Pelvic Health Physical Therapy: A Holistic and Comprehensive Guide For Women, Men, and Non-Binary Folks Who Want to Know if Pelvic Floor PT is Right for Them
Have you been wondering if pelvic floor physical therapy is appropriate for you?
Do you want to know how your posture and breathing habits support pelvic health?
Do you know what pelvic floor dysfunction is?
With a lot of information out there about the pelvic floor, about “good posture” and “good breathing techniques,” and what to do about pelvic symptoms, this blog will answer some of your questions and tell you what pelvic floor physical therapy is about.
Topics in this blog:
3. What does the pelvic floor do?
4. What makes a physical therapist a pelvic floor therapist?
5. How to find a pelvic PT near you
6. Who is pelvic health physiotherapy for?
7. What diagnoses are treated in pelvic floor physical therapy?
8. A list of specific diagnoses that we treat at Bodyful
9. What are the results of pelvic physiotherapy?
10. What to expect at your pelvic floor physiotherapy evaluation at Bodyful
11. How long is treatment for pelvic floor physical therapy?
12. Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness approach to pelvic health
13. What does pelvic floor PT cost?
14. How is the pelvic floor part of the “core”?
15. Learn more about pelvic floor PT
16. Do you have pelvic floor dysfunction?
17. About Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness
What is pelvic floor physical therapy (PT)?
You may have heard interchangeable names such as pelvic floor physical therapy, women’s health physical therapy, pelvic physical therapy, pelvic physiotherapy, and pelvic PT, and they all refer to the same physical therapy specialty.
Pelvic health physical therapy specializes in signs and symptoms involving the abdomen, pelvis, low back and tailbone, and nerve pain from the low back to the legs. Treatments include restoring posture, breathing and core muscles support, hip flexibility and strength, and pelvic floor function. All genders have a pelvis and can therefore exhibit pelvic region symptoms and could benefit from pelvic floor PT.
What is the pelvic floor?
You may be wondering what the pelvic floor is and how it can be treated.
The pelvic floor musculature is a bowl of muscles at the bottom of the pelvis that support the pelvic organs, blood vessels, nerves, lymphatics.
All genders share the same pelvic floor muscles, and this is a cis-female pelvic floor image:
The deeper pelvic floor muscles are highlighted.
There are three layers of pelvic floor muscles, from superficial urethral and anus muscles, to the pelvic bowel muscles and fascia that support the organs.
Here are the superficial pelvic floor muscles for the cis-female and cis-male:
Cis-female
Cis-male
In the visuals, the pubic bone is at the top, and the tailbone is at the bottom. The hip sockets are shown on the right and left sides.
What does the pelvic floor do?
The pelvic floor has many functions:
These muscles support your posture by managing pressure changes in your abdomen. When your rib cage and your pelvic girdle are parallel to each other, you get a “piston” for postural stability. Like a steam engine, the pressure changes from breathing, twisting, lifting, sneezing, etc., to muscular power that supports your spine, and generates power in your limbs, during movement.
Sphincteric control for bowel and bladder functions.
Supports the pelvic organs (bladder, rectum, digestive organs, reproductive organs).
Moves your blood circulation and lymphatic flow.
Sexual
A healthy pelvic floor frees you up to:
Enjoy strong, flexible hips and a dynamically supportive core for weight lifting, dancing, hiking, sprinting.
Live in dignity without the fear of losing control of your bladder or bowels.
Have pain-free, pleasurable penetrative sex.
Optimize your breathing for physical performance and for singing/speaking.
Move without pelvic pain!
So, pelvic health physical therapy focuses on addressing and treating pelvic region symptoms and pelvic floor dysfunction.
However, the pelvic floor is just one part of a movement system. As such, pelvic health PT will look at, and treat, other parts of the body so as to get to the root cause of the issue.
What makes a physical therapist a pelvic floor physical therapist?
