Physical Therapy can:
-Give you control over your life and your bladder
-Save money and embarrassment by allowing less use of pads and undergarments
-Reduce use of medications for incontinence
-Possibly prevent the need for surgery
Physical Therapy treatment may include:
-Education on diet and nutrition to avoid food and drinks that may irritate the bladder
-Advice on how to change behaviors that make symptoms worse
-Techniques to help you find the right muscles and learn to use them correctly
-Pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles
-Exercises to stretch and strengthen other important muscles
-Ways to decrease urinary urge and frequency
-Biofeedback that shows you how your muscles are working
-Electrical stimulation to improve awareness and strength of muscles
Who should be referred to a Women's Health Physical Therapist?
Those who have:
-Trouble leaking urine during normal daily activities
-Urine leakage with sneezing, coughing, or laughing
-Trouble starting the urine stream
-Trouble holding urine when feeling a strong urge to go
-Trouble with frequent urination (more than every 3-4 hours during the day, up more than once to urinate at night
-Trouble getting to the bathroom because of other problems such as knee or hip pain or balance problems
Women's/Men's Health Conditions treated include:
-Back pain
-Complications of the prostate
-Constipation/painful intercourse
-Dysmenorrhea/Menopause Symptoms
-Fibromyalgia/Rheumatoid Arthritis
-Incontinence
-Interstitial cystitis
-Osteoporosis
-Painful scarring
-Pelvic Floor Dysfunction/Prolapse
-Pelvic pain
-Post Partum
-Pre/post partum rehabilitation
-Pregnancy
-SI joint dysfunction
-Tension syndrome
women's health services
Apex Physical Therapy offers specialized treatment in pelvic floor rehabilitation, a unique specialization in the women's health field that includes training in the development and changes that occur during the male and female lifespan particularly regarding the pelvis. During the life cycle, men and women undergo changes in their bone, ligament, and tissue structures which can lead to a variety of conditions. Women may have conditions related to bearing a child, menstruation, and menopause. Treatments do not have to be completely specialized to only women, as many men suffer from these common pelvic pain issues as well. A specialized physical therapist understands these changes in both men and women and will make every effort to make your appointment a comfortable experience-reassuring you that you can regain your life, pain-free. Treatments will incorporate manual therapy techniques with EMG biofeedback to assess and treat pelvic floor muscle restoring normal function.
Brooke Erstad at Apex Physical Therapy & Wellness Center received her Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Physical Therapy (CAPP) and has been working in pelvic floor rehabilitation for 5 years now. She has been working with treatments ranging from pre and post-natal issues, incontinence and other variations of pelvic pain. The CAPP credentialing illustrates that a therapist has achieved the highest level of competency in the profession and stays up to date with practice within the field. Because of the extensive training and study involved, CAPP providers understand the complex intricacies of the pelvic floor and are therefore well-equipped to treat patients who have undergone hysterectomy or suffer from pelvic pain and other pelvic conditions. Brooke is currently the only certified pelvic floor provider in North Dakota and has seen incredible success with her patients in managing their pain and getting them back to a normal, functioning lifestyle.
Pelvic floor sessions often include gentle muscle release, biofeedback retraining and self management techniques to help patients improve their quality of life.
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