Empower pelvic floor physical therapy

7 Myths About Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

MYTH #1: It’s just breathing & kegels

πŸ‘†πŸ½TRUTH: It’s rarely kegels and so much more than breathing. While that is the foundation of a strong & coordinated pelvic floor, we typically focus on lengthening the pelvic floor (it’s usually TENSE AF) & functionally strengthen it using squats, lunges, hip hinges, etc.

🧊That’s also just the tip of the iceberg as we address daily habit changes to improve things like digestion, bladder & bowel function, intimacy, sleep, stress management & more.

MYTH #2: You only need it if you’re postpartum

🌈TRUTH: Literally every single human has a pelvic floor & could benefit in some capacity from learning more about it & what it does for us on the daily. It’s helpful for anyone experiencing issues with chronic pain, indigestion, bowel issues, bladder issues, difficulty or pain with intimacy, period pain, thinking about getting pregnancy, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause, postmenopause β€” do you see where I’m going here πŸ€“ literally every age & stage can benefit

MYTH #3: It’s all internal pelvic work

🌍TRUTH: While yes, knowing what’s happening on the inside of the pelvic floor will be a puzzle piece when identifying the root causes of symptoms, HOWEVER, there is so much education, discussion on daily habits, and work to be done on the abdomen, back, glutes, inner thighs, etc. β€” we spend a lot of time working across the entire body

MYTH #4: It can be treated in isolation

πŸ›€οΈTRUTH: Please refer ^^^ β€” SO MUCH connects or runs through the pelvic floor in some capacity (think nerves, fascia & abdominal organs) so it’s impossible to effectively treat pelvic symptoms but only treating the pelvic floor. We have to look at the bigger picture to find the HOW & WHY

MYTH #5: It’s only needed for bladder leakage

🧠TRUTH: Most of my patients see me for pelvic pain or constipation. Bladder symptoms is just one of many many things we can help with as pelvic floor physical therapists

MYTH #6: Your home program is just stretch & strengthen

πŸ“ŽTRUTH: I send my patients home with hand-written notes talking about different educational points we touched on β€” including manual therapy tricks for better digestion, changing postures on the toilet for better poops, how to prepare your body for better digestion before eating, what to incorporate in a morning/night routine for the best stress management & sleep quality, tips for performing the best colon massage for your unique anatomy, and SO much more

MYTH #7: No symptoms = Healthy pelvic floor

🧐TRUTH: Even if you don’t notice anything IN your pelvic area, it does not mean muscle tension isn’t affecting you elsewhere or ways you didn’t realize were connected. A tense pelvic floor can affect everything from jaw & neck pain to constipation, to difficulty with running

3 responses to “7 Myths About Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy”

  1. safia begum Avatar

    Yes! πŸ™ŒπŸ½ So important to bust these myths. Pelvic floor health is complex and deserves more than just the basics. Thanks for educating with clarity and truth! πŸ’ͺ🏽🧠

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    1. Natalie Robertson Avatar

      Thank you! It’s so important to get this information out there to help more people understand the importance! πŸ™ŒπŸΌ

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