Program Spotlight: Women’s Rehab

Women who experience incontinence, pelvic pain, or lymphedema can feel embarrassed.

You may be too distressed to seek help for your condition, but you're not alone. These conditions affect women of all ages and races.

At UPMC Centers for Rehab Services (CRS), we can effectively treat these conditions, as well as pregnancy-related back pain. Our specialized physical therapy program for women can help improve your overall quality of life and happiness.

Incontinence

Over 20 million individuals nationwide suffer from incontinence.

Weakened pelvic floor muscles, which support the internal organs of the pelvis and prevent urine or stool leakage, are a major cause of incontinence. Pelvic floor muscles in spasm can contribute to incontinence and can cause pain in the rectal or pelvic region.

The good news is: incontinence is treatable and generally does not require surgery.

Through bladder retraining and muscle re-education, you can learn how to effectively use these muscles to reduce symptoms and muscle spasms.

Types of incontinence include:

• Stress urinary incontinence — the involuntary loss of small amounts of urine while coughing, laughing, or participating in an activity. Weakened pelvic floor muscles may be ineffective in preventing leakage.
• Urge urinary incontinence — the involuntary loss of large amounts of urine associated with an abrupt and strong desire to release due to an oversensitive bladder.
• Mixed urinary incontinence — a condition where both stress and urge urinary incontinence coexist.
• Fecal incontinence — may result from weakened external anal sphincter and pelvic floor muscles. This condition is often seen in women during the postpartum period, and in the elderly. In many cases, you can improve this condition by retraining the pelvic floor muscles.

Pelvic Pain

Internal or external pelvic pain, constipation, or rectal pain, are often caused by:

• Intercourse
• Muscle spasm
• Scar tissue

This pain may result in difficulty with daily activities and impaired sexual satisfaction. But, through moderate therapy treatment, you can restore normal activity and improve your quality of life.

Lymphedema

Lymphedema is a condition in which swelling occurs because of an abnormal excess accumulation of lymph fluid between cells in the body.

The lymphedema management program at CRS has highly trained therapists who treat lymphedema using:

• Lymphatic drainage massage
• Limb bandaging
• Exercise

Once treated, you will receive a garment to maintain the decrease in edema (excess accumulation of fluid). A therapist will teach you self-management techniques, such as self-bandaging and self-massage.

Helping you self-manage your lymphedema is an integral component of therapy at CRS. It promotes your independence and ensures long-term success after the initial phase of treatment.

Pregnancy and Postpartum Back Pain

Studies show that half of all pregnant women experience back pain.

CRS physical therapists, specializing in women’s health, can safely and effectively treat your back pain and other pregnancy-related problems before and after delivery.

By applying the principles of proper posture, altering your environment, and prescribing basic exercise, a CRS therapist can develop an individualized program to alleviate pain associated with pregnancy and postpartum conditions.

Why Come to CRS for Therapy?

• Convenience — CRS offers more than 50 locations throughout western Pennsylvania.
• Trusted rehab services — We’ve been a trusted source for high-quality physical, occupational, speech, and other specialized physical rehabilitation services for more than twenty years.
• Personal care — Committed to providing the best care possible, our therapists personally handle all stages of your treatment.
• State-of-the-art treatments — Through continuing education and training, CRS therapists constantly study state-of-the-art clinical practice and the latest research, giving you access to new and innovative treatment options.

To make an appointment, or for additional information about specialized physical therapy for women, contact us at 1-888-723-4CRS (4277).