Fertility for Hayden, ID | Inland Pelvic Health & Physical Therapy

Fertility services offered in Hayden, ID

1 in 7 to 10 couples have difficulty with getting pregnant, and infertility rates increase as age increases (1 in 4 ages 40-44 years). The causes of infertility vary from issues with sperm, endometriosis, limitations with ovulation, and hormones. Specifically related to uterus-owners, mechanical factors like adhesions from endometriosis are likely the cause of infertility in 30-50% of all cases. Other conditions include "pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), tubal obstruction, polyps, pelvic spasms, bowel obstruction, and chronic abdominopelvic pain” (Wurn et al., 2004). Pelvic and abdominal surgeries also cause scar tissue adhesions and restrictions, cesarean deliveries, for example. Adhesions impact the movement and mechanics of the abdominplevic region limiting the function of the organs, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.

When considering fertility, adhesions can cause problems when the occur in the following areas (Wurn et al., 2004):

Uterine walls and ligaments
This could lead to difficulty with implantation

At and around the cervix
Creating narrowing of the cervix, affecting the position of the uterus, and complicating sperm transfer to the uterus

Around the ovaries
Impacting transfer of the egg to the fallopian tubes

Around the fallopian tubes
Restricted transfer and travel of the egg

Infertility should be addressed with a hollistic and thorough approach. Advocate for yourself and encourage collaboration between medical providers and pelvic physical therapists at Inland Pelvic Health & Physical Therapy.

Laura Steininger, DPT, CAPP-OB, Cert-DN, and the compassionate team at Inland Pelvic Health & Physical Therapy in Hayden, Idaho would be honored to walk beside you in the journey towards fertility. They specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy with a unique approach that promotes reproductive health and improves fertility for many women. Call the office today or request an appointment online to get a fertility evaluation.

Fertility Q & A

How does pelvic physical therapy improve fertility?

Pelvic physical therapy uniquely targets problems with your reproductive organs and other organs in the pelvic cavity (like your bladder).

The Inland Pelvic Health & Physical Therapy team has extensive training in techniques that improve your overall reproductive health. The pelvic therapists have been through training specifically called Visceral Mobilizations and Myofascial Release that improve tissue mobility, nerve signaling, and blood flow to enhance function in your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. By reducing adhesions and restoring tissue flexibility and function, the pelvis has a healthier environement that promotes fertility.

Let's look at the research:

Specific manual therapy interventions (termed visceral mobilization) at specific sites in the pelvis can help to improve tissue mobility and the response of the nervous system to that part of the body. This was first studied in the 70’s and 80’s in the Czech Republic; however, the first published paper on this was published in 2004 by Wurn and colleagues. They evaluated the effect of manual physical therapy intervention on 53 individuals dealing with infertility, 36 of which were planning to undergo IVF within 15 months. Their results showed that 71% of the patients who were trying to get pregnant naturally achieved pregnancy within 1 year. Of those undergoing IVF, 67% achieved a successful embryo transfer.

An additional study by Kramp et al., 2012 looked at manual therapy interventions for 10 women with diagnosed infertility. Following treatment including improving pelvic symmetry and sacral mobility, treating myofascial dysfunction around the pelvis, manual lymphatic drainage, and visceral mobilization, 6 out of the 10 women were able to achieve pregnancy.

Rice et al. (2015) published a retrospective review of 1392 patients treated with visceral mobilization. They found that those who were post-surgical had 35% success and non-surgical patients had 69% success in achieving pregnancy. So, the thought here is that post-surgical adhesions may lead to more difficulty in improving tissue mobility.

What happens during a fertility evaluation?

Your physical therapist completes a thorough preliminary exam, including reviewing your medical history and assessing your pelvis, posture, muscle strength, and other aspects of your pelvic health. Oftentimes, it is most effective to assess the pelvic muscles internally if you're comfortable with that option. An internal pelvic muscle assessment is the best way to assess for adhesions and create the most effective change in the tissue. Then they work with you to create a treatment plan targeting the problems affecting your fertility.

Call or text Inland Pelvic Health & Physical Therapy today to schedule a consultation and learn how pelvic physical therapy may improve your chance of having a baby.