Colorectal Program

Pelvic Health Physical Therapy

Primary Children’s Hospital is one of the few providers of pediatric pelvic health physical therapy in the Mountain West. This conservative treatment strategy works on improving sensory and muscular awareness of the muscles that help children to maintain continence. With use of state-of-the-art surface EMG (SEMG) technology, our pelvic health program offers non-invasive and highly effective evidence-based treatment techniques to help children gain control of their bowels and bladder. 

Meet Our Team

Pediatric Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist 

Pelvic floor physical therapists specialize in treatment of pelvic muscles, which help to maintain continence.  

Katey Blumenthal, DPT 

Katey Blumenthal is a physical therapist who specializes in pediatric pelvic health and sports physical therapy. She has a passion for transitioning individuals to returning to the activities that they love. 

Learn more about our care team >

 

Conditions and Treatments:

Physical Therapy Benefits

How can Physical Therapy help to manage constipation, fecal incontinence, and urinary incontinence? 

At the base of the bowels and bladder, at the bottom of our pelvis, live a hammock of muscles called, the “pelvic floor muscles.” Pelvic floor muscles are under voluntary control: just like you can decide to bend your elbow and make your biceps muscle contract, you can ask your pelvic floor muscles to squeeze shut or to relax. In the presence chronic constipation or incontinence, however, the pelvic floor muscles often don’t function optimally. Sometimes they squeeze shut when a child is trying to empty, or they relax when a child is not yet at the toilet. Teaching a child how to control their pelvic floor muscles improves bowel and bladder function.