Individualized treatment programs with a specialized pelvic floor physical therapist to ensure each patient receives appropriate personalized care. At Inner Circle, a holistic hands-on approach is used to remove the adhesions and restrictions throughout the body that occur as a result of the stresses placed on the body. Each physical therapist is specially trained in pelvic floor/women’s health as well as Myofascial Release.

As with all patients at Inner Circle, you will begin your first visit with an evaluation by a certified pelvic floor Physical Therapist that will include a detailed medical history, postural evaluation and palpation of internal and external musculature and tissue of the pelvic floor.

When treatment begins, your therapist will utilize a wide-range of techniques and approaches to assist you in returning to an active and pain-free lifestyle. These include:

Manual Therapy

Skilled hands-on techniques will be performed to both the external and internal musculature and tissue of the pelvic floor. Inner Circle is the most skilled facility in Bucks County when utilizing manual techniques including:

• Myofascial Release (MFR) – Sustained stretches applied by the therapist to release and relax contracted muscle and fascia (connective tissue) throughout the entire body. Inner Circle is the only facility in Bucks County to have multiple Expert Myofascial Release Therapists trained by John Barnes, PT; the developer of Myofascial Release.
• Craniosacral Therapy (CST) – Gentle manual therapy that alleviates restrictions throughout the craniosacral system; the tissue that encases the brain, spinal cord and sacrum. CST is another therapy approach that can only be found in Bucks County at Inner Circle.
• Muscle Energy technique (MET) – A manual technique that utilizes the muscles own contractive force to increase range of motion and decrease tight muscles and pain.
• Joint Mobilization – Passive movement of a joint by the therapist to increase range of motion and achieve decreases in pain.
• Trigger Point Release / Acupressure – Deep pressure applied to tender and restricted points within the muscle (trigger points) that assists in decreasing tightness and pain.
• Massage – Manipulation of musculature to achieve increased circulation, relaxation, range of motion and decreased pain and tightness.
• Facilitated Stretching – Stretching assisted by the therapist to achieve increased range of motion and decreased tightness and pain.

Therapeutic Exercise

Additionally, your therapist will design and instruct you in an individualized therapeutic exercise program based upon your specific limitations and dysfunctions. This will consist of stretching and strengthening exercises throughout the hips, legs, low back and pelvic floor to assist in reinforcing the changes made through the manual therapy portion of your treatment.

Postural Education

Your therapist will instruct you in proper postural habits and body mechanics to emphasize the effect of posture on the hips, low back and pelvic floor.

Bladder Education and Training

For patients with bladder issues, your therapist will educate you in strategies to alleviate the stress of urinary issues. This can take the form of bladder diaries and timed voiding to help decrease urinary incontinence and help build better bladder health.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback involves the utilization of sensitive monitoring equipment to reveal the internal physiological processes that are causing vaginal and rectal dysfunction. Biofeedback measures the tone of the internal musculature and gives the therapist information which can be used in the correction of the dysfunction. The device provides feedback in the form of visual and auditory signals that are seen and heard by the patient and therapist. This feedback from the body, or biofeedback, then allows the beginning of voluntary control over the muscular tone throughout the pelvic floor. Biofeedback has been shown to be very helpful in detecting, managing and improving internal control and relaxation. Teresa Watson, DPT, is our certified biofeedback therapist.