Myofascial Pelvic Care in Bend, Oregon
Quick links: What is Myofascial Pelvic Care? · PT vs. Myofascial Release · First appointment · FAQ
Myofascial Pelvic Care
Myofascial Pelvic Care looks at your whole body, not just your pelvic floor.
Your pelvis isn’t separate from the rest of you. Neither is your healing.
Maybe you’ve been told to strengthen your pelvic floor. Or relax it. Do Kegels. Stop doing Kegels. Stretch more. Breathe differently.
Maybe you’ve seen specialists, worked with a pelvic floor therapist, had imaging, and followed every recommendation you were given. Some of it may have helped. But you still don’t feel like yourself.
That doesn’t mean your body is broken, or that you’ve failed at treatment. It may just mean everyone has focused on your pelvic floor without asking how the rest of your body is involved.
Expert Level John Barnes Myofascial Pelvic Care · Hands-on bodywork for 20+ years · Bend, Oregon · (541) 350-9251
What Is Myofascial Pelvic Care?
Myofascial Pelvic Care combines Expert Level John Barnes Myofascial Release with advanced training in women’s pelvic health. It treats your body as one connected fascial system.
Your pelvis works together with your abdomen, diaphragm, spine, hips, ribs, legs, feet, jaw, scars, and nervous system. Fascia connects them all.
→ Learn more about fascia and Myofascial Release
Treatment uses gentle, sustained pressure to release restrictions in the fascial system. Every session is shaped around your symptoms, history, goals, comfort, and boundaries.
How Is This Different From Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?
QUICK ANSWER
Pelvic floor physical therapy often centers on the pelvic floor muscles: strength, coordination, and exercises. Myofascial Pelvic Care looks at the whole fascial system, including scars, breathing, hips, and the abdomen, to find what may be pulling on the pelvis. It doesn’t replace physical therapy or medical care, and many women use both.
Pelvic floor physical therapy usually works directly with the pelvic floor muscles. You may learn exercises to strengthen or relax them, practice coordination, and get hands-on work. For many women, that helps.
Myofascial Pelvic Care starts with a different question: what else might be pulling on your pelvis? Fascia runs through your whole body without a break. A C-section scar, a tight diaphragm, or an old hip injury can create tension that shows up as pelvic symptoms. So instead of working only where it hurts, I follow those lines of restriction wherever they lead.
The pace is different too. Instead of exercises and reps, treatment uses gentle, sustained pressure. I hold it long enough for the tissue to soften and let go.
Many of the women I work with have already done pelvic floor physical therapy, and some are still in it. Myofascial Pelvic Care can come after PT or work alongside it, depending on what your body needs.
Feel at home in your body again.
Gentle Myofascial Pelvic Care for pain, pressure, and tension that keep coming back.
Why Is the Treatment So Gentle?
When your body feels forced, it protects itself. If treatment is too aggressive, muscles tighten and your nervous system goes on guard.
John Barnes Myofascial Release works differently. Gentle, sustained pressure gives your body time to soften. Instead of forcing through the tissue, we listen, wait, and follow the restriction.
Gentle doesn’t mean ineffective. Some of the biggest changes I’ve seen have happened during the gentlest treatments.
The goal is to help your body feel safe enough to let go.
What Happens During Your First Appointment?
Your first appointment is one hour, and it begins with listening.
First, We Talk Through Your Story
I want to hear your story, not just your diagnosis.
We may talk about your symptoms, pregnancy and birth history, surgeries, C-section or abdominal scars, injuries and falls, tailbone injuries, past treatments, bladder and bowel concerns, pain with intimacy, your lifestyle, the activities you want to get back to, and your goals.
Then I Evaluate Your Whole Body
I’ll look at your posture, breathing, rib movement, spine, hips, abdomen, pelvis, and legs, and notice where your body is holding restriction.
One of the first things I’ll ask about is your surgical history, because in John Barnes Myofascial Release, every scar matters. A scar isn’t just the line you see on your skin. As you heal, scar tissue forms through several layers of fascia, and it can create lines of tension through your whole body.
A scar doesn’t have to be large to matter, and it doesn’t have to hurt to affect how you move.
Then Gentle Hands-On Treatment
Treatment may include gentle external and internal Myofascial Release to your abdomen, diaphragm, rib cage, low back, hips, pelvis, legs, neck and jaw, and any scar tissue.
There are no oils or lotions. No aggressive manipulation. No rushing through a routine. I’ll explain everything before it happens.
Wear comfortable underwear and a bralette, or a two-piece swimsuit, since you may get on and off the table a few times. Nothing is ever done without your understanding and consent.
Is Internal Pelvic Treatment Required?
No. Many women feel real change from external Myofascial Release alone. Your pelvic floor is connected to your abdomen, hips, diaphragm, ribs, and scars, so much of what affects it can be reached from the outside.
When internal work makes sense, I offer that too. Some women want to work with the pelvic floor more directly. Others still have symptoms after we’ve worked externally. In either case, I can provide gentle internal treatment during your session.
