Women's Health Therapy

Pelvic Floor Therapy Provides Relief from Incontinence, Pain and More

No one wants to talk about leaking urine when you cough or chronic pelvic pain from an injury or pregnancy – but everyone wants to find relief. If you’re dealing with concerns like these, know that many other women have similar issues and that physical therapy can help make a difference. You’ll find it here, with specially trained physical therapists at the IVCH Center for Physical Rehabilitation & Aquatics.

Christine Layhew, DPT, and Sara Burd, DPT, are trained in pelvic floor therapy, an innovative treatment that can provide relief from conditions including:

  • Urinary incontinence
  • Urogynecologic pain syndromes
  • Chronic pelvic pain
  • Levator ani syndrome
  • Vulvodynia
  • Interstitial cystitis
  • Pain during intercourse
  • And more

How does pelvic floor therapy work?

The IVCH physical therapists are trained in assessing your condition to:

  • Recognize the key signs and symptoms that lead to impairment
  • Address functional limitations and disabilities
  • Provide treatment to improve outcomes and produce results

What kinds of treatment will I get with pelvic floor therapy?

Treatment interventions as part of Pelvic Floor Therapy can include:

  • Therapeutic exercise
  • Manual therapy
  • Patient education and behavioral instructions
  • Surface electromyography (SEMG) biofeedback
  • Electrotherapeutic modalities
  • And more

What are some of the conditions that pelvic floor therapy can treat?

Urinary Incontinence

Did you know that an estimated 10-30% of women under the age of 65, 15-30% of women over 65 and 50% of women living in nursing homes have urinary incontinence? Because many women think this is an unmentionable issue, these statistics are probably on the low side of the actual number of American women who have incontinence problems.

With a referral from your doctor, you can have an evaluation of your pelvic floor muscles and work with IVCH therapists to strengthen or coordinate the pelvic floor to decrease the frequency and amount of urinary leakage.

Pelvic Pain

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is one of the most common medical problems affecting women today. Nearly 15% of all American women ages 18-50 suffer from CPP. This type of pain can be caused by many different things, including painful bladder syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, sexual trauma or physical abuse. CPP can even arise for no apparent reason without any source or cause.

Treatment can vary; however, after completing an evaluation, you may work with IVCH therapists on methods including manual therapy, stretching, pelvic floor strengthening, relaxation techniques and education on personal care.

Pregnancy and Postpartum Care

Research suggests that 50% of women experience low back or pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy. After the baby is delivered, some women develop pain due to the hormonal and anatomical changes that happen during pregnancy or due to labor and delivery.

You can work with IVCH therapists to learn how to use exercise effectively, improve body mechanics and posture and reduce and manage your pain.

Contact Us

Don’t let embarrassment keep you from getting the relief that’s possible. If you or anyone you know is suffering with any of these issues, call the IVCH Center for Physical Rehabilitation and Aquatics at 815.780.3509.