FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers!
During the initial assessment, your pelvic physiotherapist will start by asking you questions to
get an understanding of your symptoms and goals. The initial visit also consists of the objective
aspect of the assessment to gain a better understanding of what may be going on. This part
usually consists of an assessment of the external tissues and muscles as well as an internal
vaginal or rectal exam depending on patient comfort. An alternative to doing an internal exam is
doing an external pelvic exam, this may not always provide us with the whole picture, but is still
an option. Once your pelvic physiotherapist has completed the assessment they will share the
findings with you and explain the treatment process to you. The first session will also consist of
treatment and education, and your pelvic physiotherapist will work with you to create a home
exercise program.
An internal exam is the gold standard when assessing and treating pelvic floor conditions. By
doing an internal exam, your pelvic physiotherapist can gain a better understanding about the
tone and strength of the pelvic floor muscles, as well as provide you with tactile feedback when
teaching you pelvic floor exercises. However, if a patient is not comfortable with doing an
internal exam, there are ways for us to treat pelvic floor conditions externally as well that have
been successful. Although an internal exam is more beneficial, there are alternatives and
different options when an internal exam cannot be done.
This varies from person to person and depends on the condition and its complexity.
Your pelvic physiotherapist will provide you with a home exercise program that will consist of
stretches, pelvic floor exercises, breathing exercises as well as strategies to incorporate in your
daily life to help improve the symptoms associated with your condition.
Kegels are not always for everyone. In fact, if you have increased pelvic floor tone or tightness
in the pelvic floor muscles, kegels might not actually be as beneficial for you. In this case, a
proper breathing technique and pelvic relaxation exercises are more beneficial. As important as
it is for a muscle to have good strength, it also needs to be able to relax.
If your pelvic physiotherapist feels that kegels could be beneficial for you at a certain stage in
your treatment process, they will teach you how to properly perform a kegel by providing you
with feedback through an internal exam.