During pregnancy, your body undergoes tremendous stress, carrying a growing baby for approximately 40 weeks. This prolonged period of pressure, combined with the potential trauma of vaginal delivery or cesarean section, can lead to various pelvic floor issues.

Pelvic floor physical therapy is an important part of postpartum care and recovery. It helps with the changes and possible trauma your body goes through during pregnancy and childbirth. This special type of therapy can greatly improve your postpartum symptoms and help you regain your strength and comfort.

Common Postpartum Symptoms

Many new mothers experience a range of symptoms that can be addressed through pelvic floor physical therapy, including:

• Urinary incontinence

• Urinary frequency and urgency

• Pain with sex 

• Separation of the abdominal muscles, called Diastasis Recti 

• Generalized core and pelvic floor weakness

• Bowel issues

• Pelvic heaviness or pressure during activities

• Lower back pain

• Pelvic girdle pain

• Pelvic floor dysfunction

• Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Possible Causes of Postpartum Symptoms

These symptoms can arise from various factors related to pregnancy and childbirth, including:

• Trauma to the pelvic floor, back, and hip tissues during labor and delivery

• Prolonged pressure on the pelvic floor muscles throughout pregnancy

• Instability to the pelvis and throughout the body

• Postural alignment changes

• C-section scarring 

• Hormonal fluctuations between pregnancy and postpartum periods

No matter how you delivered your baby, your body went through significant changes over the past year. During pregnancy, your body experiences numerous mechanical changes that affect your postural alignment.

Simultaneously, the hormone relaxin is released, causing ligaments and joints to become more lax. While this increased mobility is needed for fetal growth and childbirth, it can also result in joint instability and pain in various body parts. These changes don't immediately reverse after delivery.

The effects of relaxin can persist for several months postpartum, particularly in breastfeeding mothers. Additionally, new mothers face unique physical demands, such as frequent bending, lifting, and maintaining prolonged positions during breastfeeding, which can exacerbate existing musculoskeletal imbalances.

Postpartum Physical Therapy Assessment

A comprehensive postpartum assessment is crucial for addressing the significant changes your body underwent during pregnancy and childbirth. This evaluation takes into account the hormonal, mechanical, and functional changes that occur.

Here’s what we check for during a postpartum assessment:

• Hip Stability: We will check the strength and coordination of your hip muscles. These muscles are important for your pelvic stability and walking.

• Pelvic Floor: We will do an external and internal assessment (when appropriate) of your pelvic floor muscles. This will help us check their strength, tone, and any pain or problems.

• Posture: We will look at your posture in standing and sitting. This will help us find any patterns you may have developed during pregnancy or after giving birth.

• Strength: We will check your core, back, and leg strength. This helps ensure balanced muscle function for daily activities and childcare.

• Diastasis Recti Screening: We will check for a separation in your abdominal muscles. This is common after pregnancy and can affect how your core works.

• Functional Movement: We will also observe movements like lifting, carrying, and transitioning between positions to identify any inefficient or potentially harmful movement patterns.

• Scar Assessment: For individuals who have had a C-section or perineal tearing, we will also evaluate scar mobility and sensitivity.

Postpartum Physical Therapy  

Every woman's postpartum journey is unique, and a personalized approach to rehabilitation is essential. Your postpartum care and recovery treatment plan may thus include a combination of:

• Manual Therapy Techniques

• Soft Tissue Mobilization

• Scar Tissue Massage

• Lymphatic Drainage Massage

• Visceral Manipulation

• Targeted Exercises

• Education on bladder and bowel habits

• Postural awareness training

• Electrical Stimulation

• Biofeedback

• An overview of healthy body mechanics for lifting your baby

Pelvic floor physical therapy offers a comprehensive approach to postpartum recovery, addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of healing. By combining various techniques and personalized treatment plans, it can significantly improve the quality of life for new mothers, helping them regain strength, confidence, and comfort in their bodies.