Pelvic Health & Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Addressing your questions about pelvic, women's, and musculoskeletal health. Health is a journey. Movement is healing!
After having a child, women in the United States return to their OB-GYN approximately 6 weeks after having a typical birth for a check-up. The physician performs an internal examination and check how you are healing from the birthing process. They may mention the importance of performing Kegel exercises or the issue of rehabilitation is skimmed over. At this point in time referring women to see a women's health or pelvic health PT following the birth of a child is not the standard of care in the US. It really should be. There are a lot of aspects of rehabilitation from birth that need to be managed (ie changes to pelvic floor structures). I mean think about it, birth is a huge process for a body to go through! A PT should be part of the team managing postpartum care with such a complex process that alters the musculoskeletal system. The pelvic floor is often overlooked in the recovery process and as a result down the road this can lead to urinary incontinence issues, prolapse, or issues with intercourse.
Now compare this to the model in other countries. In France after giving birth women are given up to 20 visits with a women's health PT to rehabilitate. It is also a common standard of care in the UK, Netherlands, as well as Australia to visit a "physiotherapist" (the equivalent of a Physical Therapist) for postpartum care. In the United States the Section on Women's Health (the professional organization representing the PT's treating women's health and pelvic health patients) is one of the smallest, but fastest growing physical therapy specialties. There still need to be more PT's in this specialty field in the US as in some parts of the country access to PT's practicing this specialty is limited. So what can you do? As a patient you can and should advocate for your healthcare. At your postpartum 6 week appointment with your OB-GYN you can ask your physician for a script to a women's health PT in your area to assess your rehabilitation needs. Don't be afraid to research what this postpartum PT care involves and talk to your physician about why you are interested in pursuing this care. Comments are closed.
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AuthorHello! I am Caitlyn, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board Certified Women's Health Physical Therapist working in St Louis, Missouri. Faculty in developing residency program. Endowarrior Categories
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July 2021
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