain, a shoulder injury, back or knee pain, or the like, these types of questions will likely be familiar to you. The main difference between a general PT and one that specializes in the pelvic floor is that the latter deals with aspects of our bodies that are often kept private.
Because of the parts of the body involved, your pelvic floor PT will likely ask additional questions designed to gather information about the status and function of your bowel and bladder system, sexual health and history regarding pelvic surgeries, fertility, pregnancies, and any deliveries. An examination of your back, belly, and/or hips may provide useful information as well.
The pelvic floor PT may watch you move, examine your posture, coordination, and strength. She will likely ask to place her hands on you to assess the tissue in various regions - both in the direct area of the complaint as well as related areas. Any hands-on contact is dependent on the patient’s comfort level and can be done at the start of therapy, after a treatment relationship is well-established, or not at all.
The evaluation of the muscles and tissue of the pelvic floor itself may include an external and/or internal assessment. An external exam often includes palpation through clothing, a visual exam with the skin visible, and palpation of the muscles of your pelvic floor at your perineum. When an internal exam is indicated, your clinician will discuss it with you first. During an internal exam, the pelvic floor PT inserts a single gloved digit (finger) in the vaginal or anal canal. This allows her to palpate the muscles and tissue, which is necessary for an assessment of their condition, sensitivity, coordination, and strength.
At the conclusion of the session, your pelvic floor PT will share with you her thoughts regarding the source of the problem and how physical therapy may be helpful. Regardless of which of the above methods are used, the treatment plan is based on all information gathered by the clinician.
While this type of appointment can feel uncomfortable or awkward at first, your pelvic floor physical therapist values your sense of comfort and safety and will communicate clearly at all decision making steps and exam steps. You should feel free to ask questions at any point along the way. Our aim is always to help you reach YOUR goals!
What our clients are saying
