Terri Sullivan Physical Therapy

Terri Sullivan Physical Therapy Pelvic floor specialist

When someone has a vaginal birth, their pelvic floor muscles stretch 2-3x their normal resting length. Due to that pron...
04/01/2026

When someone has a vaginal birth, their pelvic floor muscles stretch 2-3x their normal resting length. Due to that pronounced stress on the muscles, leakage of urine is very common for the 1st few weeks after birth, but absolutely not permanent. If you are still having leakage after 4-6 weeks, it would be a good idea to see a pelvic health physical therapist to help address your incontinence and work on building back your strength. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

I often prescribe these exercises for a person with a tight pelvic floor. I ask that the patient work on 360 deg breath...
03/31/2026

I often prescribe these exercises for a person with a tight pelvic floor. I ask that the patient work on 360 deg breathing with the child's pose and happy baby and inhaling into the pelvic floor as their lowering into a deep squat. I love these exercises for a patient that is experiencing flare ups at home between our sessions. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

I have the advantage of being both a physical therapist and a yoga instructor. They definitely complement each other, b...
03/27/2026

I have the advantage of being both a physical therapist and a yoga instructor. They definitely complement each other, but there are major differences. A physical therapist can diagnose and treat musculoskeletal injuries and conditions and help provide treatment to help improve function. A yoga instructor can help to guide a person in stretching, strengthening, breathing and relaxation to help improve balance and flexibility. If you are experiencing pain or have an injury, it's important to know the proper exercises so if you decide to participate in yoga, you don't make your symptoms worse. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

Sleeping with a pillow between your knees can be helpful for many physical issues. I not only recommend it for my pelvi...
03/27/2026

Sleeping with a pillow between your knees can be helpful for many physical issues. I not only recommend it for my pelvic pain patients, but my hip, back and knee patients also feel relief with the addition of the pillow. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

I think that it's a huge misconception that only people who have gone through childbirth need pelvic floor physical ther...
03/24/2026

I think that it's a huge misconception that only people who have gone through childbirth need pelvic floor physical therapy. I see a variety of patients with many different diagnoses, which include both men and women and those that have not given birth. I can see people who have pelvic pain, incontinence, prolapse, post surgery and those with back and hip pain who benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

A hypertonic pelvic floor can happen for a variety of reasons including stress, trauma, and pain. When your nervous sys...
03/21/2026

A hypertonic pelvic floor can happen for a variety of reasons including stress, trauma, and pain. When your nervous system is ramped up, many areas in the body will increase in tone. When the pelvic floor is in high tone, it's ability to contract and relax is dysfunctional which can result in urinary incontinence and constipation. Pelvic floor physical therapy can help with decreasing the resting tone and improving a person's ability to work on strengthening during function. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

Have you ever leaked urine when sneezing, coughing or laughing? Some people think that this is normal, but it actually ...
03/20/2026

Have you ever leaked urine when sneezing, coughing or laughing? Some people think that this is normal, but it actually indicates that there is issue at your pelvic floor. If your pelvic muscles are weak, tight, or dysfunctional you won't be able to contract them when you need them. Also, you may not know the correct strategy to get the muscles to activate when they are put on stress. A pelvic health physical therapist can examine those muscles and teach you the proper way to contract them when you need them functionally. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

When I'm treating patients' for their pelvic floor issues, they sometimes mention they are also experiencing jaw pain. ...
03/17/2026

When I'm treating patients' for their pelvic floor issues, they sometimes mention they are also experiencing jaw pain. If you have tension in your pelvic muscles, a person can also clench their jaw as a response to their discomfort. In addition to treating the pelvis, I also treat any other regions that might be compensating for the pain. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

I'm located on Burnham Drive, on the west side of Highway 16. I'd love to help you with your physical therapy needs! 2...
03/14/2026

I'm located on Burnham Drive, on the west side of Highway 16. I'd love to help you with your physical therapy needs! 253-649-4095

Many of my patients' will go to the bathroom, even though they have just gone or they are afraid they might have to go s...
03/13/2026

Many of my patients' will go to the bathroom, even though they have just gone or they are afraid they might have to go soon. It's important to remember that you are the boss of your bladder; not vice versa. You should go to the bathroom every 3-4 hours if you are drinking an adequate amount of liquid (about 2/3 of your body weight in ounces) per day. If you are having increased urinary frequency, you should see a pelvic health P.T. for help treating an overactive bladder. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

Sometimes when there is tension or pain in one area of the body, we can subconsciously tighten another muscle in differe...
03/11/2026

Sometimes when there is tension or pain in one area of the body, we can subconsciously tighten another muscle in different area. This phenomenon is true at the pelvic floor. I have many patients' get tightness in their neck, jaw, shoulder, hip, and back muscles to compensate for their pelvic pain. I can help with both the primary and secondary sources of pain. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

I love my job and it's awesome when a patient has less pain after treatment. But, I especially love when I can get peop...
03/06/2026

I love my job and it's awesome when a patient has less pain after treatment. But, I especially love when I can get people back to their full function and able to manage their symptoms independently. Do you have questions? I'd love to help! 253-649-4095

Address

11505 Burnham Drive #302
Gig Harbor, WA
98332

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 7am - 4pm

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