What is Pelvic Health Physiotherapy?

Pelvic Health Physiotherapy (also called Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy) is the assessment and treatment of various conditions that involve the pelvic floor or symptoms that manifest in this area. The pelvic floor includes muscles, ligaments, nerves and connective tissue. It plays an important role in the body by providing support for the bladder, genitals, uterus and anus.

Before treatment begins, our Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will take your full medical history and thoroughly discuss your current problems and symptoms.

With your consent, our Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will perform a full physical examination of the joints and tissues affecting this area. This may include an internal and external examination to determine the affected tissues that may be contributing to your urinary, bowel or pain symptoms.

Treatment may include:

• Education on lifestyle, diet, pain, urinary and bowel hygiene and the function of the pelvic floor

• Manual therapy to muscles and tissue Bladder and/or bowel routine tracking

• Muscle stimulation or biofeedback to retrain weak or poorly functioning pelvic floor muscles

• Other modalities to alleviate pain

What problems can this type of therapy address?

Problems in the pelvic floor can be caused by pregnancy, childbirth, surgery and physical or sexual trauma. It can affect a continuum of people, from young athletes to the elderly.

You may experience pain in the abdomen, pelvis, genitals, hips, thighs, rectum or buttocks. You may also have trouble with intercourse, or embarrassing changes in urinary or bowel function.

Below are some examples of conditions that Pelvic Health Physiotherapy can help.

For women and men:

• Urinary incontinence
• Fecal incontinence
• Pudendal neuralgia
• Interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome)
• Levator ani syndrome
• Pain during intercourse

For women:

• Vulvodynia
• Vestibulodynia (vulvar vestibulitis)
• Vaginismus
• Prolapse
• Post-partum pain or incontinence

For men:

• Urinary incontinence or pain after prostatectomy surgery
• Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) or non-bacterial non-inflammatory prostatitis

How can you get started with your therapy?

It’s always best to follow up with your family doctor prior to starting Pelvic Health Physiotherapy. This way, your doctor can rule out any other conditions or red flags.

Ask your doctor to forward a delegation of assessment and treatment to our Pelvic Health Physiotherapist. Then you’re ready to start treatment!

With the help of our Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, you’ll be provided with a treatment plan to specifically target your individual goals so you can return to a better quality of living.

About Our Pelvic Health Physiotherapist

Angelique Montano-Bresolin is a graduate of the University of Toronto Physical Therapy Program. She also has an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario.

Angelique has been practicing as a Registered Physiotherapist since 2000. She has been studying and treating a range of pelvic floor conditions since 2009.

Angelique is a firm believer in the importance of treating within a multi-disciplinary team environment to achieve the best results for the treatment of pelvic problems. This may include working in conjunction with your family doctor, urologist, gynaecologist and other health care professionals such as registered massage therapists and psychologists.

Angelique will help you take control of your Pelvic Health. She looks forward to assisting you with compassionate, confidential and professional care.

Member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association www.physiotherapy.ca Registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario www.collegept.org