Some PTs practice “pelvic health PT” by just treating the pelvic floor muscles. Others don’t have training in direct internal and external treatment of the pelvic floor muscle, so they take a purely orthopedic approach to treating the low back and bony pelvis. You shouldn’t have to choose! I believe pelvic health should be just that - a total body approach to your health and wellness that can involve detailed assessment of your pelvic floor muscles externally or internally (or both). Your pelvic floor is the “floor of your core” and interacts with everything from your bowel, bladder and sexual functions to many other body regions and movements. To name just a few: breathing, thoracic and lumbar spine mobility, abdominal and hip flexor muscles, pelvic alignment, hips, feet, posture, walking and running form and other daily movement patterns like how you carry your kids and grandkids. I treat it all!

A note about equity and access: Sadly, Black and Brown women are more likely to have more severe incontinence and less likely to have the information they need about pelvic health to get better. Pelvic health should not be a privilege. That why I’m working to bring the education that pelvic PTs provide in 1:1 in-person visits into the community and online in group classes as well as individual coaching sessions to spread the knowledge.