Physical therapists are licensed doctors who treat multiple client populations impacted by disease, injury, and movement dysfunction. Education programs in the U.S. now require a doctor of physical therapy degree, a DPT, to students who graduate from accredited programs. The education process can take a minimum of 7 years to complete, including earning an undergraduate degree, prerequisites for physical therapy school, and successfully completing the DPT program.
To practice as a physical therapist, they must obtain a state license. Each state has its own licensing requirements and each candidate must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination. The mission of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy is to “protect the public by providing service and leadership that promote safe and competent physical therapy practice.”
Typically, the new graduate and licensed PT will start in settings to gain general experience. This can be acquired in hospital settings, rehabilitation centers, and private practices.
In order to specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy, the physical therapist needs additional training, mentorship, and clinical experience diagnosing and treating the pelvic health population. This typically involves additional coursework by accredited professional organizations such as the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. Hands-on training for the assessment and treatment of abdominopelvic health is also part of the specialization process.
Earning a certificate, including a certification in women’s health physical therapy through the American Board of Physical Therapist Specialities, is one way to demonstrate expertise in the field.
Note: some physical therapists are NOT trained in internal, pelvic floor examination.
An internal examination (to be discussed later in this blog) is not a requirement for pelvic health physical therapy. However, you may gain an understanding of specific anatomical and functional information from a physical therapist trained in internal examination.
We recommend that you find a therapist trained by the Herman and Wallace Institute, or the APTA, as these organizations train therapists in internal work and a whole-body approach to care.
How to find a pelvic PT near you
If you are looking for pelvic floor physical therapist in your community, and are not located in Oakland, CA where Bodyful PT is located, you can check out these directories to find a licensed provider for your state:
Pelvic Guru and the Global Pelvic Health Alliance: https://pelvicguru.com/directory/
APTA pelvic provider locator: https://aptapelvichealth.org/ptlocator/
Herman and Wallace practitioner directory: https://pelvicrehab.com/
If you are located in Oakland, CA or the Bay Area, Bodyful has two pelvic health physical therapists currently treating at our clinic. We can also offer telehealth and wellness services to those who are not able to come into our clinic physically.
Who is pelvic health physiotherapy for?
Pelvic PT is for anyone and everyone with a pelvis!
There are some providers who only treat “women’s health” and some that may even treat pediatrics populations, so it is always good to do your research when picking a provider. At Bodyful, we aim to be inclusive for all genders and identities in our treatments. We treat men, women, nonbinary, transgender, and intersex populations.
As white bodies, we are also sensitive to racialized trauma, particularly in bodies of culture and Black bodies. We hold grounded space for boundless compassion, respect, and we put your needs for safety and comfort above all else.
Many people can benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy. Yes, we treat symptoms during pregnancy, how to prepare for delivery, and postpartum rehabilitation. We treat women’s health, men’s health, trans health, as well as pelvic pain, low back pain, sciatica, and beyond!
We also acknowledge that financial barriers can block folk’s access to medical care. If you want to get the most out of your physical therapy care, consider your current emotional, energetic, and financial capacity and bandwidth. It is important that you are ready to engage in our work together fully, to get the results you seek and need.
Are you interested in learning more about what the core means and how breath plays a role? Your pelvic floor is an essential part of your core. That means any issue you might have that involves your core (think back pain, hip pain, etc…) usually involves the relationship between your breathing, your posture, and your pelvic floor coordination and relaxation.
The brain does not have much awareness of the pelvic floor muscles. Why would it? You do not eat, talk, write with, or gesture with your pelvic floor muscles. Or maybe you do…
Anyway, until you train yourself to feel your pelvic floor muscles, you may not be aware of how you isolate them, how to activate the muscles, how to hold the activation for a long period of time, a short period of time, and how to fully and quickly relax. Do you breathe while doing any of these movements?
Anyone can benefit from a pelvic floor assessment because everyone deserves to feel connected to this originating, and therefore grounding, part of their body.
What diagnoses are treated in pelvic floor physical therapy?
The following list is long because the pelvis is very complex and is part of a whole-body movement and breathing system! Keep in mind that nothing in the body works alone. For example, pelvic floor dysfunction can be caused by unsustainable posture dynamics, breathing patterns, and hip flexibility, coordination, strength, and balance issues.
