Pelvic floor therapy can be an incredibly helpful option for more conditions than you may realize! If you answer yes to even one of the following questions, you can benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy:

• Do you struggle with urination issues, such as: frequent urination, leakage (even a drop) from coughing, sneezing, or laughing, being unable to defer the urge to urinate, or experiencing leakage after emptying your bladder?
• Do you experience bowel issues, such as: straining, constipation, or the leakage of gas or stool?
• Do you experience the sensation of pressure or as though something is falling out?
• Do you struggle with sexual activities, such as: problems with arousal, painful intercourse, or the inability to orgasm?
• Do you experience back or hip pain, especially pain that doesn’t dissipate with standard physical therapy, chiropractic care, or exercise?

Pelvic floor therapy can be a fantastic solution for a variety of conditions, but if you have specific questions or concerns about your condition you can chat with one of our providers in a discovery call!

This is a common question we are asked at Hive, and the answer is always yes! If you don’t believe us, then check out our page for pelvic floor conditions and physical therapy conditions.

The providers at Hive have been treating patients for a long time; additionally, they have undergone extensive training following the completion of their doctoral degrees. As a result, there really isn’t anything they haven’t seen or treated. If you still are not sure, Hive offers a FREE discovery call appointment with a provider to discuss your concerns, condition, and goals for physical therapy and decide if we are the right fit for you.

Before coming in for your first appointment, you will be asked to complete intake forms that your provider will review before you come in. When you arrive, your provider will go over those forms with you briefly and ask any questions needed for clarification.

Next, if you provide consent, your provider will perform a physical evaluation, which typically includes the following:

• Assessing the abdominals for strength, coordination, and activation.
• Assessment of breathing mechanics and rib position.
• Assessing any scars for mobility and tenderness.
  Checking muscles for increased resting tone and tension, specifically the adductors, hip flexors, abdominals, hamstrings, gluteals, quads, and lower back muscles.
• Assessment of posture.
• External and internal muscle assessments:
  • External: A look at the four ranges of pelvic floor motion, and palpation of muscles to look for muscle tone and bulk. Observation of skin integrity and assessment of sensation.
  • Internal: Assessment of muscle tone and bulk at all three pelvic floor layers.
• If necessary and indicated, an assessment of muscle strength.

Success in physical therapy depends on many different factors, so if you feel like you have failed once before, don’t let it discourage you. This is actually a common statement that the providers at Hive hear from new patients, as they often are the 2nd or 3rd provider that patients seek out. However, this is what makes Hive Therapy and Wellness the best. We are where patients who have once failed come to achieve success, because:

• Hive providers have extensive experience from years of patient work, so they have truly seen it all.
• Similarly, because of the long-term experience Hive providers have under their belt, their assessment and treatment techniques are superior!
• Hive believes in a comprehensive plan of care that incrementally changes as you progress in your program.
• Hive’s treatments involve so much more than just manual therapy; we include other aspects such as behavioral modifications, pressure management strategies, postural training, and lifestyle changes.
• Our clinic provides many resources recommendations, such as books, vibrators, resistance bands, weights, and so much more.

Our providers can and do perform internal examination and treatment, and are very experienced in doing so. They are highly skilled and highly trained—our providers even help to educate other providers on how to perform examination and treatment as effectively as possible.

Hive’s providers will always gain consent before performing internal assessments or treatment, but you do not have to accept any internal or even external pelvic floor muscle assessment or treatment. We want you to feel comfortable in our office, so do not let an aversion to internal exams stop you from getting the advice or help of a professional!

You are the one in control and you are the one who decides what will happen. This doesn’t mean that you tell your provider what to do; what it means is that your provider will present their suggestions for examination or treatment, and then you will consent to receiving that or not.

If you say “no” immediately, that is okay and in no way negatively impacts your appointment or treatment. If you say “yes” immediately, but then part-way through decide your answer has moved to a “no,” once again, that is totally okay! The service will be stopped, and your provider will utilize other methods within your comfort level.

When it comes to physical therapy, there are many ways to reach the same results. The providers at Hive are highly skilled and understand how to modify their assessments and treatments. Our aim is always to ensure and optimize your comfort, and obtaining your consent throughout therapy is our standard of care.