For your virtual appointment, a zoom health link will be provided to you on the day of the scheduled appointment. If you are an existing client at St.Clair or Adelaide and you are interested in virtual pelvic health physiotherapy, please make a virtual initial Pelvic Health Physiotherapy appointment booking (60min) on the Wellington booking platform. You will be considered a new client there, so please fill out your intake again.

For in-person services, currently Jane is providing orthopaedic and Pelvic Health Physiotherapy at the Wellington and Yonge location. Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at 9-5pm. Please book an appointment directly on the Wellington booking platform; ensure you are making the correct selection between virtual appointment vs. in-person appointment, & pelvic health vs. orthopaedic appointment. Call into the Wellington location at (416) 800-1268 if you run into issues.

If you are interested in working with Jane but have a question or concern about Pelvic Health Physiotherapy care, please contact her directly at jbai@stepupclinic.com.

*DISCLAIMER: You must be residing in Ontario to receive virtual Pelvic Health Physiotherapy care. Please check with your insurance company to inquire about reimbursement for virtual physiotherapy services. Most companies will provide coverage for virtual physiotherapy.

When there is injury or dysfunction to the pelvic floor, whether it is due to trauma, pregnancy, menopause, pelvic or abdominal surgeries, cancer treatments, or falls, one can experience a number of problems such as pelvic girdle pain, incontinence, low back pain, pain during sex, prolapse, and many other symptoms. Unfortunately, these conditions are underserviced and are also kept secret due to feelings of embarrassment and due to their ‘taboo-nature’. Luckily, more and more people are talking about pelvic floor physiotherapy, doctors and midwives are starting to make referrals for this service, and some universities are teaching physiotherapy students the skills to practice in this realm of physiotherapy. In France, pelvic floor physiotherapy is standard practice and paid for by the government for post-partum care.

2) Can I bring my baby or toddler with me to the session?
Yes, you may. We can accommodate to have your baby in the room while you receive your physio session.

3) What should I expect when I come in for my initial 60 minute pelvic floor assessment appointment?
We begin all our sessions with signing of an electronic consent form to give you an idea of what the session entails. Consent will be continue to be ongoing, however, this is the perfect time for you to address any immediate concerns and questions for your pelvic floor physiotherapist. We will do our best to respect any specific cultural-related restrictions to make you feel comfortable during each session. We then start with a subjective interview which contains many questions of a personal and sensitive nature related to sexual health, bowel and bladder function, orthopedic injuries, and medical history. We ask that you answer as openly and honestly as possible for us to gain a better understanding of your condition. We then follow this interview with an objective global assessment focussed on your posture, mobility, strength, flexibility, and stability of the low back, pelvis, sacroiliac joint and hips. Then followed by an external and internal-digital vaginal and/or anal examination to be able to reach the three layers of the pelvic floor musculature.

4) Is the internal assessment/treatment required for pelvic floor physiotherapy?
To gather a full understanding of the integrity of the pelvic floor muscles, the gold standard is to include both an internal vaginal and anal examination for women and an internal anal examination for men. However, with this said, there are a lot of treatment techniques that can be performed externally for certain pelvic floor-related conditions and can have good results. Keep in mind though that without an internal examination there is a ‘piece of the puzzle’ missing when we put on our ‘detective hats’ as physios and as we’re trying to come up with a clinical impression of what could be the root of the problem. Thus, it is really to your benefit that the physiotherapist assesses in a global, external, and internal manner to gather a full understanding of the condition, dysfunction, and/or source of pain.

5) Do I need a Doctor’s referral before I see the pelvic floor physiotherapist?
No. Pelvic health physiotherapists are primary health-care providers so you can call us to book an appointment right away! Physiotherapists are trained to recognize any red flags during the initial assessment and future visits, so if you do present with any red flags, the physiotherapist would refer you to a doctor right away.

6) What is pelvic health physiotherapy’s scope of practice?
Have you ever been diagnosed with or are currently suffering from any of the following conditions:

• Vulvodynia
• Vestibulodynia
• Vaginismus
• Dyspareunia
• Stress/Urge/Mixed/Functional/Overflow Urinary Incontinence
• Fecal Incontinence
• General Pelvic Floor Weakness
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Pudendal Neuralgia
• Persistent Pelvic Pain
• Levator Ani Syndrome
• Piriformis Syndrome
• Coccydynia
• Post-prostatectomy incontinence
• Pain, incontinence, or sexual dysfunction post-oncology treatments (Radiation, Pelvic/Abdominal Surgeries, chemotherapy)
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse
• Chronic constipation
• Pre/Post-Natal Rehabilitation
• Pregnancy-Related Pelvic Girdle Pain
• Diastasis Recti

If you answered YES to any of the above questions, problems with your pelvic floor muscles, fascia, or nerves may be contributing to your symptoms/pain. Pelvic floor physiotherapy may be of benefit to you.

Talks

• What is Pelvic Health Physiotherapy? – Lunch and Learn at Missisauga Midwives (2017)
• Demystifying the Pelvic Floor – The Mom Show (May 5, 2018)

Grants

• Two-time recipient of the Allied Health Professional Development Fund (AHPDF)

Continuing Education

• Pelvi-Perineal Education 1 – The Physical Therapy Approach to Female Urinary Incontinence (McGill University)
• Pelvic Health Solutions: The Physical Therapy Approach to Female and Male Urinary Incontinence (Level I)
• Pelvic Health Solutions: Female and Male Pelvic Pain (Level II)
• Pelvic Health Solutions: Clinical Skills for Treating Pain (Level III)
• Pelvic Health Solutions: Oncology and the Pelvic Floor
• Pelvic Health Solutions: Pediatric Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
• Pelvic Health Solutions: Pregnancy, Pelvic Girdle Pain and the Pelvic Floor
• The Diploma of Advanced Orthopaedic Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapy: Level 1 Exam