Pelvic pain - pain in the pelvic region is treated by pelvic physical therapy, and the therapist can refer you out to the appropriate specialists to rule out or address pain generators not caused by the musculoskeletal system, visceral fascia, and nerves. Pelvic pain includes pain with exercise, pain with sexual function, pain with urination and bowel movements, pain during pregnancy and postpartum, pain during menses, pain at rest, sciatica, and more.
Prolapse - pelvic organ prolapse, especially anytime after a vaginal delivery, is common. In fact, a grade 1, mild prolapse is considered “normal” and birthing parents can still be 100% functional with this mild level of prolapse.
If you have a prolapse, you may experience a sense of vaginal heaviness, like a tampon is coming out. It can also feel like pelvic fullness or pressure. These symptoms can happen after prolonged sitting or standing, after lifting, during increased periods of stress, or after bearing down for a bowel movement or exercise. Depending on which pelvic organs are involved, the prolapse can limit bladder, bowel, and sexual functions.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can teach you how to manage your symptoms. This is done by posture training, breath strengthening, core and pelvic floor work tailored to you, and all interventions are specific to your symptoms. In most cases, expect a return to all the activities you enjoy with pelvic floor rehabilitation.
Urinary incontinence, urinary urgency, fecal incontinence, fecal urgency - Pelvic physical therapy can help with urinary urgency and involuntary leaking of urine. Leaking urine can happen during a sneeze, cough, or laugh, or when jumping or lifting. It can also happen when you have a strong urge to urinate.
Strong urges to urinate can be reinforced by habits like using the bathroom every time you leave the house, “just-in-case,” even though you do not really have to go.
Fecal incontinence is losing control of stool and may be associated with urgency. Pelvic floor PT can help with controlling your bowel movements.
Pregnancy and postpartum - pelvic health physical therapy can help with a pain-free pregnancy. Pelvic PT can also help to reduce the likelihood of having a cesarean delivery, reduce risk for tears, and improve pelvic mobility. We do this with education and individualized prescribed exercises and indicated mobilization and manual therapy techniques.
A strengthening or fitness program may be prescribed. Also, participating in a strengthening program is an excellent way to prepare for pregnancy, and you can start as early as 1 year before you plan to get pregnant.
After birth, pelvic floor PT can help with return to exercise, reduce urinary leakage, reduce prolapse symptoms, pain, and more. We are trained in visceral fascia mobilization to restore postural support after pregnancy, and scar mobilization techniques that we can teach you to improve your muscle performance and decrease pain.
Tailbone pain - this can occur after a fall on the tailbone and the muscles get tight.
Post-op gender affirmation surgery - pelvic PT can improve post-gender affirmation surgery outcomes, as well as giving transgender individuals a path to returning to the activities they love.
Post-op abdominal or pelvic surgeries - pelvic PT offers scar massage and education, postural strengthening to return to prior level of function, breathing exercises, lymphatic treatment, and can treat pelvic floor dysfunction and pain.
IBS and constipation - poor posture, poor breath control, weak abdominal muscles, and tight, overactive pelvic floor muscles commonly contribute to constipation and bloating. Pelvic health PT can help!
Pain with vaginal penetrative sex - tight pelvic floor muscles, “hitting a wall” during vaginal penetration, and a fear of vaginal pain, all contribute to limiting the enjoyment of penetrative sex. These symptoms can make penetrative sex, or even inserting a tampon, impossible.
The vulva is ready for penetration when it can relax with openness and is receptive. The fear of pain can cause tension and result in tightness. Gently work to gradually improve your connection to your pelvic floor muscles, condition your body, breathe during penetration, take it slowly, and specifically utilize your core support and release compensatory and habitual tension patterns.
Learn to decrease pelvic floor tightening habits in response to stress. Decrease pelvic floor and breath holding compensations during exercise. Restore your feelings of pleasure in relationship to sexual appreciation and gradually explore penetrative sex.
