Pelvic Health
An Integrated Approach to Pelvic Health
Pelvic floor dysfunction often shows up as chronically tight, pinchy hips, low back pain, SI joint pain that nothing else seems to fully address.
For others, it’s wearing dark bottoms and going to the bathroom just in case
before workouts, planning life around bathroom access, or experiencing pain
instead of pleasure with intimacy.
These issues are common—but they’re not something you just have to live with.
We provide full-body, integrated pelvic health care that looks at how the pelvic floor works with the hips, spine, core, and movement patterns as a whole.
Our Areas of Expertise
Birth preparation and education
Postpartum recovery (vaginal or cesarean)
Leaking with exercise, lifting, coughing, or laughing
Pelvic pain or pressure
Pain with intercourse
Prolapse diagnoses
Athletes returning to running or sport
Specialized Pelvic Floor Treatment
Pelvic health concerns are often treated in isolation, but the pelvic floor does not function alone. It works in coordination with your diaphragm, deep core, hips, and nervous system. When one part of that system isn’t doing its job well, something else has to compensate — and that’s often when pain, leaking, or persistent tightness show up.
At Renegade, we approach pelvic health the same way we approach everything else: assess, don’t guess. We evaluate how you breathe, lift, run, and move so we can address the root cause — not just the symptoms. Whether you’re preparing for birth, returning postpartum, navigating pelvic pain, or simply trying to train without leaking or discomfort, our goal is to help you move with strength and confidence again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that are on the bottom side of the pelvis. They attach from your pubic bone to your tail bone and are between your sits bones. These muscles support your internal organs as well as a baby while you’re pregnant.
These muscles:
- Help provide stability in your hips, low back, and core
- Support your abdominal organs
- Play a large role in breathing mechanics
- Have a role in sexual function
- Allow you to hold and expel urine, gas, and feces
What is pelvic floor/pelvic health physical therapy?
Pelvic floor physical therapy at Renegade is focused on restoring optimal function to these muscles and treating the diagnoses and symptoms listed in the question below. Pelvic floor physical therapy is always integrated as a whole-body treatment, rather than just treatment of the muscles inside and around the pelvis.
What diagnoses and symptoms are treated with pelvic health physical therapy?
Pelvic health physical therapy can help treat lots of diagnoses and symptoms as well as help you prepare for birth and recover after birth (both cesarian or vaginal).
- Prolapse
- Incontinence (fecal or urinary)
- Pelvic pain
- Pain associated with the low back, pelvic girdle, sacroiliac joint (SIJ), public symphysis, or tailbone
- Pregnancy-related aches and pains
- Preparation for birth and recovery after birth
- Pain with intercourse
- Leaking during exercise
- Pelvic heaviness
- Pain associated with endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, cramping during menstruation
- Diastasis recti
- Gut and bowel issues
- Male pelvic health concerns such as testicular pain, prostatitis, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation or pain with ejaculation, Peyronies Disease, and more
What does a pelvic health session look like?
Pelvic health PT sessions look a lot like our orthopedic sessions in lots of ways. The whole body is considered during these examinations and treatments.
One thing that sets us apart at Renegade is that we will help you get back to what you want to do. Example: if you want to get back to jump roping without leaking, then we will be working on that during sessions. Pelvic health physical therapy is much more than just working the muscles around the pelvis.
Sometimes an internal examination is indicated (never required) where your PT will examine the pelvic floor musculature internally. Continue reading for more details.
What is an internal examination and is it necessary?
When you come in for your initial examination, your PT will start with an extensive interview of your health history and experience.
From there, an external examination will be performed. Your back, hips, abdominals, and pelvis will be assessed. Things that will be looked at include mobility, stability, and strength. After an external examination, an internal examination may be indicated to also look at the same things for the internal muscles of the pelvic floor.
An internal examination is never mandatory and your PT will discuss the results of the external exam with you as well as the indications for an internal examination. The benefits of an internal examination include being able to visualize and truly understand the muscles inside the pelvis, which provide a lot of information about what’s going on in that area.
Consent is of the upmost importance and your PT will continually ask for consent before and during the examination. You are able to withdraw consent at any time.
This exam is very gentle in nature and your PT inserts one or two gloved fingers into your vagina or one finger in your rectum. This allows the therapist to directly palpate the muscles inside the pelvis and note any tension or weakness of the muscles. It also allows the therapist to determine the exact coordination of the musculature during movement, coughing, laughing, and breathing, which can assist with the overall treatment.
A speculum is not used and inserted into the vagina or rectum. (We don’t even have a speculum in the clinic.)
While the internal pelvic examination is the gold standard for examination and treatment of pelvic floor musculature, it is never a mandatory procedure and if you choose to forego the internal examination, you will be able to receive treatment from your physical therapist based on the external examination.
How is this different from a gynecological exam?
This is a much more supported experience. There are no speculums during the exam and care is taken to explain the internal pelvic exam in full before and during the examination (if indicated and consented for).
Can you address other things at the same time, like my knee pain?
Absolutely. We integrate the whole body at Renegade. You are never being treated for “just” your pelvis. Everything in the body is connected so we assess and treat as such.
Are there things that are typically correlated with pelvic floor problems?
YES! There are other things in the body that are related to the pelvic floor and are often symptoms that coincide with pelvic floor symptoms. These things include low back pain, SI joint pain, pinchy/tight hips, constipation, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, GI disorders, PCOS, endometriosis, painful periods, history of birth, history of abdominal surgeries, trauma to the pelvic region, tailbone pain and/or injuries, hysterectomies, LEEP procedures, jaw pain or TMJ dysfunction, neck pain and/or tightness, headaches, sciatica, piriformis syndrome, foot and ankle pain, chronic ankle sprains, and more.
More Than Just Kegels Exercises
Just like any other area in the body, one exercise ≠ a comprehensive solution. In fact, for many individuals “just do kegels” actually does more harm than good.
You deserve individualized pelvic health care that restores confidence, comfort, and control—during your training and daily life.
More Than Just Kegels Exercises
Just like any other area in the body, one exercise ≠ a comprehensive solution. In fact, for many individuals “just do kegels” actually does more harm than good.
You deserve individualized pelvic health care that restores confidence, comfort, and control—during your training and daily life.
Ready To Get Started?
Take the first step toward moving better, feeling stronger, and getting back to the activities you love.