What is Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?

The term “pelvic floor” describes a group of muscles that support the pelvic organs (uterus, bladder, and rectum), and encompass the urethra, rectum, and vagina. These muscles span from the pubic bones to the tailbone, like a hammock. If these muscles are too tight, weakened, injured (or a combination of all the above), it can result in incontinence, or difficulty with bowel function, and/or sexual function.

Conditions We Treat (women only at this time)

What to Expect on Your First Appointment

Our primary objectives during your first visit will be to identify the structures that are causing your symptoms, and to ensure that you are comfortable with the treatment approach and relaxed during assessment.

Your first appointment will be 60 minutes long and have two components:

First, your therapist will take a comprehensive history of your current issue(s). She will ask questions about past injuries/traumas, bowel and bladder habits, diet, exercise, and your gynecological history.

This will be followed by a physical assessment of the structures in your pelvic floor as well as your lower quadrant (e.g. low back, hips). This is an external exam of the abdomen, thighs, and the vagina. An internal exam will then be conducted of the vagina and the rectum. The internal exam focuses on assessing muscle tone, muscle strength, trigger points, and overall tissue health. No speculum is used during the internal exam.

Our Promise to You

We will do all we can to make sure that you are comfortable with the care you are receiving. All appointments are conducted in a private treatment room with a female physiotherapist. All appointments are one-on-one.

You will always have the right to refuse an internal exam or treatment at any time, whether during the initial assessment or a subsequent appointment. Other treatment and assessment options may still be available to you.

During your care, your therapist will build your understanding of the structures that are contributing to your symptoms and explain treatment options. She will create a personalized treatment plan and prescribe take home exercises to improve your recovery. Often manual therapy (hands on techniques used to decrease pain and improve tissue healing) will be used during the initial assessment and in the majority of your subsequent appointments.

What is Stott Pilates?

The Stott Pilates method is an evidence-based repertoire of exercises that focuses on optimizing musculoskeletal performance by improving strength, flexibility and endurance. It includes focused key principles that include core stability, pelvic and shoulder girdle stabilization, mobility, alignment and breathing. The result is a body that is well balanced and optimally aligned, that moves with ease and feels fit and revitalized.

What does it mean to be Stott certfied?

A Stott Pilates trained instructor has the following credentials:

• 40 hours of instruction/supervised teaching
• Minimum of 10 hours of observation
• Minimum of 30 hours of physical review
• Minimum of 15 hours of practice teaching
• A rigorous exam process involving both a written and practical component

Being Stott certified and a physiotherapist allows our trained instructor to apply a comprehensive approach to your exercise prescription.

Details of our programs

We offer both Foundational (beginner) and Advance classes that are open to anyone who is interested and has been assessed as safe to participate. You do not have to be a previous client of the clinic to join. All fitness levels are welcome.

We offer an introductory 5 week (2x/week) program and an advanced class (5 week, 1x/week) for those who have previously participated in the introductory class. This allows participants to master both the repertoire and form, along with having developed fitness in the introductory class prior to participating in the advanced sessions.

Requirements: A pre-scheduled 1 hour individualized evaluation at our clinic. This allows us to determine the necessary modifications we will need to make to your Pilates repertoire and help to establish the important core principles that are essential to Pilates.

• Initial meeting:

• 75 minutes
• i. Detailed diet history of daily eating habits, activity, portion sizes and food preferences
• ii. Risk factors for disease, lifestyle, medications and supplements
• iii. Determine personal goals and plans
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• Follow-up sessions

• 1 hour or half-hour
• i. Accountability and motivation towards goals
• ii. Assessment and adjustment to plans as needed
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• Personalized Meal Plan

• i. Meal plan formulated to personal needs for carbohydrates, protein and fats
• ii. Adjusted based on food preferences, activity level and training phase
• iii. Recipe examples and adaptions to favorite meals

Nutrition Services:

• Computerized dietary analysis
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Sport and Performance nutrition for pre-competition, recovery and off-season
• Eating for energy and optimal physical and mental performance
• Individualized meal plans
• Personalized grocery store tours
• Home visits
• Activity-based sessions (running/cycling)