Diastasis recti abdominis (separated abdominal muscles) - Having a 2 to 3 finger-width separation of the abdominal muscles after pregnancy is considered normal. In other words, you can return to a strong and fully functioning core, even if the small gap does not close completely. Pelvic PT can prescribe specific and tailored exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles after pregnancy.
Here is a list of specific diagnoses that we treat at Bodyful:
You are not alone!
Pelvic organ prolapse (rectocele, urethrocele, cystocele, uterine prolapse, vaginal vault prolapse, enterocele, rectal prolapse)
Incontinence (fecal or urinary)
Pelvic pain
Pain associated with the low back, pelvic girdle, sacroiliac joint (SIJ), pubic symphysis, or tailbone
Pregnancy-related aches and pains
Preparation for birth and recovery after birth
Pain with intercourse
Pain associated with endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, cramping during menstruation
Diastasis recti abdominis
Gut and bowel issues (GERD, slow motility, constipation, bloating)
Post-op any pelvic surgery (removal of fibroids, endometriosis, appendectomy, C section, vestibulectomy)
Erectile dysfunction not caused by hypertension.
The list below covers what we’ve heard from our clients at Bodyful and might be what you’re thinking (or what you have told your friends) too:
“I pee my pants when I laugh, cough, and sneeze!”
“I'm leaking while I'm pregnant and after the baby.”
“I can't go to the trampoline park with my kids.”
“How can I exercise safely while I'm pregnant?”
“I want to get back to lifting and running after the baby, but I'm not sure how to safely do that.”
“I have pain with intercourse/intimacy.”
“I skip heavy lifting days because I'm afraid I'm going to leak.”
“I used to run, but I feel a lot of heaviness and pain in my pelvis when I try to run now.”
“I want to make sure I don't have a diastasis or a hernia and if I do, how can I heal it?”
“I had a baby years ago and I just haven't felt normal since.”
“I have to pee every time I hear water running!”
“When will my mommy tummy go away?”
“I don't leave the house without a pad or liner.”
“I want to do whatever I can to have the best birth outcomes.”
“How can I rehab from a c-section safely?”
“I really want to strengthen the correct way after I give birth.”
“I need to make sure everything is okay "down there".”
“I feel a lot of heaviness in my pelvis, especially after sitting and standing for long periods.”
“I have penile or scrotal pain and was told there is nothing wrong with my prostate.”
“I have to squeeze really hard in order to achieve an orgasm.”
What are the results of pelvic physiotherapy?
All results with physical therapy will be unique to the individual, as aspects such as openness to change, beliefs, resourcing and grounding during stress, and trust and safety with the therapist, can affect outcomes.
Generally, it is common for our clients at Bodyful to report:
No more leakage with activity
Decreased pelvic pain
Less fear of their pain and symptoms
Increased feelings of agency and empowerment
Less pain with sex
Improved ability to orgasm
Deeper connection to safety and sense of self
Decreased heaviness in the pelvis
C-section scar mobility and less pain
Improved ability to effectively engage the core with breath
Improved ability to reduce diastasis rectus abdominis (separated abdominal muscles)
Improved bowel movements
Improved birth outcomes and birth preparedness
Lifting heavier without pain and with more ease
Improved diaphragmatic breathing strength
Confident with relaxing resources to reduce the tension in response to stress
Deeper understanding of how to condition the body through repetitions, to an embodied pelvis
Improved back, hip, and tailbone pain
Increased freedom and joy of movement
What to expect at your pelvic floor physiotherapy evaluation at Bodyful
At Bodyful, we prioritize the quality of the therapist-client relationship.
We recommend submitting this form or booking a discovery call. You will speak with a doctor of physical therapy directly to understand what a pelvic PT session could look like for you and to have your questions answered.
When you are ready, we can schedule your comprehensive 90 minute initial evaluation. This initial visit provides plenty of time to share your story and to be heard, to express your expectations, have a thorough physical therapy exam, and to experience some treatment.
We will assess your breathing patterns, your postural muscles and dynamic breath support, movement patterns, and consensual touch and palpation. Common areas to be assessed include your spine, diaphragm, abdominal wall, hip flexibility and strength, and how you load your feet during standing tasks. We use diagnostic PT tests to rule things out, and we assess how mobility, strength, coordination, and relaxation cues change your symptoms.
Often, because the breathing and core system is so complex, we conclude here. You will receive a physical therapy diagnosis. The therapist will give you a prognosis depending on how your symptoms responded to treatment. Expect an email with a summary of your home resource program.
When you are confident with your breathing practice and sense of safety, groundedness, and relaxation, an intra-vaginal or intra-rectal assessment can guide your awareness of how habits in your pelvic floor may be contributing to your symptoms. If you have had surgical or birth trauma in the pelvic floor, we can offer very gentle scar mobilization massages.
The purpose of the pelvic floor internal treatment is to guide your awareness of your anatomy and to connect it to your breath support and movement patterns. It is not a requirement for pelvic PT, however. We can offer manual therapy of the muscles, fascia, and visceral fascial tissues, as well as movement system analysis and breath and postural awareness and tailored strength training.
If you have pelvic floor symptoms, there is likely a lot we can treat in your abdomen. Abdominal muscles tension, “stuck” and faulty breathing habits, and pelvic floor dysfunction, all often go together.
If you are curious about going slowly with the first steps of internal work, we can start with mirror therapy, self-touch, and external touch around the pelvic floor. We can use visual cues for relaxation and orienting. We can also play music that you like or use aromatherapy.
The internal pelvic floor work is always consensual. Clients respond well when they are fully ready, they feel comfortable, and they are curious about their anatomy and function.
An internal exam in pelvic therapy is much different than an OBGYN visit. We are not mainly focused on what could be “wrong” with you or “defective.” Pelvic health physical therapy is a different paradigm.
While you are lying on your back, we start by externally inspecting your pelvic floor tissues. We are happy to give you a mirror and walk you through your vulvar anatomy. We can show you what we are screening for when we do a skin assessment. Since the breath and core support would have already been explored, we ask you to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and track how your body responds to these cues.
We assess the quality of the squeeze:
Can you isolate the muscles?
Are you still breathing?
Are you moving your spine?
Are you tensing your glutes and inner thighs?
And probably most importantly, how do you relax after squeezing for 10 seconds?
What is a 10 second hold like, compared to a 1 second hold?
Can you push and breathe?
When you are ready, we will offer tactile feedback with verbal cueing. Our finger starts at the superficial layer of muscles. Your trust in your therapist, and how resourced you are, is necessary, because you may experience slight discomfort if you have been living with pelvic pain. You are always in control and you can stop the exam or guide the therapist at any time.
All subsequent visits at Bodyful Physical Therapy are at least 60 minutes and consist of one-to-one care. Your safety, comfort, and alliance with your therapist, are all fundamental components to your pelvic health education and prescribed exercises.
What you believe, your body will achieve.
We collaborate with you to support your path to completeness and restoration of your pelvic health. If you want to return to an exercise class without leaking, we will work on that with you. If you want to be more connected to your pelvic floor in a self-compassionate way, we would be thrilled to work with you.
Consider working with us if you seek evidence-based manual therapy that may feel like energetic and heart-full work. Consider us if you want tailored exercises to consistently activate your core in a sustainable and flexible way.
As doctors of physical therapy, we take account of your medical history, your current medications and side effects, your medical diagnosis, your history of blunt force trauma, quality of sleep and nutrition, chronic stress and trauma, etc. We are trained in functional anatomy and the movement system, going far beyond what most medical doctors understand or treat when it comes to day to day activities.
If you heard that you just need to “Kegel,” please note that this is not a descriptive term. Kegel is named after the white cis-male doctor who “discovered” that the pelvic floor muscles can contract. Pelvic physical therapy includes evaluating how your posture and gluteal muscle strength affect your pelvic floor function, how to fully and completely relax after squeezing, and your coordination.
