Pelvic Floor Therapy
Pelvic Floor Therapy
The pelvic floor muscles, located in the perineum, are responsible for bowel, bladder, and sexual function in addition to their role as stabilizer or a core muscle. There are two main categories of pelvic floor dysfunction: underactive (weak) pelvic floor muscles and overactive (tight) pelvic floor muscles.
For women, these muscles may weaken after the stress of pregnancy and childbirth. Other causes of weak pelvic floor muscles include chronic constipation, chronic coughing, heavy lifting, high impact sports, aging, and obesity.
Tight pelvic floor muscles, a far less common condition, are thought to occur as a response to pelvic pain.
Professional pelvic floor muscle therapy improves patients’ lives by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Therapy decreases the risks and/or symptoms of urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse (cystocele/rectocele), and sexual dysfunction. Many women also undergo pelvic floor therapy for treatment of vaginismus (involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles) and endometriosis.
Levin’s Women’s Health & Wellness Center is pleased to offer pelvic floor therapy in our North Miami office. We contract with specially trained clinicians who will develop an individualized treatment plan to address your specific needs. Sessions typically last about 30 minutes and most women need from 6 to 8 sessions. The comprehensive program includes assessment, therapy, and education during each visit.
This pain-free nonsurgical treatment method can potentially spare you the need for surgery. The goal is to retrain pelvic floor muscles as way to help control bladder, bowel, and sexual function. Pelvic floor therapy harnesses your body’s natural ability to heal with muscle retraining and neural stimulation, all under the guidance of a trained clinician.
Pelvic floor therapy may involve several techniques, including:
- Pelvic floor exercises, in which patients are taught how to contract and relax pelvic floor muscles, as well as breathing and timing techniques to make the exercises more effective. These exercises help stretch tight muscles or strengthen those that are weak, improving flexibility.
- Manual therapy in which hands-on massage or stretching is used to help with posture, blood circulation, and mobility.
- Pelvic floor biofeedback, which helps women gauge how their pelvic floor muscles are functioning. This involves the insertion of a probe into the vagina with results displayed on a computer screen.
- Vaginal dilators, which are tube-shaped devices that enable women to learn to relax their pelvic muscles.
Women treated with pelvic floor therapy have been found to attain a 75-90% rate of improvement.
Patient Feedback
“Dear Dr. Levin, I am so happy I found your practice! Martin & I couldn’t be happier with our experience Your office staff is so knowledgeable, kind, helpful and friendly. You, too, have these qualities! I always felt cared for & heard. Thank you so much for answering my many questions & letting me ask them all. Thank you a 1,000times for everything. We feel so confident we have the best doctor ever! Dr. Alvarez too, is just incredible – What a Team ! Toda Rabah & Looking forward to many more good experiences together (I’m thinking I want 3kids total )”
Patient Feedback
“Dr. Levin is an excellent doctor and very caring and compassionate. He is always available and goes the extra mile to make the patient feel extremely happy. I feel I am in good hands when I know he is taking care of me and my baby. Levin’s Women’s Health has a fantastic staff and fantastic doctor. I would recommend him to everybody.”
Patient Feedback
“ Dr. Alvarez is amazing. Very sweet, gentle, and knowledgeable. His staff is very friendly and helpful. Very happy to have found them.”
Patient Feedback
“ Many other doctors’ offices didn’t understand my health plan… they did! ”
Patient Feedback
“ What do I like BEST about Dr. Levin’s Women’s Health? The personal care, as well as Dr. Levin’s knowledge about the a holistic approach to healthcare.”
Patient Feedback
“ Dr. Alvarez was VERY informative and very quick. He made me feel very comfortable and overall it was a great experience. Everyone in the office is very nice ”
Patient Feedback
“Dr. Levin, as well as his staff, are courteous and amicable. While I have only been to his office twice, I have never had to wait long for an appointment. Also, on both occasions, I have not had to wait more than a few minutes in the waiting room. Your practice is superb! ”
