Unfortunately, many healthcare providers, including physical therapists, are not trained or familiar with working with transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. This can lead to stressful encounters for the patient, as well as poor delivery of care and poor outcomes. The good news is, at Apex Physical Therapy and Wellness Center we have physical therapists who have undergone additional training in caring for the unique problems facing this population.

Physical therapy for the transgender or gender non-confirming patient can help with both surgical and non-surgical treatments they decide to pursue. This may include education, manual therapy or hands-on muscle releases, and exercises to help with non-surgical methods such as tucking, binding, or packing to reduce stress and strain through the muscles and joints to reduce pain. For the individual who has undergone gender-affirming surgery, treatments such as scar tissue releases, strengthening, manual therapy, and even biofeedback can be helpful in improving tissue mobility to decrease pain and improve muscle coordination to reduce any pelvic floor dysfunction that may be present.

If you or a loved one has any questions regarding physical therapy during gender-affirming treatments, please reach out to one of our pelvic health physical therapists! We are happy to serve this population and the unique needs they have.