Bladder and Bowel Function

Bladder and bowel concerns are common, but they do not have to be accepted as an unavoidable part of pregnancy, aging, surgery, or everyday life. Pelvic-floor physical therapy provides private, individualized care to help you understand your symptoms, identify contributing factors, and develop practical strategies for improving comfort, control, and confidence.

Concerns We Can Address

Physical therapy may help with urinary leakage, urgency, frequent urination, difficulty fully emptying the bladder, nighttime urination, constipation, straining, bowel leakage, and difficulty controlling gas. Treatment may also address symptoms that occur during pregnancy, after childbirth, following abdominal or pelvic surgery, or when returning to exercise and other activities.

Because bladder and bowel function can be affected by more than pelvic-floor strength, your assessment may also consider breathing, abdominal pressure, mobility, muscle coordination, toileting habits, fluid intake, and daily routines.

How Physical Therapy May Help

Your individualized plan may include education about bladder and bowel habits, pelvic-floor and core coordination, breathing and pressure-management strategies, therapeutic exercise, toileting positions, urge-management techniques, and changes to daily habits. Depending on your needs, treatment may focus on improving strength, releasing unnecessary tension, or developing better muscle timing and coordination.

The goal is to provide strategies you can use independently at home—not to make you reliant on clinic equipment or ongoing hands-on treatment.

What to Expect

All new patients begin with a private, one-on-one telehealth evaluation. During this visit, we will discuss your symptoms, medical history, daily routines, and goals; assess relevant movement and function; and develop a practical treatment plan for you to begin at home. An internal pelvic-floor examination is not automatically required.

Follow-up care may continue through telehealth or include an in-home appointment near Apex, North Carolina, when additional assessment or hands-on treatment would be beneficial. Telehealth appointments are available to patients located in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida.