Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Therapy

If you are currently pregnant or you are a new mom experiencing pelvic discomfort, you can rest assured our staff of highly skilled therapists can help you heal and improve the quality of your life.

Common musculoskeletal complaints during pregnancy:

• Low back pain and/or Sciatic Pain - Many women experience back pain during pregnancy that physical therapy can improve.
• Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) or Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) – This happens when the ligaments that normally keep your pelvic bone aligned during pregnancy become too relaxed and stretchy too soon before birth (as delivery nears, things are supposed to start loosening up).

Common postpartum dysfunctions:

• Diastasis recti – This is a condition that occurs when the connective tissue between the rectus abdominis is stretched during pregnancy and doesn’t return to normal postpartum.
• Fecal Incontinence - Many women have trouble controlling bowel movements after having a baby.
• Pelvic organ prolapse - This occurs when any of the pelvic organs “droop”. This can cause feelings of heaviness or achiness in the perineum.
• Pelvic pain - This could be pain during intercourse, when urinating or defecating, or at rest. Pelvic pain can become chronic if left untreated.
• Perineal pain - Pain in the area between the vagina and anus is common among women who had an episiotomy or tearing during their birth. Some women also need help healing the scars from cesarean section.
• Urinary incontinence - It is common after childbirth to have a sudden urge to urinate or leak urine when exercising, laughing or sneezing.

Although many of these conditions are common, they are not normal and should be evaluated by a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health.