Are you searching for Interstitial Cystitis Treatment in Grand Rapids? Have you considered pelvic floor physical therapy? It just might be the key to getting you back to your happy self!
If you have interstitial cystitis and are tired of experiencing chronic pelvic pain, urinary urgency and frequency, bladder discomfort or a constant urge to pee, pressure vaginally or in your abdomen, we offer you treatment that helps resolve your interstitial cystitis pain and alleviates your bladder issues. We are Purple Mountain Physical Therapy, a specialty pelvic health clinic and our team of physical therapists are devoted to helping people who have IC feel better. Read on to learn more about how physical therapy can help you if you have IC. If you are struggling with interstitial cystitis and would like to work with our physical therapists who have helped countless people just like you to feel better, give us a call today at 616-516-4334 or click here to ask us a question and we will be in touch. We offer PT in-person, intensive weeks of care for our of town patients or remote consultations for those who qualify.
We provide Interstitial Cystitis Treatment in Grand Rapids (including intensive weeks for out of town patients) or via remote consult for those who qualify. To learn more call 616-516-4334.
For out of town patients we have an intensive therapy program in-person in Grand Rapids. During this therapy we provide you consecutive days of treatment, a full plan of care and recommendations for what to do for yourself at home. We also invite your home physical therapist to come and observe your treatment, if this is possible. If you don’t have a physical therapist near your home, receiving our treatment will give a very clear idea of what you should be looking for in a PT closer to home. Some patients come for the intensive and continue independently at home and return to Grand Rapids periodically or, if you qualify, we offer remote consults to help you to continue to progress. To confirm the intensive program is a good fit for you, we recommend that you begin with a phone call with our staff to discuss your condition and needs, call 616-516-4334 or submit your question here.
Our comprehensive pelvic floor physical therapy program for IC can be a key part of helping you feel like yourself.
Do you remember the person you once were, before IC/BPS came into your life? We can help you get back to feeling like yourself again.
The person who laughed easily, never considered where the closest bathroom option might be, the person who ordered any food that looked delicious without concern? Are you tired of your bladder causing embarrassing interruptions in your workday? Are you wanting peace of mind so you don’t have to worry about your bladder all the time? Are you feeling constant lower abdominal pain and don’t know where to go to get relief? Have you been to multiple providers who don’t seem to be able to get you better? Do you want to be able to play with your kids and enjoy your family without being short-tempered due to being in pain? There is hope, you can get your IC/BPS under control, your pain can improve and you can get back to being in a good mood, feeling like yourself again. Because our PTs have treated people just like you and also have extensive post-graduate education in the field of treating interstitial cystitis, bladder problems and chronic pain, we offer treatment that is effective and difficult to find. To learn more about our PT for interstitial cystitis call 616-516-4334 to speak with one of our knowledgable team members of reach out to us here.
At Purple Mountain Physical Therapy we specialize in treating IC/BPS and all pelvic pain conditions. We provide you wholistic, therapeutic treatment to help you overcome your chronic IC/BPS pain and bladder dysfunction.
Because the bladder has connections in areas throughout your body, we treat your whole body to help alleviate your interstitial cystitis pain and bladder problems. The treatment we offer will address your nerves, fascia & connective tissue, low back, thoracic spine, hips, abdomen and pelvic floor. If you are struggling with interstitial cystitis and would like to have a licensed physical therapist on your team who knows how to help you to feel better, call today to learn more about how our treatment can help you; 616-516-4334 or click here to submit your question and we will be in touch.
We understand the challenges of living with Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder Pain Syndrome) because we have been devoted to treating IC for many years.
Dr. Maureen O’Keefe, DPT has more than 25 years experience and has taught pelvic physical therapy concepts and methods to surgeons, physicians and physical therapists at the annual conference for the International Pelvic Pain Society. Because our licensed physical therapists specialize in pelvic health and treating chronic pain, we keep up with the research regarding pain neuroscience, bladder dysfunction, pelvic floor dysfunction. Combined with many years of providing interstitial cystitis to our patients, if you choose to come to us to receive your interstitial cystitis physical therapy, you can expect insights and physical therapy treatments that comprehensively treat your problems. Many of our patients have already tried other interventions, including physical therapy, and find that our methods are more complete, effective and helpful at educating them and easing pain. By treating the numerous things that are contributing to your pain, such as your back pain, tailbone, improper breathing mechanics, connective tissue restrictions in your gluteal folds, pinched nerves, scar tissue, weak gluteals, high tone pelvic floor muscles and more, we are able to help you feel better. For more information about our IC physical therapy treatment, you can speak with one of our knowledgable staff members at 616-516-4334 or submit your question here.
All of our physical therapists at Purple Mountain PT specialize in pelvic health and understand the unique nature of IC and how to best help you.
