Pelvic floor physical therapy is performed to restore function to the pelvic floor muscles and surrounding tissues when incontinence, constipation, pelvic injuries, postnatal discomfort, pelvic organ prolapse, or sexual pain impact one’s quality of life. Due to the sensitive nature of this therapy, it’s vital to ensure your pelvic floor physical therapist possesses the right credentials, adequate experience, and a particular bedside manner.
Below, we outline the best way to find a qualified pelvic floor physical therapist in your area, what credentials they should have, how to determine if they are the right healthcare provider for you, and why online pelvic physical therapy could be the solution you’re looking for.
How to Find a Pelvic Physical Therapist in Your Area?
One of the easiest ways to find a pelvic physical therapist in your area is to enter your town or zip code into a free online directory of certified pelvic floor therapists. In the US, certified pelvic floor physical therapists can be found through the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) or Pelvic Rehab (previously known as Herman & Wallace Practitioner Directory). Additionally, Intimate Rose can help connect you with a pelvic therapist in your area in the U.S. and Canada if you email customer support at support@intimaterose.com.
The Pelvic Floor Society is the national organization for pelvic floor healthcare specialists in the UK, and similar databases are available for most other countries.
Your primary care physician (PCP), midwife, gynecologist, a friend with a similar condition, or social media communities can also share trustworthy recommendations for qualified and experienced pelvic floor physical therapists.
Once you’ve found the pelvic floor physical therapist(s) working in your area, the next step is to ensure their credentials and experience are suited to your needs.
How to Know If a Pelvic Physical Therapist is Qualified?
With the ease of searching symptoms and treatments online, patients are thankfully more open to addressing their pelvic floor dysfunction, meaning pelvic physical therapy has become more popular in recent years. As a result, some physical therapists have been known to offer pelvic floor physical therapy without undergoing the necessary training.
Therefore, when searching for pelvic physical therapists, paying attention to the capital letters listed after their names which indicate their credentials can help.
For example, after completing an entry-level degree in physical therapy, the letters DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) will typically follow a physical therapist’s name. Those who have spent additional years specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy, however, will also have the letters PRPC (Certified Pelvic Rehabilitation Provider) or WCS (Board Certified Women’s Health Physical Therapist) after their names as a way to demonstrate their specialty in the field.
It is not recommended to undergo pelvic floor physical therapy with a DPT who has not specialised in pelvic floor health.
Why is a Pelvic Physical Therapist's Expertise Important?
Treating pelvic floor conditions requires not only training but also expertise, so it’s important to choose a pelvic floor physical therapist who not only specializes in treating your condition but also has experience in doing so.
A pelvic PT in your area may have lots of experience in addressing pelvic pain, injuries, or incontinence, for example. But when seeking help with endometriosis, pre-natal issues, postpartum recovery, MRKH, and pelvic floor issues related to menopause or oncology patients are encouraged to check that a pelvic floor physical therapist has the necessary expertise to treat their condition before scheduling appointments.
In general, it’s wise to choose a pelvic floor physical therapist who has had at least 3 years of experience under the guidance of an experienced mentor in their field of specialty. While we have the utmost respect for newly qualified pelvic physical therapists, practical skills are vital in this field for effective treatment.
A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist’s Bedside Manner: Why It’s Important?
In addition to the proper credentials and experience, a pelvic physical therapist’s bedside manner and communication skills are also crucial for a patient’s recovery. Given the intimate body parts and sensitive topics often addressed during sessions, establishing a calm and comfortable relationship with a pelvic physical therapist can make all the difference to your treatment.
How your physical therapist explains their treatment process is a good indicator of the communication and care skills you can expect from them at each consultation. And you should also feel free to ask questions about your condition or care plan.
As the patient, you should never feel dismissed or rushed, either while asking questions or during a consultation. Pelvic physical therapists are also trained to respect their patients’ privacy and seek permission before performing a pelvic exam.
In short, feeling safe with a pelvic physical therapist will not only relax you and your nervous system but also your pelvic floor muscles, both of which are vital for treating pelvic floor conditions. Feeling uncomfortable, rushed, or stressed during consultations, however, can cause additional discomfort that could dissuade you from completing your treatment.
Does Your Pelvic Physical Therapist Recommend At-Home Treatment Plans?
Although weekly sessions with a pelvic physical therapist can help ease pelvic pain and treat pelvic floor dysfunction, at-home treatment plans are also recommended to supplement the healing process and sustain pelvic floor health over time.
For example, pelvic tools used in a pelvic PT’s clinic such as vaginal dilators and pelvic wands can also be used at home to relax tight pelvic floor muscles contributing to constipation and sexual discomfort. Whereas practicing with Kegel Weights can strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles over time.
While some therapists focus solely on providing in-clinic physical therapy, encouraging an at-home treatment plan with the help of pelvic tools is generally more helpful for recovery and sustaining pelvic health.
What is Online Pelvic Physical Therapy?
Online pelvic physical therapy gained momentum during the COVID-19 lockdown when in-person consultations were not available. Since then, studies by the APTA have confirmed that online physical therapy is well-defined, established, and just as effective as in-clinic treatment.
After the pandemic, many physical therapists continued to offer their online services to provide better access for patients on long waiting lists, those with mobility issues, or busy schedules. Patients living in rural areas or seeking to avoid the red tape associated with insurance and referrals also benefit.
As well as regular physical therapy, patients who find it embarrassing or awkward to talk with their PCP about pelvic floor dysfunction can now take advantage of online pelvic physical therapy from the privacy of their own home.
How to Find the Best Online Pelvic Physical Therapist?
For online pelvic physical therapy, Intimate Rose is the industry leader with Dr. Amanda Olson DPT, PRPC, at the helm. As a practicing pelvic floor physical therapist, President, and Chief Clinical Officer at Intimate Rose, Dr. Olson is a globally trusted name in pelvic health following the development of her world-renowned Pelvic Wands, Vaginal Dilators, and Kegel Weights. Under her guidance, the Intimate Rose telehealth system offers online pelvic therapy with certified physical therapists specializing in various pelvic conditions.
After a free online assessment to understand their symptoms, each patient is connected with a pelvic floor physical therapist from Intimate Rose to match their needs. The next step is a 1:1 consultation from the comfort of your home via a secure video call on your phone or PC. During this call, your designated pelvic physical therapist will outline your suggested rehabilitation plan and demonstrate how it should be carried out at home. Following the first consultation, patients can schedule appointments for ongoing guidance and progress tracking until they are satisfied that their pelvic health has improved.
Full access to the Intimate Rose blog and video library is also included for added support. And if needed, the right pelvic health tools can be purchased from the Intimate Rose website and shipped discreetly to your door.
If you’re seeking a proven, private, and compassionate solution to all types of pelvic floor disorders, fill out your free online assessment today, and you’ll hear back from us shortly with a personalized treatment plan.
Conclusion
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a specialized type of physical therapy that involves rehabilitation of the pelvic floor muscles and surrounding tissues. Although traditionally performed in-clinic, online pelvic physical therapy via secure video calls from the comfort of your home is considered just as effective and more private.
When choosing a pelvic floor physical therapist, it is important to ensure that their qualifications include pelvic physical therapy and confirm that their field of expertise includes previous experience in treating your condition. It’s also wise to choose a pelvic PT that helps you to feel calm and relaxed during consultations and encourages you to continue your treatment at home for best results.
Contact Intimate Rose for a free online pelvic floor physical therapy assessment if you’re seeking help to treat pelvic pain or injuries, endometriosis, bladder or bowel incontinence, sexual discomfort, postnatal recovery, MRKH, pelvic issues as a runner, or recovery after pelvic cancer treatment.
References
Cleveland Clinic – Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14459-pelvic-floor-dysfunction
WebMD - What is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy? - https://www.webmd.com/women/what-is-pelvic-floor-physical-therapy
National Library of Medicine - The role of pelvic floor physical therapy in the treatment of pelvic and genital pain-related sexual dysfunction (CME) - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18304280/
Oregon Health & Science University - Female Pelvic Floor Disorders - https://www.ohsu.edu/urology/female-pelvic-disorders
Endometriosis Foundation of America - Everything You Need to Know About Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy (PFPT) for Endometriosis - https://www.endofound.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-pelvic-floor-physical-therapy-pfpt-for-endometriosis
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists - Müllerian Agenesis: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment - https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2018/01/mullerian-agenesis-diagnosis-management-and-treatment
