Advocacy Issue | Pelvic Health Physical Therapy

The Issue

Pelvic health physical therapy is a vital part of recovery in the postpartum period. It can aid in muscle control, tissue repair, and healing internal portions of cesarean section scars. However, many mothers lack access to and awareness of the benefits of pelvic health physical therapy. Even some health care providers may not understand the importance of pelvic health physical therapy in the postpartum period. This can lead to delays in, or even an absence of, proper postpartum care — which can have lifelong negative effects for mothers.

Why it Matters

Pelvic health physical therapists practicing in this field treat individuals across the gender spectrum and life span for pelvic health-related conditions. They are part of a collaborative care team aimed at empowering patients to be active participants in their care and well-being. However, lack of awareness of pelvic health physical therapy and its importance is hampering the ability of pelvic health physical therapists to provide — and postpartum patients to receive — this vitally-needed care. Enactment of the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act (H.R. 2480) would close this information gap, ensuring that postpartum individuals can access the care they need.

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Additional Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Content

APTA Pelvic Health: Rehabilitation Interventions for Urgency Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Urgency, and/or Urinary Frequency in Adult Women (CPG+)

Oct 1, 2023 / Article

This guideline summarizes the evidence related to rehabilitation interventions specific to urgency urinary incontinence, urinary urgency, and/or urinary frequency.

APTA Pelvic Health: Physical Therapy Management of Functional Constipation in Adults: A 2021 Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline

Jul 1, 2022 / Article

This CPG describes the evidence for physical therapist interventions used in the conservative management of adults with functional constipation, a nonpathological bowel condition resulting in difficulty with defecation.

Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Women: Management [NICE NG123]

Jun 24, 2019 / Article

Guidelines on assessing and managing urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women aged 18 and over.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Men: Management [NICE CG97]

Jun 3, 2015 / Article

This guideline aims to improve the quality of life for men over 18 with LUTS by recommending which assessments they should receive, and when conservative management, drug treatment and surgery can help.

3-Incontinence Questionnaire (3-IQ)

Article

Self-administered brief questionnaire with purpose of differentiating between stress and urge urinary incontinence in women.

Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20)

Article

Measures pelvic floor disorders.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse-Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire (PISQ)

Article

Measures three domains related to sexual functioning as well as an overall sexual function score.

Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI)

Article

Measures symptoms on three subscales.