Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Physical
Therapy for Women’s Health
At Holy Cross Hospital, physical therapy offerings include
programs for the unique muscular issues many women face throughout their
lives. There are some health conditions that can be better managed or
even resolved simply through proper strengthening and exercise.
Some of
the common women’s health conditions that we treat include the
following conditions.
Dysmenorrhea
(Painful Menstruation)
For many women the menstruation process is uncomfortable
to extremely painful. Sometimes this pain can be so severe that it
prevents women from participating in everyday activities. Holy Cross
Hospital physical therapists help women alleviate their discomfort
through individualized programs, sometimes including exercise and transcutaneous
electrical nerve stimulation.
Physical Therapy and Pregnancy
Obstetrical physical
therapy focuses on many of the aches and pains women experience
during and after pregnancy. Tingling in the arms and legs, back
pain and difficulty holding urine are common problems that can
be relieved or eliminated through physical therapy
Incontinence/Pelvic
Weakness
Research shows that more than 10 million American women struggle
with bladder control. Women as young as 25 suffer from this condition.
Sometimes these weaknesses are associated with landmarks in a woman's
physical life, such as childbirth, menopause or surgery, such as
abdominal surgery or a hysterectomy.
Incontinence, or the inability
to manage bladder function, is a common condition among women,
especially after childbirth or during menopause. Some women may
feel awkward discussing incontinence concerns with their physician;
however, with today’s advances in treatment options, physicians
are able to treat incontinence with great success.
The incontinence
rehabilitation program at Holy Cross Hospital includes classes
about the different types of incontinence, strategies and techniques
for exercising pelvic floor muscles, and how to manage incontinence
discomfort. With adequate exercise and muscle re-education, many
women find that incontinence can be easily controlled or corrected.
For some gynecological and incontinence
conditions, you may be advised to seek out the specialized expertise
of the Holy Cross Hospital surgical team. If your condition requires
surgery, Holy Cross Hospital surgical experts in pelvic floor
resection can perform minimally invasive procedures using today's
most advanced surgical techniques. Our surgeons are trained to
perform laparoscopic procedures that can restore bladder control
with minimal pain and a short recovery period. Other alternatives
to surgery include physical therapy that strengthens bladder
muscles.
Chronic Pelvic Pain
Chronic back pain
and/or discomfort in the pelvis, abdomen and lower extremities
plagues much of the general public. Physical therapists can often
modify these types of symptoms after a thorough exam by prescribing
exercises designed to change your posture, strength, and mobility.
Physical therapy modalities, such as electrical stimulation and
ultrasound, can also help decrease pain and inflammation.