The Vanderbilt Orthpaedic Institute provides pelvic floor rehabilitation for men and women.  Pelvic floor Physical Therapy addresses any disorders involving the pelvic floor muscles including urinary or fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, and pain with intercourse. We provide strength training before and after pelvic surgeries such as bladder repair, pelvic reconstruction, and prostate surgery.

The "pelvic floor" refers to a group of muscles at the lower end of the trunk that support your internal organs. The vagina or penis, the urethra and the anus pierce through the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles help support the bladder and rectum, help control the urine and stool, and maintain sexual function.  Disorders of the pelvic floor can occur and result in pain or dysfunction such as urine or fecal leakage. Physical therapy uses evidence-based treatment techniques such as strength training, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, manual therapy and behavior changes to promote pelvic floor health.

What can physical therapy do to treat the pelvic floor?

Therapeutic exercise - Kegel exercises are used to strenghten and to relax the pelvic floor muscles. Often people confuse their buttock muscles with the pelvic floor muscles. A physical therapist can guide pelvic floor muscle exercise and encourage activation of pelvic muscles with overflor from hip rotator muscles.

Manual therapy - massage techniques may be used to relax trigger points within the muscles and desensititze painful scars.

Biofeedback - is a non-invasive training technique that allows you to visualize muscle activity on na computer screen. This is a very effectie way to teach relaxation and muscle control.

Electrical stimulation - can be used in cases of severe muscle weakness to encourage a muscle contraction.

All that is needed to begin pelvic floor rehab is a doctor's prescription.

Members of the Pelvic Floor Therapy Team:

Katie O'Hara, PT  (read full bio)

Ann Marie Flores, PT  (read full bio)