For leaking, prolapse, painful sex, postpartum recovery, and the menopause symptoms no one warned you about. One-on-one care in Wicker Park and Humboldt Park.
If you have been struggling with pelvic floor symptoms, some of these phrases may sound familiar:
“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. In Illinois, most patients can book a pelvic floor evaluation without a physician referral.
At Free Body Physical Therapy in Wicker Park and Humboldt Park, Dr. Marissa Nemec, DPT provides one-on-one pelvic floor physical therapy for women across Chicago. Postpartum, perimenopausal, post-surgical, and everything in between.
👉 Schedule Your Pelvic Floor Evaluation
Meet Dr. Marissa Nemec, DPT
Dr. Marissa Nemec, PT, DPT, CMTPT/DN leads pelvic health services at Free Body Physical Therapy. Her credentials and training include:
- Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT), Marquette University
- Pelvic floor training through the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute
- Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist / Dry Needling (CMTPT/DN), advanced training in soft tissue and trigger point therapy that supports treatment of pelvic pain, hip-related pelvic dysfunction, and chronic muscular pelvic pain
Dr. Nemec treats the full spectrum of pelvic health concerns, postpartum recovery, prolapse, urinary incontinence and urgency, painful sex, chronic pelvic pain, pre- and post-surgical care, and the pelvic and urinary changes that come with perimenopause and menopause.
“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
What Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Treats
Pelvic floor dysfunction isn’t a single condition—it’s a category of symptoms that show up in different ways. Most of the women who come to us have lived with some version of this for months or years, often after being told it was nothing:
- Urinary leakage. When you sneeze, laugh, run, jump, or lift. With or without warning. Postpartum or perimenopausal.
- Urinary urgency or frequency. Always feeling like you have to go, or not making it in time.
- Pelvic organ prolapse. Heaviness, pressure, or the sensation of something falling out, often worse at the end of the day.
- Painful sex (dyspareunia). Postpartum, post-hysterectomy, post-menopause, or unexplained.
- Postpartum recovery. Diastasis recti, C-section scar restriction, perineal tearing, weakness that hasn’t returned to baseline, return-to-running readiness.
- Chronic pelvic pain. Pain in the vulva, vagina, perineum, or deep pelvis. With sitting, with menstruation, with intercourse, or for no clear reason.
- Menopause-related changes. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), pelvic floor weakness, urinary changes, vaginal dryness contributing to pain.
- Constipation and bowel dysfunction. Straining, incomplete emptying, pain with bowel movements.
- Pre- and post-surgical care. Before and after hysterectomy, prolapse repair, or related procedures.
When Pelvic Floor Is Hiding Inside an Orthopedic Problem
Pelvic floor dysfunction is often hiding inside an orthopedic problem that hasn’t fully resolved. If you’ve done physical therapy for low back pain, hip pain, SI joint dysfunction, or persistent core instability and you still don’t feel right, your pelvic floor may be part of the story.
Every clinician at Free Body screens for this during orthopedic evaluations, and when it shows up, we refer internally to Dr. Nemec instead of sending you to start over at a new clinic.
About Internal Exams—Your Choice Always
An internal pelvic exam is sometimes the most useful assessment tool, but it is never required.
Dr. Nemec is trained in internal pelvic floor evaluation through the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute. When 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. You will be told what an internal exam would add to your care, and you decide from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a referral?
Most patients do not need a referral to book an evaluation. Illinois is a direct access state, which means 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’s 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?
Treatments are 45-minute one-on-one sessions. 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’s 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 postpartum 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.
Schedule Your Pelvic Floor Evaluation
If you’re ready to book, you can do it online or call us at (773) 599-3393. Located at 2618 W Division St, Suite B, Chicago, IL 60622, at the border of Wicker Park and Humboldt Park. Serving Ukrainian Village, Logan Square, Bucktown, and West Town.