What To Expect in Your First Pelvic Floor Therapy Visit

First visit approaching and not sure what to expect? That’s very fair! Pelvic health is not talked about enough and it can be confusing what pelvic floor therapy actually looks like.

How a pelvic floor therapist practices can vary greatly. For starters it’s not a protected term, so anyone can say they do it! But also, there can be a lot of variability in how a therapist practices. They can have different training, specialties, styles of assessment and treatment, experience, passions, or even capabilities based on their clinic policies.

Your first session can also vary depending on what your specific needs are as a patient.

I can’t speak for other clinics, but I will speak to what a typical pelvic floor therapy looks like at the Anxious Pelvis Clinic. 

Intake

First, you have the option of booking a free consult to get all your questions answered and get set up.

Once moving forward, you’ll be scheduled for a 90 minute evaluation. Many clinics vary on the length for this. Typically if through insurance, this can only be 60 minutes. Private pay may do a 60-90 minute evaluations. We choose 90 because this gives adequate time for a thorough evaluation combined with treatment, so you go home feeling supported day 1, all while not feeling rushed out the door. 

Prior to your evaluation, you’re provided a pelvic health intake form to fill out. This will include primary concerns, past & current medical history, bowel symptoms, bladder symptoms, sex symptoms, pain symptoms, your primary goals, and much more. It’s thorough for a reason (remember, so much is connected to your pelvic health!).

Evaluation

During the evaluation, we will go over your filled out intake form in depth. It’s a time for us to connect some dots and get a full picture of what’s going on. You’d be surprised at how much can relate to your pelvic floor!

With this intake process, everything is always optional. I’m there to actively listen to your history, concerns, and priorities. It’s a time for you to feel heard, not dismissed, and for me to gather information to help us create an individualized plan. 

Before we even get started, I’ll review what to expect. Then we can take a few breaths together, check in on the lighting, or even practice saying “I don’t want to answer that” to a question. Remember this session is for you and about you. We will make sure that you’re comfortable throughout the process!

What happens next depends on what comes up in that narrative review. Often we’ll start with some education around the pelvic floor and/or a topic around your symptoms. After that, together, we may take a look at your breathing patterns, pelvic alignment, coordination, functional movements, points of restrictions, or other elements that can impact your symptoms. 

An internal exam may or may not be included in this first session. Before any internal is done, we will fully review what it will look like step by step. We will also ensure your body is actually consenting to the process. Your autonomy during an internal exam is essential, they are incredibly valuable, but never required. More often than not, I personally do not do internal treatment on a first session. Read more about internal assessment and treatment here. 

Woven into the evaluation, will also be some treatment. Really, we’re always doing a blend of assessment and treatment during sessions. 

After Your Session

Following your appointment, you’ll be sent an email recapping any important information or directions for you to apply before your next visit. This may or may not include handouts on relevant topics or activities. Anything in this email, will be content we have also reviewed together. You then get to practice the new skills you learned and continue treatment at your next session.

Ready to get set up? Book your consult here!

Continue reading here to get an inside peak on what a typical pelvic floor treatment session might look like.