How Do I Know If I Need Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

Maybe you’re curious about pelvic floor physical therapy, but not sure if your symptoms are “bad enough”? Take a look at our screening protocol here and see if any of these symptoms resonate with your experience:

• I sometimes have pelvic pain (in genitals, perineum, pubic or bladder area, or pain with urination) that exceeds a ‘3’ on a 1-10 pain scale, with 10 being the worst pain imaginable

• I can remember falling onto my tailbone, lower back, or buttocks (even in childhood)

• I sometimes experience one of more of the following urinary symptoms

  • Accidental loss of urine

  • Feeling unable to completely empty my bladder

  • Having to void within a few minutes of a previous void

  • Pain or burning with urination

  • Difficulty starting or frequent stopping/starting of urine stream

• I often or occasionally have to get up to urinate two or more times at night

• I sometimes have a feeling of increased pelvic pressure or the sensation of my pelvic organs slipping down or falling out

• I have a history of pain in my low back, hip, groin, or tailbone, or have had sciatica

• I sometimes experience one or more of the following bowel symptoms

  • Loss of bowel control

  • Feeling unable to completely empty my bowels

  • Straining or pain with a bowel movement

  • Difficulty initiation a bowel movement

• I sometimes experience pain or discomfort with sexual activity or intercourse

• Sexual activity increases one or more of my other symptoms

• Prolonged sitting increases my symptoms

If you said yes to 3 or more of these symptoms, you would benefit from a pelvic floor physical therapy evaluation.

Adapted by the Nicole and Jesse Cozean’s “Screening Protocol for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction”