Question 1

Pelvic Pain

Accepted Answer

If muscles, ligaments, joints or fascia develop restrictions, this can cause your body to respond with one or more of the following symptoms or types of pelvic pain:
 
 • Vulvar, vaginal, clitoral, perineal or rectal pain
 • Pain during or after sex (dyspareunia)
 • Pain with sitting
 • Pain wearing a tampon
 • Discomfort/irritation wearing pants, jeans and/or underwear
 • Sacroiliac joint pain
 • Coccyx pain
 • Endometriosis
 • Abdominal pain due to surgery/scar tissue
 
Shannon is able to create a plan of care involving manual therapy, topicals, and exercises to alleviate these conditions and allow your body to heal.

Question 2

Pregnancy & Postpartum

Accepted Answer

Pregnancy and childbirth can be a traumatic event to a woman’s pelvic floor, causing pain and dysfunction to muscles and tissues in the region.
 
Shannon will evaluate your pelvic floor to determine if musculoskeletal factors are causing or contributing to any of the following conditions:
 
 • Urinary issues (incontinence, urgency, or hesitancy)
 • Bowel incontinence
 • Diastasis Recti
 • Perineal, pubic, and lower back pain
 • Pain with intercourse
 • Pelvic organ prolapse
 
If they are, Shannon can then provide manual therapy to address any underlying impairments. She will also create customized exercise programs for each patient to either strengthen weak muscles or help relax tight/short muscles.

Question 3

Organ Prolapse

Accepted Answer

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) can occur when the muscles and ligaments supporting a woman's pelvic organs weaken, and the pelvic organs slip out of place (prolapse). Women can develop pelvic organ prolapse due to the following factors:
 
 • Childbirth
 • Hysterectomy
 • Menopause
 • Chronic coughing
 • Heavy lifting
 
Pelvic organ prolapse can be addressed by strengthening and improving the stability of pelvic floor muscles.

Question 4

Bowel & Bladder Dysfunction

Accepted Answer

Bowel and bladder incontinence--the loss of control of urine or stool--is a common and inconvenient problem. Types of incontinence include:
 
 • Urinary urgency
 • Urinary hesitancy
 • Nocturia (frequent urination at night)
 • Interstitial cystitis — also called painful bladder syndrome — is a chronic condition in which you experience bladder pressure, bladder pain and sometimes pelvic pain, ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain
 • Bowel incontinence
 
In most cases, physical therapy can resolve symptoms and ease discomfort by strengthening or relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor, depending on the exact nature of the condition.

Shannon Dutter

Physical Therapy

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