The Right Therapist Makes a Difference
All of our doctors of physical therapy are highly trained in pelvic health—but each brings a unique approach and personality to care.
Explore our team and choose the provider who feels like the best fit for your needs and goals.
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Dr. Asia Martin, PT, DPT
Areas of Expertise:
Prenatal Care
Birth Preparation
Postpartum Care
Pelvic Pain/Dyspareunia
Urinary Incontinence
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
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Doctor of Physical Therapy
Dr. Courtney Hughes, PT, DPT
Areas of Expertise:
Pediatrics
Men's Health
Postpartum Runners
Perimenopause
Postmenopause
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Doctor of Physical Therapy
Board-Certified Specialist in Women's Health Physical Therapy
Dr. Bailee Burningham, PT, DPT, PRPC
Areas of Expertise:
Chronic Pelvic Pain
Complex/Undiagnosed Pain Conditions
Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
Endometriosis
Pain Related to Spine or Hip Conditions
Coccyx Pain
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What can I expect at a pelvic floor evaluation?
Part 1: Tell Your Story
Share your experience:
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History, how things started, what you’re experiencing now, and any other information you'd like me to know.
Your therapist will ask follow-up questions:
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We need to screen various other medical conditions to make sure you are in the right place and appropriate for pelvic floor PT
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We will ask very detailed questions about your function. This may include bladder, bowel, sexual function, activity level, exercise, occupation, etc.
We set goals:
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What do YOU need from PT? What do we need to accomplish to make your time here successful and helpful?
Part 2: Physical Assessment
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Movement analysis
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Your therapist will ask you to move in various ways (bend forward, back, side to side, balance, walking, squatting).
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Check your hips, pelvic girdle, and spine
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Move each leg around, assessing hip range of motion and strength, performing special tests to assess the joints and muscles, including the hips, sacro-iliac joints, tailbone, and lumbar spine
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Palpation
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Placing light pressure in the different areas of the abdomen, hips, lower back, glutes (buttock), inner thighs.
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Internal examination
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The best way to assess the pelvic floor is internally, meaning via the vaginal or rectal canal. With one gloved finger (no tools), we are able to palpate each pelvic floor muscle individually to determine whether or not there is a dysfunction that needs to be addressed.
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If a muscle is sore, tender, tight, or weak, we will be able to tell. Your PT will assess each muscle this way. These muscles are in a sensitive area, so we start with very gentle pressure, as it is not our goal or intention to put you in any pain during the exam.
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During this exam you will be asked to contract, relax, and bear down with your muscles. This is how we determine if you’re doing “kegels” correctly. If you’re having trouble with any of these movements, we'll teach you!
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You may, however, have muscles that are too tense. In that case, we will practice relaxation techniques so you can start to feel better right away.
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If you are uncomfortable with an internal exam for any reason at all, this portion of the exam can be replaced with an external pelvic floor exam, fully clothed. This includes your PT palpating the areas of the pelvis externally. These areas include the muscles near your “sit bones”, tailbone, pubic bone.
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While this doesn’t allow us to fully assess the deeper pelvic floor muscles, your therapist can get a sense of the superficial muscle function, and can usually determine a good place to start treatment from this information.
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Part 3: Let's Make a Plan Together
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Your physical therapist will thoroughly explain the findings of your exam and answer any questions you may have.​
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Your PT will use the information gathered in parts one and two to make recommendations on what is needed for you to reach your goals!
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You and your therapist will work together to determine a plan that fits your schedule, level of time commitment, budget, etc.
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Many plans of care start at 1x per week for a few weeks, followed by less frequent visits (e.g. every-other week, 1x per month, etc.). This is highly variable among patients, and we can always adjust your course of care based on your needs.
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