PELVIC HEALTH ISSUES (female or male)

Do you have pain in the pelvis or abdomen, painful sex, rectal pain, tailbone pain, prostate pain, difficulty sitting or wearing tight clothes, urinary or fecal urgency/frequency? Some of the "medical" names for these conditions include: levator ani syndrome, myalgia, dyspareunia, vestibulodynia, vulvodynia, vaginismus, coccydynia, proctalgia fugax, endometriosis, PGAD, pudendal neuralgia, interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis. Most people are unaware that anything can be done for things like pelvic pain, let alone that physical therapy can help. It is often believed incorrectly that these things are just a part of life and you have to “live with it”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Physical Therapists are experts at working with muscles, joints, and body function and there is a lot that we can do for pelvic pain. Pelvic floor rehabilitation requires special training and not all physical therapists see this type of patient. We are one of the only clinics in the state that specializes in these conditions in both men and women. Dr. Clemens has seen patients for 30 years and is specialty certified in women’s health, manual ,and orthopedic physical therapy. Call our office if you would like to make an appointment 304-842-6008.

Are you experiencing leakage of urine or stool, leaking with coughing/ laughing/ sneezing/ lifting, inability to hold gas, embarassment of soiled clothing, frequent or urgent urination, leakage after prostate surgery? Our patients are often surprised that we can help them improve things like urinary or fecal incontinence. It is often believed incorrectly that these things are just a part of life and you have to “live with it”. Nothing could be further from the truth. People do not realize all the things physical therapy can do to help these issues in both women and men. Often the pelvic floor muscles are weak, but there can also be issues with timing and management of pressure in the tummy with coughing or laughing. 85% of people perform strengthening exercises (Kegels) incorrectly, sometimes even worsening issues. It can be very helpful to have us take a look and help you do them right. Pelvic floor rehabilitation requires special training and not all physical therapists see this type of patient. We are one of the only clinics in the state that specializes in these conditions. Dr. Clemens has been seeing patients for 30 years and is specialty certified in women’s health, manual ,and orthopedic physical therapy. For more information on how we treat incontinence, see the "How does Physical Therapy help with pelvic health issues?" drop down. Call our office if you would like to make an appointment 304-842-6008.

Are you experiencing prolapse (dropping) of the bladder/rectum/uterus, pelvic pressure/ ache with lifting or standing, feeling a lump in the vaginal area? Pelvic organ prolapse is when the internal organs loose their support and drop down into the vagina. Sometimes you can feel this when wiping or showering, but often it is still inside the body where you can't see. It is usually not painful, but can cause feelings of pressure and discomfort, especially if standing and moving for a while. Physical Therapy can help you strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the organs and manage daily activities that may cause problems. Pelvic floor rehabilitation requires special training and not all physical therapists see this type of patient. We are one of the only clinics in the state that specializes in these conditions. Dr. Clemens has been seeing patients for 30 years and is specialty certified in women’s health, manual , and orthopedic physical therapy. For more information on how we treat pelvic organ prolapse, see the "How does Physical Therapy help with pelvic health issues?" drop down. Call our office if you would like to make an appointment 304-842-6008.

Are you experiencing constipation, infrequent bowel movements, lumpy or hard stool, straining with bowel movements, necessity of using laxitives to have a bowel movement? Normal bowel movements are daily, soft-formed, and easy to pass and should not require straining or laxitives. Most people are unaware that anything can be done for things like constipation, let alone that physical therapy can help. Learning to relax the pelvic floor and changing some toilet habits can help return your bowel movements to what they should be. Pelvic floor rehabilitation requires special training and not all physical therapists see this type of patient. We are one of the only clinics in the state that specializes in these conditions. Dr. Clemens has been seeing patients for 30 years and is specialty certified in women’s health, manual ,and orthopedic physical therapy. For more information on how we treat constipation, see the "How does Physical Therapy help with pelvic health issues?" drop down. Call our office if you would like to make an appointment 304-842-6008.

It is often believed incorrectly that incontinence, prolapse, pelvic pain, and constipation are just a part of life and you have to “live with it”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our patients are often surprised that we can help with these things. Pelvic floor rehabilitation requires special training and not all physical therapists see this type of patient. We are one of the only clinics in the state that specializes in these conditions. We are used to seeing people with conditions they consider “embarrassing” and spend a lot of time making our patients comfortable and explaining things. Our patients are often surprised at how much they learn about their condition and that their whole experience with us is not nearly as scary as they think it will be. Our clinic is set up specifically in a manner that is small and private with individual treatment rooms instead of a typical busy open gym area. We see patients one-on-one for appointments that usually last around 1 hour. For pain we use a gentle approach using manual therapy, mobilization, strengthening, and myofascial and trigger point techniques. This works well to tame muscle tension and nerve irritation. It is also important to work on preventing future pain by improving posture, sleep, and work positions (ergonomics). We teach simple stress management and breathing techniques to help you manage and prevent future pain as well. Modalities such as heat, ice, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation can also be used to get the best results from treatment. For incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse we teach special exercises (Kegels) to strengthen the pelvic floor to prevent leakage and support the pelvic organs. While these exercises are easy to do, most people do them incorrectly and may even make the problem worse if they do them wrong. We can help make sure they are being done correctly. We also teach you to use the muscles so that they support the activities you want to do from vacuuming, lifting kids, or returning to running or other exercise. If you have a condition that might benefit from pelvic floor rehabilitation but are nervous or think it is “not for you”, please consider giving us a chance to see if we can help. While it is ideal to do a full exam and treatment, even just coming in for education and learning things you can do at home can be very helpful. Dr. Clemens has been seeing patients for 30 years, and is specialty certified in women’s health, manual ,and orthopedic physical therapy. Call our office if you would like to make an appointment 304-842-6008.

Not always. West Virginia allows direct access to physical therapy, so you can be evaluated without a referral.However, some insurance plans still require a physician referral or order for coverage or reimbursement. Call us at 304-842-6008 and we can help you determine what your specific plan requires before your first visit.