Treat and Prevent Recurring Urinary Tract Infections
Resolving Underlying Pelvic Floor Dysfunction that Causes UTIs
WHAT ARE RECURRING UTIs?
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Recurring UTIs are defined as two or more urinary tract infections over the course of six months (or three in one year).
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There are several possible underlying causes of UTIs. Often the pelvic floor muscles become overworked and irritated with the pain of a UTI. It becomes difficult for them to relax and fully empty the bladder.
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When this happens, it's like a slow-draining sink. Instead of flushing out the waste from the bladder, it begins to accumulate. In the sink this leads to gunky build-up; in the bladder it's often bacteria that remain and cause another infection.
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Many patients also experience a spike in symptoms after a UTI is resolved, where the symptoms persist but no trace of an infection is found. In these 'phantom UTIs', tight muscles in the pelvic floor are irritating nerves and causing the pain and urinary urgency associated with a UTI.
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HOW DOES PELVIC PT HELP?
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First, pelvic floor physical therapy can restore normal function to the muscles that control urination, allowing the bladder to fully empty and flushing the waste completely to prevent recurring UTIs.
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Pelvic floor muscles can cause or amplify any of the symptoms of a UTI - suprapubic or bladder pain, urethral burning, urgency/frequency, and more. When these muscles are irritated from the UTI, they can contribute to the symptoms. Even after the infection clears up, but the pelvic floor has been stressed to the breaking point and isn't able to recover without help.
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Pelvic PT can also treat the 'phantom UTIs,' where the symptoms occur without any evidence of a bacterial infection. Many patients are given multiple rounds of antibiotics 'just in case,', when the real cause are the nerves and muscles of the pelvic floor.
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THE PELVICSANITY DIFFERENCE
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At PelvicSanity, your physical therapist will be a specialist in the field and an expert in dealing with urinary symptoms and recurring UTIs. Many of our patients have been to multiple doctors for their symptoms before finding success here at PelvicSanity.
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We believe full-length sessions are crucial to success with pelvic PT, so all appointments at PelvicSanity are an hour in length and spent entirely with a pelvic floor specialist. You’ll never be hooked up to electrodes, see an aide instead of a physical therapist, or be told to ‘just do your Kegels.’ We create a positive, calm environment for healing in private treatment rooms.
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We also believe the pelvic floor can’t be treated in isolation, so your treatment will address both the pelvic floor and the external muscles that connect and influence the entire pelvis for optimal results.
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YOUR INITIAL EVALUATION​
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Your initial evaluation will be an hour in length, and have three major components:
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Consultation: Most of our patients have been to multiple doctors, but have never really felt listened to in their appointments. In your initial evaluation you’ll have a chance to go through your medical history with your physical therapist. We’ll listen to you and ask about your personal goals for physical therapy.
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Assessment: Next your physical therapist will do a complete assessment. They will look at your posture, hip and pelvic alignment, fascia, scar tissue, and anything else influencing your pelvis. Then they will do an internal evaluation, looking for trigger points and dysfunction within the pelvic floor muscles.
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Treatment: We also want to know how your body responds to treatment, so your initial evaluation also includes targeted treatment. You’ll also leave with ‘homework’ that you can be doing in between your visits to build on the improvements with physical therapy.
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RESOURCES
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"I tried a number of things to find a solution to my lifelong bladder issues including various medications and natural supplements, acupuncture, and dramatically changing my diet but nothing had any impact whatsoever until I found Pelvic Sanity. I was very skeptical about it but....I am now completely cured without any prescriptions or invasive procedures!"
-Desi A.
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Pelvic PT is the most proven treatment for preventing recurring UTIs
"The second I walk through the door at PelvicSanity, I instantly feel better. The environment is wonderfully calming, and I know I'm always in good hands."
RECURRING URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
More than half of women experience urinary tract infections. While antibiotics can clear the infection itself, they don't address the underlying reason that you're at a higher risk for a UTI.