What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that are the foundational base of your core. These muscles function like a responsive trampoline at the base of your pelvis, strong and flexible enough to give when needed, yet firm and supportive to keep everything in place. The pelvic floor has five major functions:
- Supports pelvic organs like the uterus, prostate, bladder, and rectum.
- Stabilizes the core and helps posture by maintaining spine and pelvic alignment.
- Regulates the holding and release of urine and stool from the bladder and bowel by contracting and relaxing appropriately.
- Supports sexual function by playing a role in vaginal tone and erectile function.
- Helps to regulate intra-abdominal pressure during activities like sneezing or lifting.
Source: StatsPearl
What is pelvic floor therapy?
Pelvic floor therapy is a specialized form of treatment focused on improving the strength, coordination, and function of the muscles and tissues of the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor therapy typically begins with a comprehensive assessment, starting with a detailed discussion about your symptoms and how they affect your daily life. Your posture, breathing patterns, and core muscle strength and function will also be evaluated. In many cases, both an external and internal exam are performed to assess the strength, tone, and coordination of your pelvic floor muscles.
Once the assessment is complete, a personalized treatment plan is created based on your specific needs and goals. Common approaches may include internal and external manual therapy, pelvic floor muscle training, breathing and diaphragm exercises, electrical stimulation, movement retraining, lifestyle education, and dilator therapy, when appropriate.
Source: Pelvic Health Solutions
Who can benefit from pelvic floor therapy?
Pelvic floor therapy is an effective and evidence-based physical therapy that has been shown to benefit a wide range of symptoms and conditions. Pelvic floor therapy can benefit:
- Bladder conditions such as bladder leakage or sudden and uncontrollable urges to pee, frequent urination, incomplete bladder emptying, and interstitial cystitis.
- Pain in the pelvis, tailbone, groin, and lower back on its own or with urination (in the absence of infection) or defecation.
- Individuals who intend to become pregnant, are pregnant, or are postpartum.
- Constipation or difficulty fully emptying the bowels.
- Individuals with pelvic organ prolapse (rectum, uterus, bladder, etc.) or a feeling of heaviness or pressure in the pelvis.
- Athletes and individuals who engage in heavy lifting.
- Individuals concerned with their sexual function, pain during intercourse.
- Post-surgery recovery for pelvic or abdominal surgeries.
If you’re experiencing any previously listed, pelvic floor therapy can be a valuable part of your treatment plan, helping you feel more comfortable, confident, and in control of your body again.
Source: Urogynecology, Urology
Can Naturopathic Doctors provide pelvic floor therapy?
While pelvic floor therapy is commonly associated with physiotherapists, naturopathic doctors have the training to provide this care as part of a holistic approach to pelvic health. Internal assessment and physical treatment of the pelvic floor are within a ND’s scope of practice, and additional certification is not specifically required by our regulatory college. However, NDs can choose to take the same accredited pelvic floor therapy courses that are mandatory for physiotherapists. While not a requirement, seeking care from an ND who has completed pelvic floor therapy training can help ensure the highest quality of treatment.
Source: CONO, CPA
Why See a Naturopathic Doctor for Pelvic Floor Therapy?
Many of the conditions that benefit from pelvic floor therapy often have multiple underlying causes. For example, someone with an overactive bladder might be dealing with pelvic muscle tension, poor nutrition, chronic stress, and inflammatory imbalances. As NDs, our broad scope of practice allows us to both identify and address a wide range of contributing factors. While physiotherapists play a key role in pelvic health, their treatment approach is typically more limited to the musculoskeletal system. Seeing an ND for pelvic floor therapy ensures a comprehensive and encompassing approach to overall health.
Source: BJU Int, BMC Urology, Scientific Reports