Rue and Primavera is led in part by Wendolyn Rue and Dawna Giem, two of the Whidbey Island area’s top therapists for women’s health.
Keeping the women in our community happy and healthy is one of the primary goals of our practice.

Our areas of specialty include:

Relaxation Room

Incontinence

If you know where every bathroom in town is, you should give us a call. Female incontinence is one of our primary areas of focus, and it’s likely we can help you control your overactive or sensitive bladder. Having a strong, uncontrollable urge to urinate, leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, or laugh, or having frequent accidents are all signs of incontinence and pelvic floor weakness.

Rue and Primavera uses a treatment system called Biofeedback to help retrain your pelvic floor and bladder and reduce those accidents that cause embarrassment. Biofeedback is a course of treatment that employs topical sensors, computer graphing, and coaching to help you learn how to better control the muscles of your pelvic floor. Biofeedback is proven to be effective for female incontinence, and our clinic has helped hundreds of women regain control of their bladders.

Pelvic Pain or Post Partum Pain and Weakness

There are many causes for pelvic pain, and it can take many forms. Rue and Primavera helps women treat both acute and chronic pelvic pain, symptomatic of many issues including growths, ruptures, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, pregnancy, urinary problems, endometriosis, cysts, and more. There are many possible causes for pelvic pain, but also many courses of treatment. If you’re suffering, let us help diagnose and treat you!

View Blog- The Importance of Postpartum Physical Therapy

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones lose mass and become fragile and brittle. Women are far more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, and the disease affects millions. People who suffer from osteoporosis are more likely to break bones and experience difficulty healing fractures. Other effects include sloping shoulders, curved or hunched backs, loss of height, pain or aching, and decreased mobility.

Rue and Primavera can help women improve the strength of their bones, their posture and hip and pelvic alignment. Contact us today to learn more about preventative or curative osteoporosis care.

Feel free to call and ask questions to our therapists, personally. When it comes to many female health issues, we completely understand how it may be hard to reach out for help at first, but we promise that you’ll be happy you did. Your privacy and modesty will be respected completely.

What to Expect on Your First Visit for Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

A Physical Therapist (PT) with specialized training in pelvic floor muscle dysfunction will perform a detailed evaluation in a private setting during your first visit. This will include understanding your general medical history, history related to your current condition, stress level, preferred activities and lifestyle, and your desired goals. You’ll be asked questions about your eating, drinking, and bathroom habits.

Your posture, breathing pattern, strength and motion of your hips, spine and abdominals will be assessed to determine what may be contributing to your symptoms. The muscles of your pelvis (including the pelvic floor) will be evaluated to determine if any weakness, tightness or in-coordination exists that may play a role in your incontinence. An examination of your pelvic floor muscles may consist of an external and/or internal assessment to determine your strength, coordination and tension of these muscles. An internal assessment can also provide the therapist with information regarding any muscular tender spots or trigger points that may need treatment. Know that you can agree or decline any portion of the recommended evaluation.

Biofeedback may also be used during the initial visit if determined necessary by your physical therapist. Biofeedback is a non-invasive procedure that measures the activity of your pelvic floor muscles. Biofeedback does not hurt and allows you to see your pelvic floor muscle activity on a computer screen or hand-held unit, to better understand your muscle’s function. Biofeedback may also be used to monitor your progress over time.

Your PT will discuss a treatment plan with you that will include the frequency and duration of your PT sessions and planned interventions. Recommended treatments may include techniques to reduce urinary urgency and frequency, retaining pelvic floor muscles to work correctly, education in bladder irritants and dietary/fluid modifications, exercises that assist with pelvic floor function (may include breathing, hip, back or abdominal muscle exercises), posture instruction, and behavioral / stress management strategies.