Why Should I See a Pelvic PT?

Created for Street Parking by Dr. Jessie Carter, PT, DPT, of High Pointe Physical Therapy

*This is not a substitute for medical advice, please see a practitioner for individualized evaluation and guidance.

Many people are completely unaware of the wide range of issues that can be addressed by apelvic physical therapist so we wanted to give you a list to easily reference. It’s not importantthat you understand what everything is on the list - if you have sought treatment for symptomsyou are experiencing, you have likely heard some of the diagnoses on this list. Just know thatpelvic floor muscles contribute to bowel and bladder health, support of your pelvic organs, andsexual function so if you are experiencing symptoms in one of those broad areas, there is agood chance a visit to a pelvic physio would be beneficial!

Bladder Health

  • Urinary leakage/incontinence

    • Leaking with double unders or any other exercise (stress incontinence)

    • You pee pee when you hee hee or when you cough, sneeze, lift heavy things, etc. (also stress incontinence)

    • Leaking on the way to toilet (urge incontinence)

    • Leaking with a specific trigger such as putting the key in your door when arriving home (also urge incontinence but sometimes referred to as situational or turn-key incontinence)

    • Leakage after prostate removal (post-prostatectomy incontinence)

  • Not being able to empty the bladder all the way (urinary retention)

  • Difficulty starting the stream when peeing

  • Thinking you are done peeing but experiencing leakage after (post-void dribble)

  • Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)

  • Painful bladder syndrome / interstitial cystitis (IC)

  • Overactive bladder syndrome

  • Urinary frequency (going all the time) - 5-8x per day is considered “normal” but fluidintake needs to be considered in this scenario

  • Waking at night to pee (nocturia) - up to 1x per night is considered normal

  • Bladder (cystocele) or urethra prolapse (urethrocele)

Bowel Health

  • Fecal leakage/incontinence

  • Hemorrhoids

  • Rectal pain (this would include unresolved pain following a Grade 4 tear with childbirth orany surgery involving the anus or sphincters in the area)

  • Rectal prolapse (rectocele)

  • Constipation

  • Difficulty having or completing a bowel movement

Sexual Health

  • Pain with sex (dyspareunia)

  • Inability to orgasm (anorgasmia)

  • Pain with an erection or orgasm

  • Penile curvature (Peyronie’s disease)

  • Difficulty getting or maintaining an erection (ED)

  • Therapy after gender affirmation surgery

Pelvic Pain

  • Low back, hip, and groin pain

  • Male genital pain (penile and scrotal pain)

  • Female genital pain (vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, vaginismus)

  • Tailbone pain (coccydynia)

  • Sciatica

  • Painful menstruation / endometriosis

  • Sciatica

  • Pudendal nerve pain (pudendal neuralgia)

  • Chronic pelvic pain (in guys this includes chronic non-bacterial prostatitis)

Kailey Morterresource