07/20/2025
I’m nerding out this afternoon, y’all, but I CANNOT HELP IT. Just read this! 🤯🤯🤯
“The suggested timeframe for referral to (pelvic floor) physical therapy is 2 to 6 weeks after delivery.
Women who report definite symptoms (ie, pain, incontinence, or pelvic pressure) or who sustain a major pelvic floor injury should be given referral priority, as they would maximally benefit from early guided rehabilitation to address tissue- and activity-level impairments.
To compare birth injury to a common orthopedic injury, there are approximately 200,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries per year in the United States alone. Birth injuries are similar to ACL injuries in that their presentation is highly variable; thus, management must be personalized to consider patient preferences, injury severity, and long-term prognosis. Considering the annual vaginal birth rate of 3 million and a levator ani injury rate of 19%,10 570,000 women sustain a birth injury per year. Therefore, birth injury affects almost 3 times the number of people sustaining ACL injuries. Even though physical therapy is part of the standard of care management for an ACL injury, far fewer women are receiving care for injuries resulting from birth—injuries that, when left untreated, can lead to short- and long-term disabilities. Physical therapists are well positioned to serve as care team members to assist in pain management, functional restoration, and disability prevention in this patient population.”
Link to article is in the comments. 🩷