Consider pelvic floor physical therapy if you are seeking individualized education, therapeutic exercises that feel amazing, and you are ready to transform your symptoms and your relationship to your body.
How long is treatment for pelvic floor physical therapy?
Treatment length can vary depending on how long the issue has been going on and what is found during the exam, and how you respond to treatment, but typically 4-7 sessions is recommended by your PT. We find that patients who have pelvic pain for longer periods of time may need more sessions to fully address the symptoms they are experiencing. The frequency of visits can vary from weekly to once every 2-3 months.
Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness approach to pelvic health
Consider working with us if you are looking for PT care that is more profound and you are not interested in the status quo.
Our approaches to visceral fascia mobilization, pelvic floor manual therapy, and other skilled manual therapy techniques are trauma informed. That means that you are an active participant in receiving and integrating touch.
We hold space and guide somatic and neuromuscular healing for folks with experiences of trauma, hypervigilance, current stressors, perceived threat, pain misconceptions, fear of movement, and autonomic nervous system dysregulation. This may mean we refer you to other trusted providers to complement and support your integrated care.
As movement and skilled performance artists ourselves, we have a lifetime of experience observing movement and teaching others how to move with efficiency, ease, and quality. As physical therapists, we use our training and current best evidence based practices to train movement. That means that we prescribe individualized exercise/movement resources that will improve your strength, endurance, coordination, relaxation, muscle activation and timing during activities and functions.
At Bodyful, we blend our knowledge of orthopedics, the movement system, and pelvic health, to give you the best transformative healing for your symptoms and condition. We pride ourselves in always staying up to date with current best practice guidelines for pelvic and orthopedic physical therapy.
What does pelvic floor PT cost?
Depending on where you go for PT, you may be able to utilize your insurance benefits. At Bodyful, we are out of network with insurance companies. We are a small business, and we could not sustain the administrative burden to get paid by insurance companies, while running a business, and providing the quality of clinical care our clients deserve.
Unfortunately, pelvic floor PT is not always considered medically necessary by the insurance companies. Pelvic health is valuable to us and to our community, so we work hard to give you high quality, effective care.
We are also out of network so that you are aware of the cost of PT. You will not be stuck with a bill after the insurance company denied the claim.
You can negotiate and collaborate with your PT during your initial evaluation to determine a plan of care, including the frequency of visits, and the duration of care. The PT will consider your medical history, symptoms duration, and your response to treatments, as indicators of your prognosis. Combined with your PT’s clinical reasoning, you state what completeness means to you, and together you can decide on how many visits to expect.
You may have out-of-network benefits for pelvic floor PT. Our FAQ page provides some information to guide how to ask your health insurance company about this. We are also happy to provide you with a monthly superbill, or the paperwork required to submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
If you are a Black body or a body of culture, feel free to ask us about our sliding scale application. Depending on the situation, you may be given the application after the first evaluative visit. Sliding scale options are available as spots are available. If the spots are occupied, then we are happy to add you to the waitlist.
Research shows that Black bodies, and Black femme bodies, are disproportionately targeted by medical racism. At Bodyful, we strive to support our community with the return to wellness they deserve.
If you are a white body or a client who can afford our fees for services, we sincerely thank you for supporting our small business and for helping us to offer reparations to marginalized community members.
How is the pelvic floor part of the “core”?
Posture matters.
When our breathing diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles are parallel to each other, the pressure changes caused by respiration, twisting, forward bending, sneezing, etc., are transferred into mechanical energy generated by support from muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This “pistoning” is similar to how a steam engine is designed.
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When we breathe well, we move well. Breathing well and the ability to shift to a supportive posture, gives our abdominal wall muscles a mechanical advantage and they form a coordinated “cylinder” of core support.
The visuals show how the pelvic floor muscles play a role in dynamic stabilization of the spine. Also, if the muscles above the pelvic floor are strong, and the abdominal pressure changes are managed effectively, then the pelvic floor does not have to compensate during sneezing, lifting, laughing, jumping, etc. Pelvic floor muscles compensations can cause a painful, tight, and dysfunction pelvic floor.
