Why do most specialty pelvic health clinics see patients for a full hour, 1:1 with the therapist?
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Ultimately it’s so we have time to ‘find the why’ for actual relief. If you aren’t working with a qualified pelvic PT to ‘find the why’, one of three things happens:
You don’t improve at all
You see little, temporary improvements that don't 'stick'
Symptoms do improve, but end up cropping up somewhere else
For most patients in pelvic floor physical therapy, internal evaluation and treatment of the pelvic floor muscles is extremely important. This takes time and can’t (or shouldn’t be) rushed.
Then we have to evaluate and treat the external contributing factors. In fact, most of the time the ‘why’ is found outside the pelvic floor. So we have to have time to treat externally in each session as well. This could be treating the low back, mid-back, neck, hips, knees or ankles, depending on where the issue is coming from.
If your PT is only looking internally at the pelvic floor, or only looking externally at the orthopedic issues, they are missing half the picture.
The reason many physical therapy clinics don’t see you for a full hour is so they can make more money from the insurance company. Financially, it doubles the clinic's revenue to have a PT seeing two (or more) patients per hour. They do this by using aides, having someone watch you exercise or adding billable time with ice or e-stim at the end of your session.
Most specialty clinics reject this model. It might be helpful for simple orthopedic issues, but it certainly doesn’t benefit patients with complex pelvic floor dysfunction. And even though it might be more lucrative to rush patients through the door every half hour, most experts aren’t willing to compromise on the quality of care.
So if you’ve been seen at a clinic for less than an hour, or had your PT seeing multiple patients at the same time, don’t give up on pelvic floor physical therapy!
As Nicole said in the full 'sode of the podcast on this topic...
"If your PT is only looking internally at the pelvic floor, or only looking externally at the orthopedic issues, they are completely missing half the story." -Nicole Cozean, Pelvic Sanity
If you’re dealing with pelvic health issues, make sure you join our free FB support group (Finding Pelvic Sanity), follow us for more information on Instagram (@pelvicsanity) and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify for wherever you get your podcasts!
Who are we at PelvicSanity?
At PelvicSanity, it's our mission to support patients with pelvic pain and pelvic floor symptoms, regardless of where you live. We can help with:
- In-person treatment for those in Southern California at the PelvicSanity clinic
- Immersive Out-of-Town program for those able to travel
- Remote Consultations to get you expert 1:1 help, advice and an action plan
- Online patient courses on Interstitial Cystitis and Movement for Pelvic Health
- A Facebook support group for patients called Finding Pelvic Sanity.
