Why I chose to become a pelvic floor physio

Recently, I’ve noticed several clients asking why I decided to become a pelvic floor physiotherapist, so I figured others might be curious as well.

There are many reasons why I was drawn to this field, but the main one was: after having my children, I experienced urinary leakage and felt like I needed to visit the bathroom every few minutes. I thought these issues would go away on their own after a few months. However, when my youngest daughter turned three, I still faced the same problems, so I decided to learn more and seek treatment. Through working with colleagues and taking various courses, I was able to overcome these issues. Now, I am completely symptom-free!

I became passionate about helping women with similar struggles because I firmly believe these problems shouldn’t be a daily burden.

Coming from a fairly conservative background, talking about private parts was a big taboo. That’s one of the biggest obstacles women and men face regarding pelvic health. There’s a lot of embarrassment and shame in admitting there’s a problem “down there.” I hope that by being open and honest about pelvic health, I can encourage others to see that help is available and that seeking assistance isn’t weird.

I also want to clarify that there are many misconceptions about pelvic health physiotherapy. Some believe all we do is teach Kegel exercises, while others think we only massage people’s private areas!!! These views are entirely incorrect. Most of my time is spent on education, prescribing exercises, and assessing or treating external pelvic areas. The internal component is only a small part of my work, and it is only used when necessary. I understand that discussing this can feel awkward and embarrassing, but please remember that you're not alone. I've been there, and you don’t have to face it by yourself.

Mia Dang, PT, is a pelvic physiotherapist with extensive supplementary training in pelvic floor physiotherapy and perinatal care