A perineal tear during childbirth is common during vaginal delivery, involving stretching or tearing of the perineum, the area between the vagina and anus. Perineal tears can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary or fecal incontinence, and painful sex. The risk of suffering a perineal tear is heightened if you are a first-time mom, had prolonged pushing during labor, delivered a large baby, used forceps during delivery, or if mom is of an older maternal age. Pelvic floor therapy with a physical therapist is one of the most effective and efficient ways to treat perineal pain after childbirth and restore function and strength to the pelvic floor muscles.

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Jen demonstrates three exercises you can do for urinary stress incontinence on the blog! Postpartum urinary stress incontinence occurs when an individual experiences involuntary urine leakage that happens during activities like coughing, sneezing, laughing, squatting, or impact movements following pregnancy and childbirth, often due to pelvic floor dysfunction. Approximately 34% of women experience urinary incontinence postpartum. Physical therapy has been shown to be 80% effective at treating urinary stress incontinence. Pelvic floor physical therapy is used to treat urinary incontinence, a program of functional retraining to improve pelvic floor muscle strength, endurance, power, and relaxation.

March is National Endometriosis Awareness Month. Endometriosis is a condition that occurs when the endometrium grows outside of the uterus in the pelvic and abdominal areas, causing inflammation, pain, and adhesions in the pelvic area. Endometriosis can also cause muscles in the pelvis to tighten, spasm, and thicken as they respond to tension patterns from the condition, causing pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor therapy can help alleviate pelvic floor symptoms related to endometriosis, reducing endometriosis-related pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle tightness, minimizing “endo belly” occurrence, addressing urinary and bowel issues, and helping make sex less painful through targeted reconditioning of the pelvic floor muscles.

A perineal tear or an episiotomy during childbirth can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary or fecal incontinence, and painful sex. An episiotomy is a surgical incision of the perineum to make more space for the baby, while a perineal tear involves natural stretching or tearing of the perineum, the area between the vagina and anus, during birth. Physical therapy is an effective treatment for perineal tearing or an episiotomy, using pelvic floor rehabilitation to restore function and strength to the pelvic floor muscles and address pain and incontinence. Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Jen explains what an episiotomy is and how physical therapy can help you heal after an episiotomy or perineal tear.

Physical therapy can treat postpartum bladder problems, such as urinary incontinence, by restoring pelvic floor muscle function after pregnancy and childbirth. Between 30 to 40% of women experience some degree of urinary incontinence postpartum, often silently suffering through stress incontinence in which urine may leak without your control when pressure is applied to the bladder when laughing, coughing, or exercising. Women can find relief from postpartum bladder issues by working with a skilled physical therapist.