The Issue

Pelvic health physical therapy is a vital part of recovery in the postpartum period. It can aid in muscle control, tissue repair, and healing internal portions of cesarean section scars. However, many mothers lack access to and awareness of the benefits of pelvic health physical therapy. Even some health care providers may not understand the importance of pelvic health physical therapy in the postpartum period. This can lead to delays in, or even an absence of, proper postpartum care — which can have lifelong negative effects for mothers.

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Why it Matters

Pelvic health physical therapists practicing in this field treat individuals across the gender spectrum and life span for pelvic health-related conditions. They are part of a collaborative care team aimed at empowering patients to be active participants in their care and well-being. However, lack of awareness of pelvic health physical therapy and its importance is hampering the ability of pelvic health physical therapists to provide —  and postpartum patients to receive — this vitally-needed care. Enactment of the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act (H.R. 2480) would close this information gap, ensuring that postpartum individuals can access the care they need.

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