Postpartum PT Care

Postpartum Physical Therapy Care

Pregnancy and childbirth can result in significant changes and stress to the body. The muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor may get stretched and strained, and the joints of the low back and pelvis can become hypermobile and malaligned. Overall body posture can also be affected. If these changes are not addressed, they could lead to back or pelvic pain problems, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.

We encourage you to consider scheduling a postpartum physical therapy appointment. Your nurse will arrange the appointment for you and try to coordinate it with your well-baby checkup appointment or post-surgical follow-up to avoid an extra trip outside of your home.

During your postpartum recovery therapy appointment, your therapist will ask you about any specific concerns or goals you may have. She will also check your posture, lower back, and pelvic bony alignment to ensure that everything is in order. Additionally, she will evaluate your abdominal and hip strength and check for the presence of a diastasis recti, which is a common condition following pregnancy. Once she has completed the evaluation, your therapist will teach you safe and gentle exercises to address any deficits that were identified. These exercises are very effective in addressing pregnancy and delivery-related changes and will help you to be more successful once you begin more aggressive exercise and activities after your postpartum recovery period is over.

Generally, only one physical therapy visit is required. In certain cases, such as back pain, incontinence, or a large diastasis recti, additional visits may be needed to assist in your recovery. The physical therapy visit(s) are billed through insurance.

What about "post" postpartum?

Even with the best efforts, pelvic floor issues can develop months or even years after pregnancy and childbirth, leading to symptoms like painful intercourse, urinary or fecal incontinence, constipation, and pelvic floor pain. But you don't have to suffer in silence as there is help available. Pelvic floor physical therapy, performed by a specialty-trained therapist, has proven to be an effective solution for treating these issues. Orange City Area Health System has a pelvic floor physical therapist with over 15 years of experience in this field. If you have any questions about pelvic floor physical therapy, please speak to your physician or contact the physical therapy department and ask to speak with Kristina.