Conditions Treated

For over 20 years, I have had the privilege of helping women and men overcome pelvic floor dysfunction, a condition that can present in many different ways.

  • Women wondering if they will be able to have sex again with their partners after years of struggling with post-partum or post-menopause changes. When “just relax and have a glass of wine” doesn’t cut it.

  • Men struggling with incontinence or ED after prostate surgery, unhappy wearing pads and adult diapers.

  • Women unsure what to do after being diagnosed with a prolapse, who just want to learn ways to return to their favorite activities safely without surgery.

  • Moms who want to play at the park or go on the trampoline with their kids, but are afraid they might pee their pants. Do not accept this as a normal part of motherhood!

  • The grandmother who is afraid to travel to visit her grandkids because of bowel or bladder urgency on a plane or long car ride.

  • The mom of 3 who’s body is not recovering like it used to, who was told she has diastasis recti and shouldn’t exercise or she might make it worse.

  • The graduate student who suddenly has pain in the worst possible places or has to use the bathroom every hour

  • The middle schooler who just wants to sleep over at a friend’s house or go to sleep-away camp, but is afraid of wetting the bed.

    Lymphedema and Cancer Rehab

  • The Warrior who beat breast cancer but now has pain trying to raise her swollen arm

  • The Rock Star who overcame gynecological, prostate, or colorectal cancer and is now dealing with the effects of surgery and radiation on his or her pelvic floor function.

  • Urinary Incontinence: Leaking urine involuntarily, whether it’s a few drops with a cough or jumping on the trampoline with your kids, or a larger amount with a sudden urge, can be helped tremendously with pelvic floor PT. Yes, kegels may be the answer - but maybe not! Whether this has been an issue for years, started after menopause, or you are a new mom, I can help!

    Urinary Urgency and Frequency: Maybe you’re not leaking, but instead you feel like you have to go all the time, or never really empty your bladder. Maybe you start to have pain if you are trying to hold out for the end of the movie or your next break at work. Getting up multiple times a night is leaving you exhausted during the day. Pelvic floor therapy can help!

    Other urinary problems such as difficulty emptying, painful urination, chronic UTIs and painful bladder syndrome (PBS/IC) can also be helped tremendously with pelvic floor therapy.

  • Bowel/Gas Incontinence: The fear of bowel accidents can be devastating for one’s willingness to leave the home, leading to isolation and loneliness. There is help! Pelvic floor muscle strengthening may part of the answer, but I will also look at your daily habits find solutions to get you back to your normal activities without fear of accidents!

  • Pelvic pain can go by many different names. Vulvodynia, Vaginissmus, Prostatitis, Intersticial Cystitis, Endometriosis and others. It can affect men and women of all ages. It can follow a surgery or child birth, and injury or infection, or seem to have no direct cause at all. It can interfere with the most basic of activities such as sitting, sex, or going to the bathroom. It might interfere with exercise or work as well. There is often a muscular component to this pain, sometimes it is the main cause, sometimes it is a reaction to injury or inflammation in a nearby organ. Pelvic floor physical therapy should absolutely be a part of your healthcare team if you are dealing with pelvic pain.

  • Pain with sex is more common than you might think. For females, sometimes this is pain with penetration (also making tampons and Pap smears difficult or impossible) or it could be a deeper pain. Scar tissue after having a baby can be an issue. Men can also have pain with sexual activity. Often overactive pelvic floor muscles are to blame, and there is help!

  • Believe it or not, constipation can be caused by a muscle problem. Sometimes, the muscles forget how to relax, and actually tighten and cause resistance to relieving oneself. The more you push, the tighter the muscles get. This can be a lifelong problem, or may have started in middle age. Lifestyle changes and muscle retraining can be some of the simplest ways to cure constipation.

  • Pregnancy related back or pelvic girdle pain can be debilitating for a mom-to-be. She may also experience incontinence and heaviness from organs that need more support.

    Preparing for birth through perineal massage and learning positional and relaxation techniques for the pelvic floor may be key to the best possible delivery.

  • There is simply no easy way to get baby out. Your body has been through a huge ordeal, and now you are exhausted, sore, and not feeling yourself. Supporting new moms through childbirth and recovery, whether she had a vaginal birth or C-section is so very important. You can start addressing things like incontinence, pain, and diastasis recti early. Learning safe return to activity, and prevention of pelvic organ prolapse is well worth the time and investment.

  • File this one under “things momma never told me about.” A very common condition in women, risk factors include pelvic floor weakness, child birth, advancing age, hysterectomy, chronic heavy lifting, straining for bowel movements and hypermobility. Treated in early stages, you can avoid painful surgeries and learn how to safely return to prior activities including running and lifting weights.

  • Pelvic floor PT can address post surgical pain, weakness, and swelling. Many women have experienced surgery to correct prolapse only to find they are now incontinent. Treatment for gynecological cancer can have devastating effects on your sex life and/or bladder and bowel control. You will also learn ways to support your surgery with the surrounding musculature so you have the best possible outcome!

  • Nearly all men have urinary incontinence and ED after prostate surgery. It may resolve with time, but wouldn’t you rather speed that up a bit? Muscle and bladder retraining are tremendously helpful. Support in penile rehabilitation is also available.

  • Kids are most commonly referred to pelvic floor physical therapy for constipation and/or bed wetting.

    But did you know that a significant number of young female athletes also report urinary incontinence?

  • Post operative pain, swelling, and weakness all too often go untreated. Help can be found for bladder, bowel and return to intimacy issues after surgery. Please come find the support you need!

  • Abnormal swelling of a limb, or lymphedema, can often result from the treatment of cancer. Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) will help you manage the swelling, decreased ROM, and discomfort resulting from lymph node removal, radiation, or other surgeries. This involves a specific type of massage, application of compression, and exercise.

    Manual Lymph Drainage is also often used for pain relief, relaxation, and recovery to promote general wellness!