What is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a set of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue in the lowest part of the pelvis that provides support for a woman’s internal organs. The pelvic floor muscles serve as support muscles for women’s internal muscles such as the bowel, bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum that help to stabilize the pelvis. Most commonly known, pelvic floor muscles control urinary and fecal incontinence, those very important bowel and bladder control muscles.
What are some common issues or problems with the pelvic floor?
- Urinary incontinence
- Stress incontinence (leakage while sneezing, coughing, jumping, laughing, etc.)
- Urge incontinence (often a problem when a woman waits too long and leaks urine prior to sitting down to urinate)
- Pelvic pain
- Pain with intercourse (before or after childbirth)
- Overactive bladder
How can pelvic floor physical therapy help?
A trained women’s health physical therapist can assess pelvic floor muscles through internal and external exams. They will help a woman identify their pelvic floor muscles and how they work together in the bigger picture. This therapist will teach proper breathing techniques and how they work with abdominal muscles. Lastly, they will correct movement and posture to help restore full pelvic floor function.
The One and Done program is a program for postpartum moms to get muscle and core strength as well as coordination, posture, diastasis recti and overall readiness to return to increased activity or fitness. This evaluation is performed by a highly specialized women’s health physical therapist.
Watch our Facebook Live interview with Kelly Brown, PT to learn more about pelvic floor issues and how pelvic floor physical therapy can help!
About Kelly Brown
Kelly Brown, PT, has been practicing with The Iowa Clinic since 2006. Kelly loves The Iowa Clinic because she gets to decide what is best for her patients, as well as the excellent work environment.
When the physical therapist for men’s and women’s health left the clinic, Kelly took an entry-level class to step in and take over those patients. Soon, she realized how many people she could help in an area that is not widely known. She truly enjoys helping her patients get their lives back and live to the fullest. Now, Kelly specializes in men’s and women’s health and is a board-certified specialist.
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