Physical Therapy for Pelvic Pain

Pain in your pelvis can stand in the way of doing the things you need and want. But you can do something about it. The physical therapists in our pelvic pain program can teach you how to manage this distressing problem. Less pain means more freedom to enjoy life. And it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. No matter your gender, we have therapists who specialize in women's pelvic health and others who focus on men's needs. 

Your pelvis isn't just the bones between the bottom of your spine and the tops of your thighs. It includes your hips and lower back, plus your abdominal and sexual organs. Then there are the core muscles that keep you upright. And after that, the muscular sling (also known as the pelvic floor). The pelvic floor, the floor to your core, is a layered sling that supports and controls your sexual, bladder and bowel function and controls urine flow. 

Our pelvic physical therapists are specially trained to improve pain in any of these areas. For instance, we treat pain that occurs during pelvic exams, activities such as sex, and while putting in a tampon. The same goes for pain that flares while walking or sitting, or from wearing certain clothing like jeans or underwear. Pelvic physical therapists also help ease tailbone pain (known as coccydynia) and back pain from osteoporosis-related fractures in the spine. 

But our expertise doesn't end there. We have extensive experience treating conditions such as constipation, sexual difficulties, and painful bladder syndrome, called interstitial cystitis. 

Are the after-effects of surgery, prostate cancer treatment or pregnancy keeping your joints or muscles in your pelvis from working properly? Our therapists help you retrain them to function better.

While some women poke fun at the fact they leak urine when they laugh, incontinence is no joke. It can lead to avoiding sex, staying away from friends and otherwise draining joy from your life. Pads and pills — while sometimes helpful — aren't the answer and are expensive. 

Our pelvic physical therapists provide treatments that identify and address the underlying causes of incontinence. The result? You can stop worrying about odor or sticking close to a washroom, and go through life with confidence. 

Research shows pelvic physical therapy is effective for both preventing and treating incontinence. For instance, practicing special exercises before giving birth or undergoing prostate cancer surgery reduces the likelihood you'll develop incontinence afterward. 

One thing these exercises do is strengthen the muscles that stop urine flow. In fact, physical therapy is a best practice for prostate cancer treatment. That's true whether you have an operation or radiation therapy. 

What if you're already living with incontinence? Lifestyle strategies, exercises and other techniques can help improve bladder and bowel control. That's good news for new mothers and postmenopausal women since bladder leaks are very common during these life-changing seasons. As a matter of fact, many obstetricians now recommend physical therapy as part of routine post-pregnancy care — something that has been common practice in many countries around the world. This is sometimes called pelvic floor rehabilitation. 

We can treat incontinence due to many other factors, too, including surgery.