Pelvic Floor PT: What It Is, What to Expect, and How It Can Help

Pelvic floor physical therapy is one of the most misunderstood areas of healthcare — often associated only with postpartum recovery or bladder leakage. But pelvic health affects people of all genders and stages of life, and symptoms involving the pelvic floor are far more common than many realize.

At Connect & Beyond Physical Therapy, our Pelvic Health Physical Therapists help people address issues ranging from urinary urgency and pelvic pain to pregnancy-related discomfort, post-surgical recovery, erectile dysfunction, and core weakness.

Most importantly: these symptoms are common, and they are not something you simply have to “live with.”

What is the Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, connective tissues, and nerves located at the base of the pelvis.

These muscles support the bladder, bowel, reproductive organs, and deep core system while also playing an important role in:

• Bladder and bowel control

• Core stability

• Sexual function

• Breathing coordination

• Pregnancy and postpartum recovery

• Support for the spine and pelvis

Like any other muscles in the body, pelvic floor muscles can become weak, tight, overworked, poorly coordinated, or painful. Sometimes they need strengthening — but just as often, they need relaxation, retraining, and improved coordination.

“Pelvic floor muscles that are too tight and/or too weak cannot work effectively,” explains Natalie Graham, PT. “Some people need to focus more on relaxation strategies, while others need to focus more on strengthening.”

That’s why an individualized evaluation matters.

What does Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Help Treat?

Pelvic floor physical therapy can help address a wide variety of symptoms and conditions, including:

• Urinary leakage or urgency

• Frequent urination

• Constipation or bowel dysfunction

• Pelvic pain

• Pain with intercourse

• Pregnancy-related pain

• Postpartum recovery

• Diastasis recti (abdominal separation)

• Pelvic organ prolapse

• Hip, low back, and SI joint pain

• Recovery after pelvic or abdominal surgery

• Prostate surgery rehabilitation

• Erectile dysfunction

Pelvic health physical therapy can also support overall quality of life, helping people return to exercise, daily activities, intimacy, and movement with more comfort and confidence.

Pelvic Floor PT Isn't Just for Women

Although pelvic floor therapy is often associated with postpartum care, pelvic health concerns affect men as well.

At Connect & Beyond, we work with men experiencing:

• Urinary urgency or leakage

• Pelvic pain

• Constipation

• Recovery after prostate surgery

• Erectile dysfunction

The pelvic floor muscles play an important role in sexual function and erection quality by helping regulate blood flow and muscular support within the pelvis.

Research continues to support pelvic floor physical therapy as a conservative, non-invasive approach to improving erectile dysfunction by helping strengthen, coordinate, and relax these muscles appropriately.

What Happens During a Pelvic Floor PT Visit?

Many people feel nervous before their first pelvic floor physical therapy appointment — especially if they are unsure what to expect.

Your first session typically focuses on understanding your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle, movement patterns, and goals. Your therapist may assess posture, breathing, mobility, core coordination, and pelvic floor muscle function.

Treatment is always individualized and may include:

• Education

• Exercise

• Breathing coordination

• Manual therapy

• Movement retraining

• Relaxation strategies

• Biofeedback

• Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI)

Importantly, internal treatment is not always necessary, and your therapist will discuss options, comfort levels, and consent throughout the process.

Many patients are surprised to learn that pelvic floor symptoms are not always caused by weakness alone.

“Kegels are not the answer for everyone,” Natalie explains. “Doing the wrong type of exercises — or doing certain ones too often — can actually make symptoms worse.”

Using RUSI and Biofeedback in Pelvic Health PT

At Connect & Beyond, we also use tools like Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI) and biofeedback to help patients better understand how their muscles are functioning.

RUSI uses ultrasound technology to create real-time images of muscles working during movement and exercise. This allows both the therapist and patient to visualize deep core and pelvic floor muscle coordination in a noninvasive way.

As Natalie shared in a previous blog post:

“Basically, it allows us to see what we feel with our hands. More importantly, it allows YOU to see your own muscles in action.”

RUSI can be especially helpful after surgery, postpartum, or when retraining deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles that are difficult to feel or coordinate.

You can read more about RUSI in our previous blog post: Sometimes a Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words…

Our Pelvic Health Physical Therapists

At Connect & Beyond Physical Therapy, pelvic health services are provided by:

Natalie Graham, PT

Natalie specializes in pelvic health physical therapy for both men and women and has more than 20 years of experience treating pelvic floor dysfunction, orthopedic conditions, and core-related movement concerns. 

Marie Long, PT

Marie also specializes in pelvic health physical therapy for women across a wide range of conditions and life stages. 

Together, they help patients navigate:

• Pelvic floor dysfunction

• Pregnancy and postpartum recovery

• Pelvic and abdominal surgery rehabilitation

• Bladder and bowel concerns

• Pelvic pain

• Biofeedback and RUSI training

• Core and breathing coordination

Pelvic Health Matters

Pelvic floor symptoms can affect far more than the bladder.

They can influence exercise, sleep, intimacy, confidence, movement, and overall quality of life. But because these issues are often under-discussed, many people wait years before seeking help.

Pelvic floor physical therapy offers a supportive, evidence-informed approach to addressing the root causes of symptoms — helping people reconnect with their bodies and return to daily life with more comfort and confidence.

At Connect & Beyond Physical Therapy, we believe pelvic health is whole-person health.

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