One-on-one care for leaking, prolapse, painful sex, postpartum recovery, and the pelvic changes of menopause, with Dr. Marissa Nemec, PT, DPT.
If you have been living with pelvic floor symptoms, you have probably heard some of these:
“It’s just part of being a mom.” • “It’s just part of being a woman.” • “It’s normal after a baby.” • “It’s just menopause.” • “Try Kegels.”
It isn’t normal, and it isn’t something you have to live with. At Free Body Physical Therapy, Dr. Nemec provides one-on-one pelvic floor physical therapy for women at every stage of life, from new moms to women in menopause. In Illinois, most patients can book an evaluation without a physician referral.
Pelvic Floor Conditions We Treat in Women
Pelvic floor dysfunction is not a single condition. It is a group of symptoms that show up in different ways, and many women live with them for months or years after being told it was nothing.
Urinary Leaking
Leaking with a sneeze, laugh, run, jump, or lift, with or without warning.
Urgency and Frequency
A constant need to go, or trouble making it to the bathroom in time.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Heaviness, pressure, or the sensation of something falling out, often worse at the end of the day.
Painful Sex
Pain with intercourse after childbirth, after a hysterectomy, after menopause, or without a clear cause.
Chronic Pelvic Pain
Pain in the vulva, vagina, perineum, or deep pelvis, with sitting, with menstruation, with intercourse, or with no clear trigger.
Constipation and Bowel Dysfunction
Straining, incomplete emptying, or pain with bowel movements.
Care Through Every Stage of Life
Postpartum Recovery
Diastasis recti, C-section scar restriction, perineal tearing, leaking, and strength that has not returned to baseline. Treatment also prepares you to return to running and exercise, whether you are six weeks or six years postpartum.
Perimenopause and Menopause
Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), new or worsening leaking, urgency, pelvic floor weakness, and vaginal dryness that contributes to pain. Treatment often complements care from your gynecologist or menopause specialist.
Before and After Surgery
Preparation and recovery around hysterectomy, prolapse repair, and related procedures.
Meet Dr. Marissa Nemec, PT, DPT
Dr. Marissa Nemec, PT, DPT, CMTPT/DN, leads pelvic health services at Free Body Physical Therapy. Her training includes:
- Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT), Marquette University
- Pelvic floor training through the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute
- Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist and dry needling provider (CMTPT/DN), with advanced training in soft tissue and trigger point therapy that supports treatment of chronic muscular pelvic pain
“Adding pelvic health physical therapy to Free Body felt deeply important to me because women deserve care that acknowledges the unique physical changes they experience throughout life. Pelvic health PT exists because symptoms like pain, leaking, pressure, and core weakness are common, but should never be dismissed. I’m passionate about creating a supportive space where women feel heard, empowered, and able to return to the activities that matter most to them.”
Dr. Marissa Nemec
Internal Exams Are Always Your Choice
An internal pelvic exam is sometimes the most useful assessment tool, but it is never required. When it is clinically indicated, an internal exam gives information no external assessment can match. Many conditions can also be treated effectively through external work alone.
You will never be pressured. Dr. Nemec will explain what an internal exam would add to your care, and you decide from there.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Your first appointment is a full 45-minute, one-on-one evaluation with Dr. Nemec: a detailed history, a movement and strength assessment, and hands-on treatment when appropriate. You will leave with a working diagnosis, a clear plan, and a personalized estimate of how many visits you may need.
Every visit after that is also a full 45 minutes with Dr. Nemec, never an aide or a technician. Women’s care is one part of Free Body’s pelvic floor physical therapy services in Chicago.
Pelvic Floor PT on Division Street
Pelvic floor appointments are at our Division Street clinic at 2618 W Division St Ste B, Chicago, on the border of Wicker Park and Humboldt Park. We see women from Ukrainian Village, Logan Square, Bucktown, West Town, and across Chicago.
Phone: (773) 599-3393
Women’s Pelvic Floor PT FAQs
Do I need a referral?
Most patients do not need a referral to book an evaluation. Illinois is a direct access state, which means patients with commercial insurance plans like Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna, as well as cash-pay patients, can schedule directly. Medicare has specific requirements for physician involvement in your care, so if you have Medicare, please call us at (773) 599-3393, and we will walk you through what is needed for your visits to be covered.
What does it cost?
We are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Medicare. Call (773) 599-3393, and we will verify your benefits before your first visit. For patients paying cash or using out-of-network benefits, the evaluation is $175 and follow-ups are $150. Each visit is a full 45 minutes with Dr. Nemec.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions varies by condition, how long you have had symptoms, and your goals. You will receive a personalized estimate at your first visit.
Can pelvic floor PT help if I’m postpartum?
Yes. Every postpartum woman would benefit from at least one pelvic floor evaluation, regardless of how she is feeling. Pelvic floor PT addresses diastasis recti, C-section scar restriction, urinary leaking, prolapse, painful sex, return-to-exercise readiness, and core recovery, whether you are six weeks or six years postpartum.
Can pelvic floor PT help with menopause symptoms?
Yes. The pelvic and urinary changes of perimenopause and menopause, including genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), increased leaking, urgency, pelvic floor weakness, and pain with intercourse, respond well to pelvic floor physical therapy. Treatment often complements care from your gynecologist or menopause specialist.
Book Your Pelvic Floor Evaluation
One-on-one, 45-minute care with Dr. Nemec. Most patients can schedule directly, and we will verify your insurance before your first visit.
