I have had two kids and I had been having some increasingly annoying issues. When my doctor recommended a pelvic floor therapist, I was both intrigued and embarrassed. Ladies, that appointment was absolutely fantastic and I’m so glad I went! Here’s all about why all moms – hell, why all women – should see a pelvic floor therapist. Don’t be scared, it’s fascinating and life changing and badass. And hey, there are benefits for all women, whether or not you’ve had kids.
I interviewed my pelvic floor therapist, Tiffany Lee, to complete this article. The text in italics is either quoted from her or from one of her resources, which she gives to her patients. Thanks, Tiffany!
I do have a few affiliate links in this article. No extra cost to you.
What Is a Pelvic Floor Therapist?
Pelvic Floor Therapists are Physical Therapists or Occupational Therapists that specialize in Pelvic Therapy. After graduating, they will go to many continuing education courses and get special certifications to work with patients with pelvic floor dysfunction.
Tiffany’s particular certifications include:
- MA (Masters of Arts Health Services Management)
- OTR (Occupational Therapist Registered)
- BCB-PMD Board Certified Biofeedback – Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction
Why Did I Need a Pelvic Floor Therapist?
I personally had been recommended to see Tiffany by my gynecologist – during a routine appointment (I was actually there to talk about my severe endometriosis and perhaps doing a birth control regimen specifically to help that), she advised me to see a pelvic floor therapist. I wasn’t having any severe incontinence issues, pain during sex, or anything like that. I wasn’t even thinking about the minor incontinence I had, I was there to talk about endometriosis! But the idea of a pelvic floor therapist seemed really interesting, and I was sure I’d be able to learn a thing or two.
Women of all ages may experience symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. Urinary issues include leaking, urgency, frequency, hesitancy or retention; bowel issues include constipation, incontinence, and rectal pain; sexual issues include painful sex, vestibular pain (pain outside of the vagina), and erectile dysfunction or perineal pain in men. Even persistent hip pain can have an underlying condition related to the pelvic floor muscles.
And what about men? Men can be successfully treated for incontinence, too. The causes of their incontinence may be different, prostate surgery for example, but men are appropriate candidates for therapy intervention for urinary incontinence.
And What Is the Pelvic Floor, Anyway?
The pelvic floor is a bowl of muscles that may become weak (leading dysfunction of the bladder/bowel, leakage of urine or stool, and/or prolapse of an organ) or overactive muscles (leading to pelvic floor pain).
Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction is a term used to describe bladder, bowel, pelvic pain and/or sexual problems related to restrictions or malfunctioning of the muscles and nerves of the pelvic floor.
What Happened at My Appointment
First of all let me say you probably don’t need an exam on the first visit. Please don’t worry that you’ll have to strip down, be poked and prodded, and pee on someone! It’s nothing like that.
In my appointment with Tiffany, I just sat across from her in her office and we discussed various aspects of bladder health, tools and tricks to do at home, healthy habits with diet, and how to do Kegels properly. (Because she’s extra awesome, she even told me all this on the phone before my appointment, so I was comfortable and confident going in.)
Like any great specialist, Tiffany had lots of tools to show me about how the pelvic floor works, and what I can do at home. I was able to see diagrams and anatomical models as well as computer-generated videos.
What I Learned About Bladder Health
Now I don’t want to give away all the great information that my pelvic floor therapist put together – remember I’m trying to motivate you to go see one, so I can’t teach you everything! However there were some basic tips that I thought were really beneficial for all readers:
- Don’t push or strain when you need to go pee.
- Your bladder can hold about 2 cups of liquid.
- Normally you should pee about 6-8 times in 24 hours.
- Don’t feel like you have to go “just in case” before you leave the house! (I’m so bad about this, especially with potty training my youngest.)
- Drink liquids slowly – a cup like this is amazing, Tiffany had one and I bought one too!
How Do I Feel Now That I’ve Seen a Pelvic Floor Therapist?
Now that I’ve gotten my tools and been sent on my way, have my symptoms improved at all?
In short, hell yes!
I do my Kegels with my app faithfully every day, and try to be mindful of all the suggestions for bladder health. I ordered the Squatty Potty and my water infuser bottle with the time stamp, and I have definitely noticed a difference. I don’t have to pee as frequently, and I don’t have to worry about leaking a little bit when I sneeze or cough or go running.
Squeeze before you sneeze!
I also just feel really empowered, as silly as that may seem, that I learned everything I did from Tiffany. While I already had considered myself fairly educated in women’s physical health and diet in general, I honestly learned a lot from her. It was actually refreshing to sit with someone who was passionate about me being as healthy and confident as I could be.
And, like most of Tiffany’s patients, I only had to have one visit. Everything else was for me to do at home. I have contacted her with a few questions – like when I got a severe infection and would leak while having coughing fits – and she reassured me and helped me along. But otherwise, that one visit was all it took!
How Do I Become a Pelvic Floor Therapist?
The best things to do are to talk to an existing pelvic floor therapist! You can learn about where they went to school and what advice they have. You can also check out:
Thanks again to Tiffany for all of her help and her resources! If you’re in the San Marcos area, you can contact Tiffany Lee on her website.
Have you seen a pelvic floor therapist? What was your experience?
I'd love to hear from you!