Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
To answer this, we must first acquaint you with the pelvic floor! The pelvic floor is the set of muscles located at the basin of our pelvis that play a role in our core stability, bowel, bladder, and sexual function. Pelvic floor physical therapy is a subspecialty of PT focused on addressing dysfunction related to the pelvic floor. Some symptoms and conditions treated by pelvic floor PTs include, but are not limited to:
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Pelvic pain (genital, abdominal, hip, tailbone, sacroiliac, low back)
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Bladder and bowel issues (incontinence, frequent urination, constipation, IBS, painful bladder syndrome)
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Sexual function concerns (painful intercourse and changes in arousal)
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Pregnancy and Post-Partum (pain, diastasis, prolapse, stress incontinence)
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That’s right! Everyone has a pelvic floor which means anyone can experience pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor PTs are trained to work with both male- and female-identifying individuals to treat their unique symptoms and anatomy.
What is pelvic floor physical therapy?
Psst! Everyone's got one... Yes, even you, sir!
Did you know?
Though historically underdiagnosed and undertreated, it is estimated that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men have or will experience pelvic floor dysfunction in their lifetime. Did you know that pelvic floor dysfunction can be the underlying cause of low back and hip pain? By offering pelvic floor physical therapy at FlySpace, we know we can offer more comprehensive care to all of our patients.
What to expect
Always a mover, Ami Kirollos, PT, DPT, CSCS (she/her) grew up dancing to just about anything with a beat. While training, Ami became fascinated by the idea of “movement as medicine.” Ami received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Emory University School of Medicine. As a physical therapist she has worked in both the in- clinic and backstage settings with performers of all ages and abilities. Additionally, Ami also specializes in treating pelvic floor conditions and has a particular interest in the impact of pelvic floor dysfunction as it relates to the performing artist. Ami has completed advanced training in in dance medicine, pelvic floor therapy, concussion management, osteopathic manual therapy, and Pilates.
A physical therapist with specialized training in pelvic floor treatment will ask you a battery of questions regarding the health of your pelvic floor and perform a series of objective tests looking at how you move and breathe and assess what impact that may have on your pelvic floor. If indicated, and always with your consent, a pelvic floor therapist may perform an internal exam to palpate the pelvic floor muscles to assess their strength, ability to relax, as well overall muscle and soft tissue length and tone to determine their impact on your symptoms.
Why should performers be aware of their pelvic floor?
A few factors may predispose performing artists to pelvic floor issues:
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Nature of high impact activity with decreased periods of rest and recovery may lead to overloading of pelvic floor to compensate for other weaker muscles
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Increased tendency for some performers to be hypermobile may lead to decreased stability and increased stress on pelvic floor
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Impact of some learned habits in technique involving excessive gripping of core and deep hip rotators
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High stress job and work environment and the pelvic floor’s connection with our autonomic nervous system
Meet your pelvic floor PTs!
Katrina M. Van Ostrand PT, MPT, SCS, OCS (she/her) holds double board certification in sports and orthopedic physical therapy and has over 13 years of experience helping patients recover from injury, improve function, and optimize performance. After graduating with her masters of physical therapy, she began her career traveling with the national tours of West Side Story, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Wicked, Lion King, Bring It On, and multiple on and off-Broadway shows. Following, Katrina completed a sports physical therapy residency at the University of Delaware, with a focus on emergency first response, vestibular, orthopedics, and D1 athletics rehabilitation. Once in NYC, Katrina worked extensively with the dancers of New York City Ballet, SAB, Broadway, and many other professional and pre-professional performers. In 2021, Katrina completed her continuing education course work through Herman and Wallace and is proud to be a provider of pelvic floor and women’s health physical therapy.
