FAQ
Our birth prep workshop is useful at any stage of pregnancy before the birth!
For a pelvic floor check, ideally the second trimester (there’s no urgency to come in the first so often nice to wait), and again, anytime up until the birth is useful.
To learn perineal massage, 35 weeks+ is great (it’s ok to bring your partner so we can teach them if you like)
If you have pain, other issues, or concerns, then book in with us ASAP.
We suggest pre-booking at least 2 follow ups after your assessment, purely to ensure that once we see you we can start treatment right away (otherwise our schedules fill up 6 weeks ahead and it can be hard to care for you effectively).
If you’re not sure about booking ahead that’s fine (no pressure) just know there may be delay between assessment and ongoing work.
Remember appointments can always be cancelled, and it’s easier to cancel that to book at short notice.
Number of treatments ranges from 1 – 12+, but we find our average number is 5-6 visits per client.
We normally see clients quite regularly for 3-4 visits to meet initial goals like symptoms resolution (phase 1), then space things out for phase 2, which involves helping you progress and manage independently.
This is normal for us! It’s totally fine to assess you internally while you’re menstruating from our perspective.
We have wipes, tissues and a sink in the room and a washroom close by so you can do what you need to feel comfortable.
If it’s super heavy and/or you’d rather not have an internal, we have other ways to assess you too. Also remember that not all visits require an internal anyway so if you’re not sure just check in with your therapist.
Yes we treat men, including both men with penises and men with vulvas. We treat all across the gender spectrum and all presentations of anatomy.
We can assess your pelvic floor either using our real time ultrasound and or an internal rectal exam, but as with all our clients there’s a lot we can do outside the pelvis too.
For more info see our people with penises conditions page.
Yes, all our physiotherapists are registered and we offer a standard physiotherapy receipt for all our appointments with the physiotherapist’s licence number. This is certain to be covered by any physiotherapy coverage you have with your ensurer.
If your treatment with us involves seeing a physiotherapist support worker under the supervision of your physio (PTSW, most known as Clinical Pilates), the receipt contains both the physio support worker’s name and the name and licence number of the overseeing physiotherapist. We unfortunately cannot guarantee this will be covered, but this is always discussed with you prior to any referral to our assistants. We are more than happy to provide you with a sample invoice for you to check with your insurance before hand.
See our direct billing page for more details.
NO!
Pelvic health physiotherapy is about so much more than internal assessments. We can perform internal exams, but there’s also a lot of information we get from your story and external exams. We also have a real time ultrasound machine that we use to get a picture of your pelvic floor form the outside, which can avoid an internal if preferred.
You will never be pressured into an internal with us, and we make all our care plans with you based on your needs and preferences.
Sometimes the work we are doing is actually helping clients build up to internals (like a pap) so helping people who are not having internal exams is as much a part of our work and role as doing them.
Yes – it’s worth getting a check for a few reasons.
- The pelvic floor has a lot of stress and changes from pregnancy and being a new parent
- If you laboured before an emergency c’section there may still have been pressure on the pelvic floor through this process
- C’section can be associated with bladder frequency and painful sex afterwards (the scar tissue is connected to your bladder and pelvic floor) so we can help with these things
- You still need your belly checked for diastasis and may need help rehabbing those ab muscles after the surgery
Yes! There is a lot we learn from your story and from seeing your posture and movement from the outside, as well s checking in with what your pelvic floor feels like to you (internally). We can also see your belly and breath as you contract your pelvic floor or deep core which can tell us a lot over video too.
Often there is much we can do through advice and exercise, and we’ll tell you if we feel we need an in-person visit to move forwards effectively.
We can always make a start virtually and go from there.
No you don’t need a referral to see us anyone can book in anytime.
If you are seeking care at our clinic related to an active ICBC claim (Motor Vehicle Accident), please provide all the details on our Match Me With a Physio form and we’ll do our best to confirm ICBC coverage before your Initial Assessment with us. For ICBC coverage, please note that you may need a referral.
Yes absolutely!
We are trying to restrict numbers but anyone who you need to bring to make the appointment work for you is fine. We have space in the rooms for strollers and matts for babies.
We are very happy to work with your partners as you desire too.
Yes there is a parking lot at the foot of the medical building we are situated within, and the meter is inside the lobby by the elevator.
Please note, the elevators are old and slow so leave time to take them if you don’t wish to do the 5 fights of stairs.
Yes, we offer subsidized appointments for clients with financial insecurity.
The number of subsidized sessions will be agreed on with your physio and can apply to your initial visit. Approval is dependent on the funds being available in our subsidy budget. Please email us for more information!
Additionally, if your net annual income is less than $42K yearly, you might be eligible for MSP supplementary benefits and you can apply for this through Gov.bc. Please note that you must be pre-approved for supplemented sessions. They offer $23 coverage per appointment for a limit of 10 sessions annually.