Women's Pelvic Health
Who do you see for women's health physical therapy?
We also see women through home visits. Please click on the picture for more information:
What conditions do you usually treat?
We treat any condition affecting the abdomen or pelvic floor.
Some women like to come for a yearly health screen.
Bladder conditions we treat may include:
 Incontinence |  Stress incontinence |
|---|---|
 Frequent voiding |  Urinary urgency |
 Difficulty urinating |  Leaking when you sneeze |
 Nighttime voiding |  Painful bladder syndrome |
Bowel conditions we treat may include:
 Chronic constipation |  Leakage of stool |
|---|---|
 Inability to hold gas |  Bowel urgency or frequency |
 Difficulty with bowel movements |  Incomplete bowel movements |
 Pelvic floor retraining for hemorrhoids |  Pelvic floor retraining for anal fissures |
 Rectal prolapse |
Pain conditions we treat may include:
Painful bladder syndrome |  Painful intercourse |
|---|---|
 Pain related to pregnancy |  When intercourse is a no-go |
 Pudendal neuralgia or other nerve pain |  Chronic itching down there |
 Chronic burning feeling |  Endometriosis |
 Tailbone pain |  History of falling on tailbone |
 Other pelvic pain |
Other conditions we may treat you or other times we may see you include:
 Pelvic organ prolapse |  Diastasis recti |
|---|---|
 Osteoporosis |  Postpartum concerns |
Preparing for birth |  Anything related to pelvic floor dysfunction |
 Problems from old or new scars |  Manual infertility treatment |
What are the benefits of pelvic floor physical therapy for women?
Pelvic floor physical therapy supports lifelong self-care and helps you avoid various issues that may arise at various times during your lifespan.
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Pelvic floor physical therapy can help you achieve and maintain a functionally dependable pelvic floor/core:
- Through pregnancy and the first year of your new baby's life.
- Thereafter, to help you tackle your daily tasks and do the things you love.
- And later in life. A functionally strong pelvic floor will help improve your quality of life as you age.
What is your goal with women's pelvic PT?
We are dedicated to ensuring that every woman receive the compassionate care they deserve.
Please know that that our techniques are gentle, we listen to you AND your body and we always want to you look forward to your next session.
"Thank you Dr Sunel for your patience and empathy while helping me with my bladder problems. I am doing the exercises and there is improvement. I highly recommend you as a pelvic floor therapist with outstanding experience and knowledge!"
E. B.
"Sunel is fantastic and extremely knowledgeable and professional PT re: this sensitive topic of weakened pelvic floor muscles. I have improved greatly with her treatment protocol. I recommend her highly."
E. A.
"Sunel's expertise and care for people is something that I cannot forget! Sunel gave me excellent information regarding bladder function and what is good or bad for the bladder. "
A. T.
Should I be doing Kegels to strengthen my pelvic floor?
Should I do Kegels?
Please do not do Kegels without being evaluated by a pelvic floor specialist to see if you will benefit from doing them.
Many people do not have a true pelvic floor weakness, but there is a nervous system disconnect between their brain and their pelvic floor.
Doing Kegels for a short while may help those nerves reconnect, but doing Kegels for an extended period may lead to a tight pelvic floor with tender points and create a new problem.
How should I exercise my pelvic floor muscles?
The pelvic floor muscles function as postural stabilizers, usually without our awareness, as we move against gravity.
Training your pelvic floor functionally and ensuring it works in conjunction with other postural muscles is much more beneficial than just performing strengthening exercises.
If you plan on starting a kegel exercise program, please schedule at least one visit with a pelvic floor therapist to make sure you do it correctly, and if necessary.
Can doing Kegels make my condition worse?
Working your pelvic floor muscles as if they are a regular muscle like your biceps, can potentially make your pelvic floor problem worse.
The pelvic floor muscles should be strengthened like any other postural muscle, just like your abdominal muscles, for example your transverse abdominal muscle.
If you experience pain while doing Kegels, it's essential to stop and seek advice from a pelvic floor physical therapist.
Please tell me more about how you can help me with pelvic pain.
What are symptoms of pelvic pain?
Pelvic pain is defined as a pain in the pelvis or from the belly button down. Chronic pelvic pain is characterized as pain that persists for more than six months.
Several factors can contribute to pelvic pain, including issues with the nervous system, tight pelvic floor muscles, inflammation, or restrictive connective tissue.
Symptoms may include itching or pain during or after sexual activity, painful urination, a frequent urge to urinate, difficulty starting or stopping urination, constipation, and painful periods.
Pelvic pain can also manifest as discomfort while resting, sitting, or exercising, as well as abdominal pain, back pain, hip pain, groin pain, tailbone pain, or nerve pain.
How do you treat pelvic pain.
We aim to understand the underlying causes of your pelvic pain and how it affects your daily life.
Our approach is holistic and takes into account the fact that multiple factors can contribute to pelvic pain. We create a safe and supportive environment for your treatment.
Our therapies may include light manual therapy techniques focused on the fascia, gentle stretching or pain-relieving exercises, neural or visceral manipulation, tips for nerve down-regulation, as well as breathing and posture techniques.
During our treatment, we explore the following:
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Movement is an effective painkiller.
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Pain does not indicate that my body is damaged.
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Thoughts, emotions, and experiences can influence pain levels.
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I can retrain my overly protective pain system.
How can I return to the activities I enjoy while dealing with pelvic pain?
We want you to feel capable of handling your daily responsibilities while also returning to the activities you loved before.
Managing pain can be a challenging journey with many bumps in the road.
However, as you progress, both you and your body will learn to become more resilient, helping your nervous system to calm down along the way.
Can you help me with prolapse and tell me if I have one?
What is a prolapse?
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is when your muscles, ligaments, and fascia lose their ability to keep your organs in place, and some tissues and organs glide downward.
This can happen to several organs, including the bladder, uterus, small bowel, or rectum.
What is the best treatment for my prolapse?
Improving your pelvic floor awareness and learning strategies to protect it during daily activities and exercise can help treat your prolapse.
It also helps to understand how to decrease intra-abdominal pressure by using effective toileting strategies, move in a safe manner and use effective breathing strategies.
Avoiding activities and exercise is not always the best strategy for your health.
A good way to begin is by trying what we call graded exposure exercises. This approach involves a step-by-step process of gradually reintroducing more challenging activities.
When incorporating graded exposure exercises, it's important to remember that various factors can influence how much your pelvic floor can handle on any given day.
If you need assistance with this process, please feel free to contact your therapist.
How can I return to the activities I enjoy while managing prolapse symptoms?
Getting you back to a quality life: We againuse graded exercises to safely strengthen your muscles, improve balance and coordination, and teach you strategies to prevent regression while building resilience.
Our goal is for you to move confidently, not be preoccupied with your prolapse throughout the day, and understand exactly what you can do to keep your body safe.