
What is Healthy Bladder Function?
- Urinating six to eight times within a 24‑hour period
- Maintaining a urine stream for eight seconds or more
- Easily beginning the act of urination
- Having the urge to go completely subside after you empty your bladder
- People under age 60 usually wake just once at night to urinate; those over 60 or who are pregnant may wake twice per night


Symptoms of Bladder Dysfunction and Urinary Incontinence
Watch for these important signs that may signal bladder concerns:
- Pain or discomfort around the bladder or urethra, either continuously or during urination
- Leakage when you cough, laugh, exercise, or sneeze
- Urine leakage while rushing to the bathroom
- A sudden, intense need to urinate even if your bladder isn’t full
- Frequent trips to the toilet despite an empty bladder
- A noticeably slow or weak urine stream
- A strong urge to urinate following physical activity
- A pressing need to urinate during or after sex, potentially accompanied by leakage at orgasm
If any of these symptoms apply to you, it may be time to consult a healthcare professional about possible bladder or urinary issues.
What Causes Bladder Dysfunction and Urinary Incontinence?
Numerous conditions can lead to bladder control problems and incontinence. Some of the underlying causes consist of:
- Recurring urinary tract infections
- Recurring yeast infections
- Menopause
- Childbirth and breastfeeding
- Medications, including hormonal suppressive medications
- Surgery and various traumas to the body
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Biomechanical issues, such as hip dysfunction
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Pelvic organ prolapse


What is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Bladder and Urinary Incontinence?
If you’re in Jersey City and struggling with bladder leaks or a strong urge to urinate, pelvic floor physical therapy can help train your pelvic muscles for better control and function. Through a combination of hands‑on external and internal manual therapy, we work to mobilize the muscles around your bladder and provide symptom relief.
You’ll also be guided through customized at‑home exercises to practice regularly, helping to establish improved movement patterns and further enhance the strength and mobility of your pelvic floor muscles and tissues.
Ready to ease your pain?
Benefits of Working with a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist
- Alleviate pain and reduce discomfort in the pelvic region
- Release tightness in muscles, including those supporting the bladder
- Enhance overall pelvic function and range of motion using manual therapy and prescribed home exercises
- Reestablish the healthy length‑tension balance of your pelvic floor musculature
- Boost circulation to the pelvic tissues, accelerating the body’s natural healing processes
- Support comprehensive body wellness by restoring full functional performance

What To Expect
During Your Initial Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Appointment
If you’re commuting from Jersey City to our Midtown or Downtown NY clinics, your first visit at Beyond Basics will involve a detailed conversation about your symptoms and health history so that our team fully understands your condition. Next, we perform a comprehensive physical exam, which may include both external muscle assessments and internal pelvic floor evaluations to trace your discomfort to its origins and relieve your pain effectively.
Our internal manual therapy techniques focus on the pelvic region—targeting the pelvic floor musculature, nerves, and bony structures—to improve mobility and alleviate symptoms. Your well‑being is paramount: you may opt out of any procedure at any point without explanation. To support your progress after you leave, your physical therapist will prescribe specific at‑home exercises designed to reestablish healthy movement patterns and continue mobilizing your pelvic muscles and tissues, helping to reduce urinary symptoms over time.
During Your Additional Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Appointments
Pelvic floor physical therapy appointments last sixty minutes. Within that hour, your clinician might carry out manual therapy techniques, discuss how you’re progressing, answer your questions, and prescribe individualized home exercises. Most individuals notice significant symptom improvement around the eight‑week mark, with some seeing changes even before then.

Beyond Basics Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy: We Can Help
Since 2003, Beyond Basics has been a place where patients find hope, healing, and restored harmony. We know that combining technical skill with genuine compassion can transform lives. Our founders—Amy Stein and Corey Hazama—are widely respected authorities in pelvic floor physical therapy, and their expertise continues to guide our practice.
Our team members are selected for their world‑class pelvic floor rehabilitation skills, having completed extensive graduate and post‑graduate training. Each therapist has undergone hundreds of additional hours of specialized instruction—through our own in‑house programs and leading institutions like Herman & Wallace and the American Physical Therapy Association—to perfect their craft and provide you with precise, empathetic care.
Beyond their foundational mastery of pelvic floor dysfunction, our therapists bring individual passions to the table—whether it’s in women’s health, men’s health, or integrative wellness. These personal strengths allow us to customize treatment plans uniquely for you. Read more about our therapists and their specialties here.
Get help now from a pelvic floor therapist.
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