Christine Stockwell, PT, MS has been specializing in the area of women's health for almost 10 years. She has received advanced training and has experience in helping women who have suffered from the following problems:
- Urinary leakage with coughing or sneezing.
- Urinary leakage with exercise.
- Urinary leakage with sexual intercourse.
- Urinary leakage when walking or rushing to the bathroom.
- Urinary leakage with placing the "key in the door" of your home.
- Pelvic heaviness when standing or lifting.
- Pelvic pain with sexual intercourse.
- Fecal incontinence.
- Back pain due to pregnancy.
Christine also has experience in teaching prenatal and postpartum ("Mommy and Baby") exercise classes.
Physical Therapy for women's health issues may involve:
- Education regarding improving dietary choices and changing/modifying behaviors to decrease urinary leakage or frequency of going to the bathroom.
- Instruction in Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises (also known as "Kegel" Exercises) to increase essential pelvic floor muscle strength and improve the support of the pelvic organs.
- Biofeedback to promote isolation of the "proper" muscles, the pelvic floor muscles, and decrease use of accessory muscles, like the abdominals, inner thighs, and buttocks muscles, that are commonly used.
- Pelvic Floor Muscle Electrical Stimulation to help increase pelvic floor muscle strength and awareness to decrease urinary leakage and calm unwanted bladder contractions.
- Vaginal dilators to help promote pelvic floor muscle relaxation and decrease pelvic pain.
- Vaginal cones to help increase pelvic floor muscle strength with activities around the house like lifting the laundry basket or going up the stairs.
With a strong commitment to physical therapy and confidence in yourself, together, we can restore your self-image and promote the return to normal activities without fear or embarrassment.