IC is a chronic pain condition that causes problems in your bladder and elsewhere; we help ease your pain and calm your bladder and nervous system so you can get back to a higher quality of life. Some patients come to us from other states and elect to have an intensive week of treatment. If this may interest you, we suggest you begin with a remote consultation so we can determine how we can help you and make certain this is the best fit for you. If interested in learning more about our IC treatments call 616-516-4334 or reach out to us here.
One thing we hear over and over from patients is “I wish I had known about you sooner” and that they had no idea that the right kind of pelvic floor physical therapy would help them so much.
We don’t “dabble” in treating interstitial cystitis. This, quite literally, has been a focus for us for many years. As a result, we keep up with the research on IC, pain neuroscience education and best methods to get you relief. We provide one-on-one appointments, upto 55 minutes in length, or 2-3 hour appointments for our out of town patients. Our team of physical therapists have heard you and we know you need relief and a meaningful path forward so you can feel more like yourself. Dr. Maureen O’Keefe, DPT practiced for over 20 years in Chicago and is pleased to offer Interstitial Cystitis treatment in Grand Rapids, serving our patients with this top level, effective pelvic floor physical therapy treatment. All of our PTs have been trained in the same methods Dr. O’Keefe use, so you can expect results from any of our providers. Reach out to us with your questions at 616-516-4334 or contact us here.
Our Treatment is based in the gold standard Clinical Practice Guidelines of the American Urological Association. This is why we are the Interstitial Cystitis specialists in Grand Rapids. If you want pelvic floor physical therapy delivered from experienced therapists devoted to treating interstitial cystitis, you have found it.
The American Urological Association published treatment guidelines for IC/BPS based on the best evidence available to help you and this guideline recommends the type of physical therapy that we offer. This guideline is a focused road map detailing the systematic steps you should take to get proper treatment for your IC/BPS. The treatments begin with what is called “First Line Treatments”, progress to include second line, third line, fourth line, fifth line and sixth line. Your treatment should begin with the First Line treatments, which are more conservative, educational, cost effective and usually impart no risk. Physical therapy for interstitial cystitis is one of the first things that should be offered to you. As you progress towards Sixth Line treatments, you are incurring more risk, for things like surgery, and expenses are higher. For most people, a blend of multiple treatment interventions is best. If you are interested in learning more about our program that provides top level, expert physical therapy, fill out this form and we will be in touch. You can also call us at (616) 516-4334 to speak with our team and learn more.
As part of our pelvic health physical therapy program to treat your interstitial cystitis, we include First- and Second-Line treatments into your care. The Interstitial Cystitis Treatment Guidelines state that First Line treatment includes:
- Education regarding normal bladder function, self-care habits and behavioral modifications.
- Education regarding the IC/BPS condition.
- Coping techniques and the value of stress management.
- Available treatment options and their risks or benefits.
- Discussion that multiple therapeutic interventions is often optimal and trial of various options may be necessary.
The Second Line Treatments that we provide our Interstitial Cystitis patients are the specific myofascial manual therapy techniques noted in the guideline as well as manual therapy techniques for pain relief.
Dr. Maureen O’Keefe, DPT has years of experience and advanced training using these techniques and knows how to best evaluate her patients to determine where to treat, how to treat and what to treat. The myofascial manual therapy techniques referenced in The Guideline are based on the work of Dr. Rhonda Kotarinos, DPT and are a compilation of several myofascial and manual therapy methods and techniques that have been researched in a nationwide National Institute of Health study specifically examining Dr. Kotarinos’ methods for providing physical therapy to help people who have interstitial cystitis. Dr. Kotarinos and Dr. O’Keefe worked together, in the same office, for many years. Dr. O’Keefe had the good fortune of learning from Dr. Kotarinos and treating complex pelvic pain conditions and severe bladder conditions, including Interstitial Cystitis. The doctors of physical therapy at Purple Mountain PT all are trained in these expert methods and provide the same high level of care to every patient we treat. If you are interested in learning more, contact us here.
If you are interested in receiving this pelvic physical therapy that is Gold Standard Care for your IC, Contact us Today!
Here’s a complete list of the Interstitial Cystitis Guideline Second-Line Treatments:
- Myofascial manual physical therapy techniques to resolve pelvic, abdominal and hip muscular trigger points, lengthen muscle contractures, and to release painful scars and other connective tissue restrictions. Treatment to address pelvic floor tenderness and high tone. Avoidance of pelvic floor Kegel strengthening exercises. (Evidence Strength Grade A)
- Multimodal pain management such as manual therapy techniques (Physical Therapy provides these), pharmaceuticals and stress management. (Expert Opinion)
Amitriptyline, Cimetidine, Hydroxyzine or Pentosan Polysulfate are second-line oral medications (Evidence B, B, C and B) - DMSO, heparin or lidocaine are second-line intravesical treatments. (Evidence C, C & B)
What should you expect during your physical therapy appointment?