It is common to hold the breath during tasks that require abdominal muscles support. The extra tension in the diaphragm from holding the breath redistributes the strain on the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor. This habit can be the cause of pelvic floor dysfunction, low back pain, adductor muscle strains, and even knee pain.
Breath holding during tasks that require core support can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction and can unfortunately include such symptoms as urinary and fecal incontinence, SIJ pain, urinary urgency, pain in the penis, vagina, or rectum, constipation, erectile dysfunction, and tight pelvic floor muscles causing pain during penetrative sex.
How to get started
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Are you looking to get started with pelvic floor PT? Feel free to check out the directories listed above in the "How to find a pelvic PT near you" section if you need to find a provider in your area.
If you are curious about getting started with Bodyful, continue reading!
Learn more about pelvic floor physical therapy
Enjoy the resources below:
Check out our blog about our approach to holistic pelvic floor physical therapy.
Check out our blog about our unique approach to somatic pelvic floor physical therapy.
Check out our Pilates Reformer offerings!
We also recommend checking out the Vagina Rehab Doctor, Women of Color PFPT Directory, Dr. Catalina Lawsin (sex therapist), North American Menopause Society, pain psychology care at Menda Health, Ehlers-Danlos Society, the Polyvagal Institute, Nancy’s Nook Endometriosis Education, and the International Pelvic Pain Society. Trauma-informed, anti-racist, somatically trained mental health providers links are here and here.
Local providers we are fond of:
Disclaimer: the providers below are NOT employees of Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness, nor have they been trained by Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness. Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness is not responsible for any and all actions that may occur while seeing a provider from this directory.
Dr. Ilana Harms, licensed acupuncturist
Dr. Anietie Ukpe-Wallace, PT, DPT and pelvic floor physical therapist
Dr. Shaunic Stanford, PT, DPT, pelvic floor physical therapist and certified Reiki practitioner
The MaMA Space - Holistic perinatal and mental health support
Dr. Anna Frick, urogynecology
Hana Holistic Medical and Wellness Center
Do you have pelvic floor dysfunction?
After reading this blog, are you wondering if you have pelvic floor symptoms?
You can check out the Cozean Screening Tool, developed by Nicole Cozean, PT, DPT, WCS, CSCS, of Pelvic Sanity. You can use the screening tool to decide if pelvic floor PT is right for you.
About Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness
Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness is a women owned, somatic pelvic health physical therapy clinic in Oakland, CA that gets to the root cause of your pelvic pain symptoms and supports your integrative care for long lasting relief and return to well-being.
As white bodied cis-women, we also work daily to breathe into, deliberately move with, and consciously respond to creating a collective, anti-racist, embodied culture for future generations (Black Octopus Society). We also pay an annual land tax to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and help to return land in the East Bay to Indigenous stewardship.
We understand that pelvic symptoms can be embarrassing and isolating, and we are here to normalize your experience and to provide the most ethical, compassionate, and effective care for your pelvic health.
You will receive our full attention and presence when working with us.
We can attest to how somatic movement exercises offer relief from painful movement habits and will help you to move gracefully while in an aging body. Check out this blog post to learn more.
If you are experiencing pelvic pain, urinary leakage, constipation, sexual dysfunction, and you are nervous about pelvic floor physical therapy, feel free to call or text us at (510) 788 - 1299. You can also submit an inquiry form or book a discovery call here.
About the Author
Dr. Maryssa Steffen, PT, DPT, and board-certified clinical specialist in Women’s Health, is a pelvic floor physical therapist, a dancer, and a movement artist. She is trauma informed and values healing at a pace that the nervous system can understand and digest. She is a fierce believer in the power of the body to transform our relationship to ourselves and to our collective consciousness. She is currently studying and practicing for the somatic movement educator training with Body-Mind Centering®, an approved training program of the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA), to become a registered Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist. The program is facilitated by Mary Lou Seereiter at Moving Within.
