Physical Therapy for Perinatal and Postpartum Pain Conditions
Pregnancy and postpartum recovery can bring significant changes to the body. Dr. Kristina Koch provides specialized pelvic health physical therapy to help women address pelvic pain and dysfunction, low back pain, diastasis recti, urinary incontinence, and other conditions that commonly occur during pregnancy and after childbirth. Through personalized treatment, the goal is to help you reduce pain, restore function, and return to the activities you enjoy.
What causes pain during pregnancy and after childbirth?
Pregnancy and childbirth create significant physical changes throughout the body. As your baby grows, hormonal changes, shifting posture, increased joint mobility, and added stress on the muscles and connective tissues can contribute to pain and dysfunction.
After delivery, the body must recover from the physical demands of pregnancy while adapting to the challenges of caring for a newborn. This can lead to ongoing pain, weakness, pelvic floor dysfunction, and movement limitations.
While some discomfort can be common during pregnancy and postpartum recovery, persistent pain, urinary symptoms, pelvic pressure, or difficulty returning to daily activities should not be dismissed and may benefit from evaluation and treatment. Physical therapy can help identify the source of symptoms and provide effective treatment to support healing and recovery.
What perinatal and postpartum conditions can physical therapy treat?
Pelvic health physical therapy can help address a variety of pregnancy-related and postpartum conditions, including:
• Pelvic girdle pain
• Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain
• Low back pain
• Hip pain
• Pubic symphysis pain dysfunction
• Tailbone (coccyx) pain
• Sciatica
• Diastasis recti
• Pelvic floor dysfunction
• Urinary leakage/incontinence
• Pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pressure or heaviness
• Pain with intercourse
• Cesarean section scar restrictions
Treatment is designed around each patient’s symptoms, goals, and stage of recovery.
How can physical therapy help with pelvic pain during pregnancy?
Pregnancy-related pelvic pain is often caused by changes in joint stability, muscle coordination, posture, and movement patterns. As the body adapts to support a growing baby, some muscles become overworked while others may become weaker or less effective.
Physical therapy helps restore balance by improving strength, mobility, stability, and movement efficiency. Treatment may include hands-on therapy, corrective exercises, pelvic floor rehabilitation, and education to help reduce pain while supporting a healthy pregnancy.
Many women experience significant relief and improved function with conservative treatment.
Can physical therapy help with postpartum recovery?
Yes. Postpartum physical therapy is designed to help women recover from the physical demands of pregnancy and childbirth.
Whether you delivered vaginally or by cesarean section, your body may benefit from rehabilitation to restore strength, mobility, core function, pelvic floor health and support recovery of the abdominal wall, breathing mechanics and movement patterns.
Treatment can help women:
• Reduce pain
• Improve pelvic floor function
• Restore abdominal strength
• Address bladder control issues
• Improve posture and movement mechanics
• Return to exercise safely
• Improve overall confidence and function
Even if symptoms have been present for months or years, treatment may still be beneficial.
What is pelvic floor dysfunction?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that support the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. These muscles also play an important role in core stability, continence, sexual function, and movement.
Pregnancy and childbirth can place considerable stress on the pelvic floor. In some cases, these muscles become weak, tight, painful, or poorly coordinated.
Pelvic floor dysfunction may contribute to symptoms such as:
• Urinary leakage
• Urinary urgency
• Pelvic pain
• Pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pressure or heaviness
• Pain with intercourse
• Core weakness
• Difficulty returning to exercise
Pelvic floor physical therapy helps restore healthy muscle function and reduce symptoms.
Can physical therapy help treat diastasis recti?
Yes. Diastasis recti is a separation of the abdominal muscles that commonly develops during pregnancy as the abdomen expands to accommodate a growing baby.
This separation may be associated with:
• Difficulty generating abdominal wall tension
• Low back pain
• Pelvic instability
• Reduced confidence with exercise
• Concerns about abdominal appearance
Physical therapy focuses on improving core muscle coordination, breathing mechanics, movement patterns, and overall strength to support recovery and improve function.
What treatments may be included in a pelvic health physical therapy program?
Every treatment plan is individualized based on the patient’s condition and goals. Depending on your condition and stage of pregnancy or recovery, treatment may include:
• Pelvic floor rehabilitation
• Manual therapy and visceral mobilization
• Muscle re-education
• Functional movement training
• Strengthening and stabilization exercises
• Dry needling
• Focused shockwave therapy
• Scar tissue mobilization
• Postural correction
• Core and breathing retraining
• Home exercise programs
• Self-care education
The goal is to help you move more efficiently, reduce pain, and return to the activities that are important to you.
When should I seek physical therapy after having a baby?
Many women assume they should wait for symptoms to improve on their own. However, persistent symptoms often respond best when addressed early.
You may benefit from a postpartum physical therapy evaluation if you experience:
• Pelvic pain
• Low back pain
• Hip pain
• Tailbone pain
• Urinary leakage
• Pelvic pressure or heaviness
• Pain during intercourse
• Abdominal weakness
• Difficulty exercising
• Ongoing symptoms months or years after childbirth
Physical therapy can help identify the cause of these issues and create a treatment plan that supports long-term recovery.
Is pelvic floor physical therapy safe during pregnancy?
In most cases, yes. Physical therapy is a conservative, non-invasive treatment option that can be safely modified throughout pregnancy. Internal pelvic floor muscle assessment may be appropriate in some cases and is always performed with patient consent and in consideration of individual medical circumstances.
Your treatment plan will be tailored to your individual symptoms, stage of pregnancy, medical history, and goals. Care is focused on helping you remain active, comfortable, and prepared for delivery while supporting your overall health and well-being.
Why choose Dr. Kristina Koch for perinatal and postpartum physical therapy?
Dr. Kristina Koch, PT, DPT, has dedicated her career to helping patients overcome pelvic floor dysfunction and restore healthy movement.
With nearly three decades of clinical experience, advanced training in pelvic rehabilitation, and extensive orthopedic expertise, she understands the complex relationship between the pelvic floor, spine, hips, core muscles, and how they are interconnected.
Dr. Koch is also a faculty member and curriculum developer for the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, one of the leading educational organizations in pelvic health physical therapy. She has lectured for physical therapy and medical programs throughout Colorado and has developed pelvic health physical therapy programs for other healthcare organizations.
Her treatment approach combines evidence-based care with individualized attention, utilizing manual therapy, pelvic floor rehabilitation, movement training, strengthening, dry needling, focused shockwave therapy, and patient education to help women recover and thrive.
How do I know if pelvic health physical therapy is right for me?
If pregnancy-related pain, postpartum symptoms, pelvic floor dysfunction, or movement limitations are affecting your quality of life, a physical therapy evaluation may help identify the underlying cause.
Many women are surprised to learn that symptoms they assumed were simply part of pregnancy or motherhood can often be treated successfully. Pelvic health physical therapy offers a conservative, personalized approach to helping women reduce pain, improve function, and feel more confident in their recovery.