PhysioWellnessVA

What is the pelvic floor?

A group of muscles create the pelvic floor by extending from the pubic bone to the tailbone. These muscles help support the pelvic organs, maintain continence of the urine and stool, and maintain sexual function, among other things. In addition, many people who suffer from chronic back and hip pain may have an unresolved pelvic floor related dysfunction. 

Pelvic floor physical therapists aim to improve the function of the pelvic floor muscles through a comprehensive evaluation of the musculoskeletal system, posture, and movement.

What if you do not treat the condition I am experiencing? Or live too far away from PhysioWellnessVA?

There’s always a possibility that our team may not be the right fit for what you’re experiencing, or we may not be in your area. If that is the case, we will work with you to find the right care team.

We have numerous connections to pelvic floor and other physical therapists across the country, as well as connections with other types of providers who may be better suited to support you.

Feel free to use our Contact page if you have questions about finding the right care team.

What is the cancellation policy?

At least 24-hour notice for cancellation is required. Failure to do so will result in your payment method being charged the full amount of the scheduled visit. Our form with more information may be downloaded here.

What is the payment policy?

 PhysioWellnessVa is an out-of-network provider.   Payment is expected on the day of service and a superbill will be provided after each session for submission to your insurance company for reimbursement, based on your individual plan.   Medicare and Medicaid policies do not honor out-of-network clinics.  

 Please contact your insurance company and inquire about your coverage for out of network services 

Is pelvic floor physical therapy gender specific? Do you see men?

Pelvic floor physical therapy is for everyone and anyone. While treatment looks different depending on the situation, we treat all genders across a range of pelvic health-focused issues.

Is a prescription from a doctor required to start physical therapy?

As a direct access provider, we can start your care without a physician/health care provider’s referral. 

Do you see patients virtually (i.e. telehealth)?

Yes. We provide telehealth for in-state and out-of-state clients. All our systems are HIPAA compliant. Please contact us to set your appointment.

What should you expect when you see a pelvic PT?

Good question! During your first visit, we will do a comprehensive interview. The story of your journey is crucially important for analyzing and understanding the possible sources of your physical presentation. There are number of tests and measurements that are equally important to find the “driver” behind your issues. 

Based on the presentation of symptoms and with your consent, there may be a need for internal examination and treatment. This will apply to all genders.

If you are pregnant, we will require a doctor’s written permission for internal interventions. If you are on your cycle OR if you decide that having internal work is not for you at this point of your life, we can still provide many other options to help you improve function.

Why do you not participate with insurance companies?

At our clinic we believe in a holistic approach to care.   We spend 90 minutes for our first session, to include assessment and treatment,  and 60 minutes for the consecutive sessions.   All our sessions are one on one with a skilled and experienced physical therapist.   

Restrictions dictated by insurance companies do not allow for quality of care that we believe in.   We often require fewer sessions to gain the results that individuals might have with more sessions in other clinics.   Our testimonials say it all! 

What pelvic floor conditions do you treat?

Some examples of conditions we treat include: 

• Constipation
• Diastasis recti
• Incontinence (fecal, stress, urinary, mixed)
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Pregnancy-related musculoskeletal disorders
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction

However, it is important to recognize that almost everyone who has one or more of the above diagnoses, may suffer from other orthopedic and functional complications. Therefore, an experienced physical therapist in the field of orthopedic and pelvic floor is more qualified in providing care for these individuals. See a more detailed list of conditions on our homepage.

What is biofeedback?

Certain equipment can be used to improve health and function by controlling certain bodily processes that normally happen involuntarily.  This information is used to modify or change abnormal responses to more normal patterns. 

For the pelvic floor, increasing or decreasing muscle tone is the goal. Biofeedback along with a personalized exercise program has been shown to help greatly with different diagnoses such as fecal/urinary incontinence, constipation, pelvic pain and general conditions of core and pelvic floor disorders. However, the results vary from person to person.

What is the most common biofeedback equipment?

sEMG is a neuromuscular education tool that therapists can utilize to assess if the pelvic floor muscles are working correctly. It is a painless process that uses special external or internal sensors to measure the muscle activity by visual and sound graphs. This feedback helps both the therapist and the patient understand if there are any muscle tension, weakness or incoordination that need to be addressed.

Real-time ultrasound provided the traditional ultrasound images to assess the different layers of muscles while the patient actively contract and relax those muscles. It is also used to assess muscle activation when compared to the other side of the body. Real-time ultrasound can help to restore normal muscle function by giving immediate visual feedback.