A scroll through Doctor Quozette Valera’s Tik Tok will leave you simultaneously laughing and informed.
In one 14-second video she shared with her over 165,000 followers on @drq_dpt, Valera recreates a conversation in which she’s welcoming a male patient to pelvic floor therapy.
Almost immediately the male patient asserts that he won’t be letting her put a finger in his behind.
She calmly and patiently assures him that that won’t be necessary, explaining that internal exams are not required and only ever done with consent.
@drq_dpt Men have pelvic floors too! IG- drq_dpt #physicaltherapy #pelvicpt #pelvicfloortherapy #pelvichealth #dpt #doctorsoftiktok
Valera is focused on strengthening an often neglected muscle group—the pelvic floor. She works as a pelvic health physical therapist and as the clinical director of Women’s Advantage Inc.’s Bixby Knolls location.
“Pelvic floor therapy is therapy for any dysfunctions of the pelvic floor,” Valera said. “And the pelvic floor is a group of muscles that help with bladder, bowel and reproductive functions.”
How Valera discovered pelvic floor therapy
A strong pelvic floor can greatly improve the quality of a patient’s life, but the general public is often unaware of its importance.
Even in the field of physical therapy, the pelvic floor is a neglected topic.
Valera recalled that when she was studying for her doctorate in physical therapy at Chapman University, the existence of the pelvic floor was mentioned but its treatment wasn’t covered in depth.
“I only learned about it through, you know, anatomy class,” Valera said. “They mention that the pelvic floor exists, but what the therapy actually involved I wasn’t always aware of.”
Her interest in the pelvic floor began during a research project for the anatomy cadaver lab she was taking.
“Doing that research helped me realize how beneficial pelvic floor therapy was, even though it wasn’t something I had heard of prior to that project,” Valera said.
Benefits of a strong pelvic floor
Everyone has a pelvic floor and strengthening it can improve sexual, bowel and urinary function.
“Research has shown that you have increased orgasms,” Valera said. “So people have longer erections, stronger orgasms. And then in general, outside the bedroom, you really just have higher quality of life, meaning your ability to manage and control those systems are a lot less stressful.”
Valera explained that some of her patients seek pelvic floor therapy because they constantly feel the need to use the restroom, to the point that it interrupts their daily lives.
“They’re going to the restroom every hour, which people think is normal but it’s actually not,” Valera said.
Valera may also recommend changes in diet, exercise and hydration, because of the impact they have on the bowels and bladder.
“I basically tell people whatever lives in your pelvis, whatever those systems are, affects the muscles of the pelvic floor and vice versa,” Valera said.
In one of her videos, Valera explains that someone who drinks too much coffee may be irritating their bladder due to their high caffeine intake, in which case less caffeine and more water may help them stop feeling like they constantly have to go to the bathroom.
@drq_dpt Are you peeing too much? Or not enough? #pelvichealth #bladder #physicaltherapy #pelvicfloor #kegels #fyp #foryou #drqdpt #themoreyouknow #qscorner
“So things like constipation, urinary frequency, urgency, overactive bladder, and then of course, things like prenatal and postpartum recovery, we help with,” Valera said. “Because that obviously changes the pressure on the pelvic floor.”
Since the general public is mostly unaware of pelvic floor therapy, the majority of her patients reach out to her after they’re already experiencing issues, most often after giving birth.
“Anybody in postpartum recovery is familiar with the changes that happen to the bladder and the bowel function and sexual function after giving birth, whether that’s vaginally or through cesarean,” Valera said. “But it’s a relatively new concept for the general public.”
What to expect from pelvic floor therapy
When a new patient has their first appointment with Valera, she’s focused on gathering all the relevant background information about them and their health.
“The first appointment is mostly a lot of talking to be honest,” Valera said.
Once all necessary paperwork has been filled out, Valera will conduct a subjective interview where she’ll ask what the patient is experiencing and any relevant information.
“For example, any surgery or injuries, how long this has been a problem, what the symptoms are, how they behave, things that you’ve tried to address them, etc.,” Valera said.
Valera then reviews the information she’s been given before giving them her recommendations.
Valera emphasizes that internal exams such as vaginal and rectal exams are only done after consent is given, and are not always necessary.
“If somebody is not comfortable with an internal exam, for whatever reason, whether it’s because they are on their menstrual cycle and they’re not comfortable with it, or maybe there’s some cultural reason or religious reason involved, or maybe there’s a history of trauma and that person isn’t necessarily ready for another provider, that’s completely fine,” Valera said.
When a patient does consent to an internal exam, it can provide important information about their pelvic floor.
“Our exam primarily focuses on the muscles so we’re looking at strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination of those muscles,” Valera said.
According to Valera, although patients often report regularly doing kegels, a type of pelvic floor exercise, unless they were taught how to do the exercise during an internal exam there is a significant chance they’re doing them incorrectly.
@drq_dpt This exam is SO different from a pap smear! IG- drq_dpt #pelvicfloor #kegels #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy #physicaltherapytiktok #IKnowWhatYouDid
Once correctly done, kegels are an effective tool in maintaining a strong pelvic floor.
“You’re going to have to, hopefully, control your bladder and bowels and participate in sexual functions and activities for as long as you would like,” Valera said. “And whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond that is something that is a very important piece of quality of life.”
To book an appointment with Valera, visit her website.