Have you ever wondered what to expect during a women’s health PT evaluation?
We are excited to walk you through exactly what to expect in a women’s health PT evaluation as we do them daily!
So, here is what to know, before you go!
1. Intake Paperwork
Just as any other doctor’s appointment, you’ll fill out some intake forms before we get started! They might ask about a ton of different things like bladder or bowel habits, sexual health, past injuries or surgeries, and where you’re feeling pain or discomfort. It might feel a bit personal — and that’s okay. The more information you share, the better we can help. Nothing is “too much information” in this setting. You have to remember, we see so many clients paperwork and most things are never a shock to us!
2. Talking Through the Plan
Your physical therapist will walk you through what the session will include. From there, we’ll usually do a quick movement screen — things like bending forward, standing on one foot, or squatting. This helps us spot any patterns that might be linked to pain, muscle imbalances, or stiffness in the joints.
3. Hands-On Assessment
We may check the muscles around your pelvis — including your hips, glutes, inner thighs, and abs. One thing we often look for is diastasis recti (a separation in the abdominal wall), which is common after pregnancy but can stick around unnoticed. Based on what we find, we’ll talk about your posture and ways to improve it.
4. Understanding the Pelvic Floor
Next, your PT will go over pelvic floor anatomy and how it connects to the rest of your body — especially the muscles that support your core and pelvis. This helps give context to what we’re looking for and why.
5. Pelvic Floor Assessment (If Needed)
If you’re dealing with symptoms like leaking, constipation, pelvic pressure, or pain during intimacy, a pelvic floor exam might be recommended. We’ll always talk it through with you first.
What this may include:
External exam:
Looking at the skin and tissue around the vulva and vagina, gently pressing to see if anything feels sore or recreates your symptoms.
Internal exam (if you’re comfortable):
Using a gloved finger to assess how the pelvic floor muscles feel — are they tight, weak, tender, or responsive? You might be asked to do a kegel so we can see how the muscles engage.
If tailbone or bowel issues are present, we may recommend a rectal exam to better understand those muscle connections — but only if it’s appropriate and you agree.
6. Wrapping Up
We’ll chat through the findings, answer your questions, and go over any referrals that might be helpful (like seeing a urogynecologist, OB-GYN, or GI specialist). Then, we’ll talk goals and what your plan of care might look like going forward. You’ll likely leave with a few personalized physical therapy exercises to get started right away.
Have any more questions on what to expect during a women’s health PT evaluation? Feel free to reach out directly to us and we can answer any questions you might have on the topic!
