For women of all ages, pelvic health issues are common and can impact the quality of their lives. Fortunately, many treatment options are available to help women manage their symptoms and prevent future problems.
Physical therapists specializing in pelvic health care can play an essential role in helping patients overcome pelvic floor disorders and improve their quality of life. Learn more about what a career as a pelvic floor therapist entails and what steps you need to take to become one.
Demand for Pelvic Health Care
You must tell your doctor about these symptoms if you have a bladder leak, bowel leak, or pelvic organ prolapse. This can help you get a diagnosis and treatment and avoid complications in the future.
Your doctor will discuss your history and perform a physical exam. They may also do lab tests or imaging tests to see your bladder, bowel, and other pelvic organs.
They can also do endoscopic procedures to look inside your body. These procedures use a camera attached to a thin tube that allows doctors to see your pelvic organs and check for a condition.
In addition, they can do biofeedback to watch how the pelvic floor muscles work and teach you exercises to strengthen and stretch these muscles.
Ultimately, pelvic health care aims to improve your quality of life by reducing symptoms and empowering you to be more aware of your pelvic health. Pelvic health physical therapists can help you achieve this by improving your overall pelvic function, strengthening the muscles in your pelvic floor, and educating you about sexual health.
The demand for pelvic health care is increasing as more women are affected by various pelvic disorders. Those suffering from fecal incontinence account for the largest share of this market, but women with pain or discomfort associated with sex increasingly seek pelvic health services.
AdventHealth’s New Integrated Pelvic Health Program
Pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, affect millions of women. They are also a leading cause of female hospital admissions.
To help you manage your condition and improve your quality of life, AdventHealth has launched a new integrated pelvic health program. The program is designed to enhance coordination, streamline communication and leverage systemwide resources to serve your needs better. In addition, the program includes a selection of minimally invasive surgical techniques and advanced physical therapy treatments.
In addition, the program has a dedicated team of patient navigators who are equipped to answer your questions and guide you to the best care available. These specialists have been lauded for reducing delays and improving patient satisfaction.
A dedicated team of highly trained and experienced urologists, gynecologists, gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, and pelvic floor therapists works together to provide you with the most comprehensive and advanced treatment options.
The program also offers the latest medical imaging technology to pinpoint your problem areas and treat them precisely accurately. This is especially important for patients with a high risk of complications, such as urinary tract infections.
The program is the most technologically advanced in the region and is a proud recipient of several awards and honors. For example, it was the first hospital in the state to receive dual accreditation from Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) and the National Association for Continence (NAFC). The top-of-the-line facilities were also recognized as among the top 10 in their respective categories.
New Targeted Services
One in four women in the United States experiences a pelvic health problem. These problems can include urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and other disorders affecting the bowel and bladder. They can also affect women’s ability to get around and stay active.
Fortunately, treatment options exist to help those with pelvic floor disorders lead healthy lives. At Penn Medicine, we offer a variety of pelvic health therapies to relieve symptoms and improve function.
Pelvic floor physical therapy focuses on improving strength and flexibility in the pelvic floor muscles. It can involve hands-on treatments and stretching to relax internal muscles, strengthen other muscle groups and boost coordination. It can also use modalities such as electrical stimulation and EMG biofeedback to help patients learn how to coordinate the pelvic floor muscles correctly.
Our specialized pelvic health team of physical therapists has extensive experience treating patients with various pelvic floor disorders and conditions, including bowel and bladder issues, incontinence, and uterine dysfunction. In addition, our pelvic rehabilitation program helps men and women overcome the symptoms of pelvic floor disorders, allowing them to live happier, healthier lives.
To better serve our community, we’ve expanded our pelvic health services. With new targeted services, we can help women suffering from pelvic floor disorders find the care they need closer to home.
Expanding Services
One in four women experiences a pelvic floor disorder, which can cause urinary incontinence and bowel or bladder problems. Unfortunately, this condition is often under-reported and can be challenging to diagnose.
Luckily, these problems are treatable. Physical therapists are specially trained in women’s health rehabilitation and can develop a personalized treatment plan to address the specific causes of your pelvic floor weakness.
The therapist will assess your posture and lower extremity strength and evaluate the function of your pelvic floor muscles. They may also conduct a manual therapy session to help correct misalignments in your pelvic floor and surrounding muscles.
Your therapist will then educate you on pelvic floor muscle contraction, diaphragmatic breathing, relaxation techniques, and strategies to manage your urgency. These can help you improve your overall level of confidence and independence.
Inspira’s new Integrated Pelvic Health Program in Mullica Hill, NJ, brings together specialists in urogynecology, colon and rectal surgery, and pelvic physical therapy under one roof. In addition, bi-monthly pelvic health conferences are held between physicians and therapists to coordinate care for patients with complex issues.
With these expanding services, AdventHealth can address the demand for pelvic health care, providing solutions and enhanced treatment options for men and women. Ultimately, these services will allow you to return to a more active and fulfilling life.