We understand it can take courage and a leap of faith to embark upon pelvic floor physical therapy for IC/BPS. Because we specialize in helping people overcome chronic pelvic pain, we expect that from the first phone call with our office you will understand that our approach is different than others. If you want information about our comprehensive, whole-body treatments for interstitial cystitis so you can have a higher quality of life, call 616-516-4334 to speak with our team member or reach out to us here.
Rest assured, when you meet your doctor of physical therapy at Purple Mountain PT, you will find a compassionate and understanding place to receive your IC physical therapy treatment, in a comfortable and therapeutic environment.
The best place to begin is with you sharing your experience with interstitial cystitis to your physical therapis. Most importantly, we want to get to know you, to understand your goals, your lifestyle, the activities and relationships that you want to improve once your interstitial cystitis has calmed down. We give you ample time to tell me the details of your condition, to understand what makes it better and worse, to cover the therapies that you’ve tried and what has worked and not worked. We are inquisitive because together we need to put the pieces of your puzzle together.
Over many years of working with others who have IC, we’ve learned to look for certain clues that help point us to determine what treatments to offer you.
This problem solving and clinical wisdom is the hallmark of a good pelvic health physical therapist and it takes years to develop. Our physical therapists are like detectives, gently, yet doggedly discovering what your body needs to begin the process of restoring, recovering and rebalancing. We evaluate, develop a treatment plan, implement the treatment plan and assess your response to the treatment continuously and then modify and adjust as needed. Our evaluation is ongoing and continuous because your body’s needs today may differ from your body’s needs last week. To connect with our knowledgeable and caring staff call 616-516-4334 or, contact us here!
At Purple Mountain Physical Therapy we are here to get you feeling better from your IC.
We take our mission seriously. Our goal is to help your IC and also address any other issues you may experience, such as pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic prolapse, low back pain, tailbone pain or endometriosis. This means your appointments are private, one-on-one with your doctor of physical therapy for a full 55 minutes, so that we have time to treat both the external myofascial tissues and the internal myofascial tissues that are contributing to your condition. You can expect your treatment may include your abdomen, low back, thoracic spine, hips and thighs. Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy involves very gentle examination and treatment of the multiple layers of the pelvic muscles. We will be working together to improve blood flow to all of these areas, to create space for the nerves, to ease fascial restrictions, to release trigger points and muscle spasms and to calm down the bladder. We also include nervous system calming techniques to help dial back the pain and urinary frequency and urgency. We use therapeutic exercise and fascial flow movements to address your tightness, weakness and muscle imbalances. You will receive a lot of education regarding what is being found, why we are treating it, what you should expect to feel during and after an appointment and what you need to do between appointments to optimize your recovery. Contact us here to learn more, we are happy to answer any of your questions and let you know what to expect in PT.
Our patients often tell us following an appointment that they feel much better.
One person we recently treated with IC told us:
I can’t believe I’ve had this for 15 years and no one told me about this. I had to go to the Cleveland Clinic to be told to go to physical therapy. A year ago I had blood in my urine, awful pain, my bladder was out of control. Physical therapy has helped me so much. I can’t believe how much better I am now and wish I had found you years ago.
-Female patient, 34 years old. Pain & bladder problems for 15 years
We pledge to give you our best methods to help you also get relief like this!
Following your PT appointments, we want you to monitor your body, to notice changes, to implement the strategies and changes suggested and to work on specific exercises that your body has revealed could help you.
When you choose Purple Mountain Physical Therapy for your care, you are choosing to feel better, to get results, to move forward with your life, to feel hope again. We are thrilled to offer this effective Interstitial Cystitis Treatment in Grand Rapids, via remote consultations or with an out-of-town intensive in-person therapy. We have patients travel to us from other states and even internationally. The IC physical therapy treatments we offer are life-enhancing. Dr. Maureen O’Keefe, DPT and our team of physical therapists are here to serve you and to help you discover that there is hope for you. That you can feel better. That life can be joyful and free from the worry that your bladder is going to ruin your day. If you do not live in the West Michigan region and would like our input on your condition, we suggest beginning with a remote consultation. To have your questions answered and determine if you are a good fit for our PT, call us office at 616-516-4334 or reach out to us here
Call today to schedule your evaluation and begin to feel hope again! 616-516-4334
Keep your eye out for additional articles about interstitial cystitis physical therapy and pelvic floor physical therapy right here in Grand Rapids. For example, why do the guidelines specifically call out Kegels and advise against them? Can interstitial cystitis cause back pain? Why do some people have bloating with IC? Can IC contribute to painful sex? If you have specific questions you’d like us to write about, reach out to us here!
Peace,
Maureen
Author:
Dr. Maureen O’Keefe, DPT Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in treating IC, chronic pelvic pain, bladder, bowel and sexual health.
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