Women of all ages can suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction causing difficulty or pain with activities of daily living including going to the bathroom, engaging in sexual intercourse and / or performing household chores.

The pelvic floor muscles retain the same properties as any other group of muscles. They work best when they maintain a balance between strength and flexibility. These muscles, along with all the muscles of the pelvis, hips, and low back can become weak or tight and this imbalance can create dysfunction.

Dysfunction can occur for many reasons:

1. Hypertonicity (usually tight and painful muscles) can result from trauma to the pelvis or secondary to chronic pelvic/bladder conditions.
2. Hypotonicity (or weakness) can result from disuse, pregnancy and birth, or simply never exercising the pelvic floor muscles.
3. Pregnancy and Labor/Delivery can also cause stress to the pelvic floor and low back.

METRO SPORTSMED^® Women’s Health Program is staffed by physical therapists that have extensive training in the field of musculoskeletal disorders caused by pelvic floor dysfunction and or/pregnancy.

Evaluation includes external observation and palpation / internal vaginal or rectal assessment of muscle symmetry, strength, length, tone and contraction / relaxation ability, as well as biofeedback assessment.

Treatments are given on a one-to-one basis in an intimate atmosphere. Interventions can be a combination of external and internal manual techniques, therapeutic exercises, functional training, neuromuscular re-education and biofeedback training.

Physical Therapy can complement obstetrics, gynecology, urology, urogynecology and orthopedics to help many women who have suffered for years with pain or embarrassment regain function and confidence.

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