By Ortho-Pelvic Physical Therapist Hannah Jones, PT, DPT, OCS
One of the most rewarding parts of being a pelvic floor physical therapist is helping women realize that symptoms they’ve been told to accept as “normal” don’t necessarily have to be.
A lot of women have underlying pelvic floor dysfunction that goes unnoticed for years. Pregnancy often acts as the catalyst that finally brings those issues to the surface.
One patient in particular comes to mind.
She initially came to see me for stress urinary incontinence during pregnancy. Like many women, she assumed occasional leakage was simply part of being pregnant. While urinary leakage is common during pregnancy, I would argue that it shouldn’t automatically be considered normal.
What made her case especially interesting was her history of chronic hip pain.
She had experienced recurring hip pain for years and had previously attended physical therapy with some success. While treatment would help temporarily, the pain always seemed to return.
During her evaluation, we performed a thorough musculoskeletal and pelvic floor assessment. As we worked through her history and movement patterns, I began to suspect that her hip symptoms might actually be related to long-standing pelvic floor dysfunction.
At first, she couldn’t believe it.
She had never experienced urinary leakage, pelvic pressure, or any other obvious pelvic floor symptoms before becoming pregnant. How could her pelvic floor possibly be connected to her hip pain?
The reality is that the pelvic floor doesn’t work in isolation. It works closely with the hips, core, diaphragm, and low back as part of a larger pressure and stability system. When one piece isn’t functioning well, other areas often compensate.
After implementing a treatment plan that included pelvic floor-specific exercises and manual therapy, something remarkable happened.
Not only did her urinary leakage improve, but her chronic hip pain began to decrease significantly as well.
By the end of her pregnancy, she was completely pain-free.
Even better, she has not experienced a recurrence of her hip pain since.
The Bigger Lesson
Most people know to see a physical therapist when they sprain an ankle, hurt their back, or develop shoulder pain.
Pelvic floor dysfunction is different.
Many women don’t realize that symptoms such as:
- Recurring low back pain
- Chronic hip pain or tightness
- Urinary leakage
- Urinary urgency
- Pain with intercourse
- Lower abdominal or pelvic pain
- Constipation
- Pelvic pressure during pregnancy
can all be connected to the pelvic floor.
These symptoms are often dismissed as “just part of pregnancy,” “just part of getting older,” or “just something moms deal with.”
They don’t have to be.
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in East Nashville
If you’re experiencing recurring hip pain, low back pain, urinary leakage, pelvic pressure, or other pelvic health concerns during pregnancy or postpartum, a pelvic floor evaluation may help uncover the true source of the problem.
At Elevate615 Women’s Health, we provide pelvic floor physical therapy for women throughout East Nashville, Donelson, and surrounding communities. Our goal is to help you understand your body, address the root cause of symptoms, and return to the activities you love with confidence.
Because sometimes the problem isn’t your hip.
It’s the system supporting it.
Read Pelvic Floor Specialist Physical Therapist in Nashville Hannah Jone’s Bio HERE
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