The therapists at Excellcare evaluate conditions specific to women’s health, and create a plan of care that will return the patient to their highest function.
Some common diagnoses are:
Incontinence
Due to changes in estrogen in a women’s lifespan, and/or physical stresses such as childbirth, many women experience leakage of urine. With the proper strengthening of the pelvic floor, this issue can be vastly improved.
Organ Prolapse
The bladder, uterus, and/or rectum can prolapse, and push into the vaginal wall. Many times, women notice this after pregnancy due to the weight of the baby. Hormonal changes and delivery of the baby can cause insult and weakness to the pelvic floor, which leads to the prolapse. We work on engaging the pelvic floor muscles, which act as a supportive hammock to the organs.
Overactive Bladder
If you have an increased urinary frequency, more than 7X a day, pelvic floor physical therapy can retrain behavioral techniques, and work on sphincter function.
Diastasis Recti (DRA)
Diastasis Recti can affect up to 2/3 of pregnant women. Diastasis Recti refers to a gap that can happen between the abdominal muscles after stretching of the tissue takes place during pregnancy. If a DRA is present, you will want to avoid certain exercises such as crunches, and begin to repair the separation through facilitating the stabilizing muscles.
Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain can arise with any of the diagnoses listed above and can be addressed with an evaluation of pelvic floor function. Treatment may consist of strengthening and coordinating muscles, teaching relaxation techniques, and releases for shortened muscles
What to expect during your physical therapy session…
In physical therapy focused on women’s health, we prioritize a variety of techniques to find the source of your issues. We focus on external and internal manual mobilization, education on toileting and positional modifications, biofeedback in order to teach contraction of specific muscles, and strengthening exercises as needed for the hip and pelvic floor. Your assessment may also include an examination of the lumbar spine.
Our goal is for you to function more comfortably, doing the things that you love to do!
Call us at (773)779-1111
or fill out the form below to request an appointment with us!