I can also teach you to do your own internal work at home with a pelvic wand. It lets you treat yourself gently, at your own pace and in your own privacy. It’s the tool I recommend most, and I’ll walk you through how to get started.
→ See my favorite at-home pelvic wand on my resources page
You’re always in control of your care. Your comfort, privacy, boundaries, and sense of safety guide every session.
How do Breathing and the Pelvic Floor Work Together?
QUICK ANSWER
Your diaphragm and pelvic floor move together every time you breathe. When you inhale, your diaphragm lowers and your pelvic floor responds to the change in pressure. When you exhale, they both rise again.
Your pelvic floor works with every breath you take. As you exhale, the diaphragm rises and the pelvic floor responds again.
This coordinated movement helps manage pressure through your core.
But breathing can change after pregnancy, abdominal surgery, chronic stress, rib restrictions, pain, guarding, postural changes, and years of holding in the abdomen.
When breathing becomes shallow or restricted, the relationship between the diaphragm, abdomen, ribs, and pelvic floor may also change.
This is one reason I may treat your ribs, diaphragm, abdomen, or chest even when pelvic symptoms are your primary concern.
Is Myofascial Pelvic Care Right for You?
Myofascial Pelvic Care may be worth exploring if:
- You’ve tried other treatments, but your symptoms keep coming back
- Pelvic floor exercises haven’t made a lasting difference
- You feel a constant tightness that stretching doesn’t change
- You have a C-section or abdominal scar
- Pregnancy or childbirth changed how your body feels
- Intercourse has become uncomfortable or painful
- Your imaging doesn’t fully explain your symptoms
- You want care that looks at your whole body
- You want treatment that’s gentle, private, and individualized
- You want to understand why your body is protecting itself
You don’t need to know what’s causing your symptoms before you come in. That’s what we’ll figure out together.
Frequently Asked Questions About Treatment
Does treatment hurt?
It shouldn’t. Myofascial Release is gentle, sustained work that reaches deep into the fascial system without force. At times it may feel intense as we work into a restriction, but it should never be painful. You might feel pulling, pressure, warmth, tingling, tenderness, emotion, or sensations in other parts of your body as things release. Your feedback guides the work, and we’ll stay at an intensity that feels right for you.
Do I have to undress?
Yes, for most of your session. Myofascial Release is done directly on the skin, and I need to see how your whole body moves. So you won’t be draped with sheets the way you would be for a massage. You may get on and off the table a few times so I can reassess, so wear something you can move in comfortably: full-coverage underwear with secure closures that let you move freely, a bralette or comfortable bra that isn’t tight against your skin, or a two-piece swimsuit. Your comfort, privacy, and boundaries are always respected, and you’re in control of your session.
Do you treat during pregnancy?
Yes. Myofascial Release can be gently adapted to every stage of pregnancy. I’ll adjust your positioning and the areas we focus on so you’re comfortable. It can be especially helpful as your body changes and new patterns of tension show up.
How soon after birth or C-section can I start?
Many women start within a few weeks. Treatment is adapted to what your body needs, whether you had a vaginal birth or a C-section, and we can work on tension and restriction as your body recovers. If you had a C-section, we can start with the rest of your fascial system while the incision heals, then add direct scar work when the tissue is ready. Your baby can benefit too. Gentle Myofascial Release can help with restrictions from positioning during pregnancy and birth.
Do I need a referral?
No. You do not need a referral to receive Myofascial Release. You can book with me directly in Bend, Oregon.
Why do you treat areas outside the pelvis?
Because your pelvis doesn’t work alone. Your abdomen, diaphragm, ribs, spine, hips, legs, jaw, scars, and breathing all affect how your pelvis moves and responds. Sometimes the restriction behind your pelvic symptoms is far from where you feel the pain.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on your symptoms, history, scars, injuries, goals, and how long your body has been compensating. Some women notice changes quickly. Long-standing or complex patterns may take consistent treatment over time. After your first appointment, we’ll talk about what makes sense for you.
Meet Robbie!
I’m Robbie Lutz, an Expert Level John Barnes Myofascial Release therapist with advanced training in women’s pelvic health. Helping women understand their bodies is one of the greatest privileges of my work.
Pelvic symptoms are deeply personal. Many women have spent years feeling dismissed, misunderstood, or reduced to a diagnosis. I want your experience to be different.
I’ll listen to your story. I’ll explain what I’m doing and why. I’ll respect your boundaries and meet you where you are.
I don’t see a broken pelvic floor. I see a smart body doing exactly what it thinks it needs to do to protect you.
Schedule Your First Appointment
You don’t have to keep searching for someone who only treats the place that hurts. Your pelvis is part of your whole body, and your symptoms are part of a bigger story.
Together, we’ll look at how your body has adapted, find the restrictions throughout your fascial system, and decide whether Myofascial Pelvic Care is the right next step for you.
Location
The Spectrum Building
354 NE Greenwood Ave, Suite 101
Bend, OR 97701
Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: Closed