Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Your pelvic floor is a critical muscle. It holds your organs in place, gives you control over your bladder and bowels, and supports vaginal tightness. Therefore, any weakening in your pelvic floor can be so detrimental to your quality of life. That’s why Ryan Stratford, MD, MBA, FACOG, Kelly Kantartzis, MD, MS, FACOG, and Peter Jeppson, MD, FACOG at The Woman’s Center are dedicated to providing top-quality pelvic floor physical therapy at their office in Mesa, Arizona, outside Phoenix. To get started, call them or book your appointment online.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I need pelvic floor physical therapy?

Sometimes, the indicators that there is an issue with your pelvic floor are blatant. Pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which one or more of your pelvic organs drops out of place, is an obvious sign that your pelvic floor needs to be strengthened. But other signs — like increased vaginal laxity or urine leakage when you cough or laugh — may not feel like something that needs treatment. That said, any of these signs can indicate that you would benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy:

Pelvic pain
Urine leakage
Frequent need to urinate, even in the middle of the night
Fecal incontinence
Pain during sex
Constipation
Prolapse
Recurrent UTIs

At The Woman’s Center, they leverage the latest technology, including intravaginal and rectal sensors, to gather data on your specific pelvic floor so they can tailor treatment to you.

What should I expect with pelvic floor physical therapy?

Many women benefit from pelvic floor muscle retraining. Just like training any other muscles on your body, this physical therapy strengthens your pelvic floor through physical activity. While pelvic floor physical therapy often focuses on strengthening your muscles, in some women, physical therapy is performed to work on the relaxation of the same muscles (for example in women with pelvic pain). The Woman’s Center personalizes a Kegel exercise regimen to you.

Is pelvic floor physical therapy effective?

The Woman’s Center is dedicated to helping you lead a healthy life with a healthy pelvic floor.

They work with you to train your bladder, learn to appropriately tighten and relax your pelvic floor, and adjust your diet as needed to relieve your symptoms. If additional treatment beyond pelvic floor exercises is needed, they extend it to you.

Specifically, they offer biofeedback, which uses sensors to watch your pelvic floor activity so you can retrain your muscles to work the way they should. They offer pelvic floor nerve stimulation to improve communication between the brain and the bladder or rectum.

If you want to learn more about pelvic floor physical therapy, call The Woman’s Center urogynecology team or book an appointment online.