Pelvic Floor Therapy
Pelvic floor therapist Maureen Christian, PT, discusses how this specific therapy focuses on women suffering from chronic pelvic pain with KXAN’s Amanda Dugan.
Doctors and medical professionals in Women’s Health, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin, are working together to change the conversation about pelvic health. They are creating a place where women can feel comfortable talking about chronic pelvic pain and what they can do to stop suffering and get relief.
What is the pelvic floor?
Pelvic floor physical therapist Maureen Christian explains that the pelvic floor is made up of a complex, hammock-shaped muscles that hold organs in place. These muscles contract to keep urine and feces from exiting the body when they are not supposed to, but also relax when it’s time for them to exit the body. Additionally, these muscles stretch and relax when it is time for a baby to be born and serve a sexual function as well.
What pelvic floor disorders do you treat?
Pelvic disorders manifest in many different ways. Women may be familiar hearing about urinary and fecal incontinence, but the Women’s Health Institute also treats conditions which benefit from pelvic floor therapy including chronic pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, pain with sex, and vulvar conditions. Pelvic floor therapy can help by providing musculoskeletal relief for these conditions.
How successful is pelvic floor therapy?
Pelvic floor conditions are treated using a whole-person approach with the women’s health care team to help them navigate barriers that impede a woman’s recovery. As part of this multi-faceted care team, Maureen and Uchenna Ossai, DPT, PT, WCS, CLT, pelvic floor physical therapist and the Pelvic Health Program Manager for Women’s Health, work with patients to bring about successful treatment for pelvic pain. Maureen reminds patients that the problems women experience didn’t happen overnight, but with diligence, patience and hard work, pelvic floor therapy can help bring relief.
When should a woman talk to her provider about involving a pelvic floor therapist in their treatment?
Women should talk to their provider at the earliest signs of pelvic pain. Ms. Christian reminds women they do not have to suffer with pain, and urinary incontinence should not be considered a normal part of the aging process.
For more information about Women’s Health or to request an appointment, visit here.
While kegel exercises may be a helpful approach for some people, they could be doing you more harm than good. UT Health Austin pelvic floor physical therapist Maureen Ryan Christian in Women's Health clears up common misconceptions about pelvic floor health and shares how pelvic floor physical therapists can help design a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.