Pelvic Floor Exam Procedure

It helps us determine whether your pelvic floor muscles are tight or weak and if you know how to use them correctly.

Pelvic floor exam procedure. Internal vaginal or rectal examination is different than a pelvic or prostate exam done by physician. Ask you to take off your clothes in private. We spent the first 20 minutes talking about my history. It also helps us decide if they are a likely contributor to the pain or symptoms you.

We evaluate the pelvic floor muscles joints ligaments and fascia for strength quality endurance and motor. Providing that there are no reasons not to proceed with an internal exam one will be performed. A pelvic exam often is part of a routine physical exam to find possible signs of ovarian cysts sexually transmitted infections uterine fibroids or early stage cancer. This part of our physical exam gives us a ton of information.

We do not use a speculum and we are not evaluating the reproductive urinary or intestinal systems. Pelvic exam is a important part of the exam for female patients and important towards making various diagnoses such as yeast vulvovaginitis bacterial vaginosis lichen sclerosis cancers such as cervical cancer anal rectal cancer sexually transmitted infections gonorrhea chlamydia trichomonas syphilis herpes and human papillomavirus and many other diagnoses. It is performed to look at the muscles and connective tissue in the pelvic floor. There is a lot of debate among experts regarding the recommended frequency of pelvic exams.

Kristin christensen a physical therapist pt who specializes in pelvic floor disorders then brought me back to the exam room. Pelvic exams are also commonly performed during pregnancy. Before the exam the doctor or nurse practitioner will ask the person to take off their clothes put on a gown sit on the exam table and cover up with a sheet. The assessment starts with examining the muscles tissues and skin of the thighs buttocks abdomen and pelvic floor externally.

No speculum or other instruments are used during the exam. Pelvic floor exams should be standard of care. An internal exam can be done vaginally or rectally for women and rectally for men. Internal techniques to examine the pelvic floor.

Physical therapy internal exams are different from the pelvic or gynecological exams performed by your medical health practitioner. You will be given a gown or other covering. It is our goal here at sarton pt that one day a pelvic floor muscular exam will be standard of care and occur as a standard procedure with every annual physical exam.