A Note From Our Specialist
Hi, I’m Dr. Allison McKay
A Doctor of Physical Therapy and Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner (PRPC).
If you’re dealing with symptoms like leaking with laughter or exercise, strong urgency, pelvic or tailbone pain, discomfort with intimacy, or ongoing constipation, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to simply live with it. These concerns are more common than people realize, and they deserve thoughtful, compassionate care in a space where you feel heard and supported.
Your first visit focuses on understanding your full story—what you’ve tried, what has helped, and where you’re still struggling. We’ll assess how your core, hips, low back, and pelvic floor work together, and when appropriate and with your consent, a gentle internal exam may be included. Everything is explained clearly, with no rushed steps or intimidating tools, so you always feel comfortable and informed.
Your care plan is personalized and practical, combining hands-on therapy, targeted exercises, biofeedback, and strategies for bladder and bowel habits that fit your daily life. Sessions are one-on-one and unrushed, with clear goals and progress you can feel week to week. Whether you’re postpartum, peri- or postmenopausal, or have been managing symptoms for years, appointments are available quickly in San Diego (Little Italy) and San Marcos to help you regain comfort, strength, and confidence.
Dr. Allison McKay
“Fantastic One-On-One Care”
“Great clinic with extremely friendly front desk staff as well as physical therapists that give you fantastic one-on-one care.”
- Sav Knisely,
- Happy Client
How I Treat Pelvic Floor Pain
Focused, Expert Care
As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I specialize in the comprehensive evaluation of the pelvic floor muscles and the surrounding structures. I work one-on-one with each patient to provide education and develop a personalized rehabilitation program based on their individual goals, helping them achieve the best possible outcomes.
Get answers
Pelvic Floor Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions regarding pelvic floor health.
Q: Can I come in prior to my 6 week checkup postpartum?
A: Yes, but we won’t perform an internal exam until you’re cleared by your OB/GYN.
Q: Can I bring my kids to my appointment?
A: Yes! We would love to have your kids join us in our office.
Q: Can I come on my period?
A: Yes! We’re happy to treat you during any stage of your cycle.
Q: Can I receive internal treatment while I’m pregnant?
A: You may as long as your OB/GYN has cleared you for sexual intercourse and you’re past your first trimester.
Q: Is there going to be an internal exam every session?
A: No, we don’t require an internal exam every session. This is something that we will determine together while considering your comfort level and specific situation.
Q: Do men have pelvic floors?
A: Yes, men have pelvic floors, and we are happy to treat people of any gender at our office.
Q: Am I too old to benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy?
A: No, you can’t be too old for the benefit of pelvic floor physical therapy. There will always be room for improvement, regardless of your age.
Don’t wait weeks
No Wait Times, I Can Schedule You Sooner
Your pain isn’t waiting, and I don’t want you to have to either.
I work with a dedicated team of experienced physical therapists who are ready to help you get started. Reach out, and we’ll schedule your appointment as quickly as possible—at a time that fits your schedule.
Manual Therapy
How We Achieve a Better Diagnosis With Less Discomfort
What is manual therapy? Manual therapy is a method physical therapy that involves the therapist feeling exactly how your body reacts to specific movement and exercises. A lot of pain and discomfort comes from lack of mobility or a small range of motion. Through simple movements and exercises, we're able to get your body used to these motions again, reducing or completely removing your pain.
Manual therapy includes a detailed biomechanical assessment. This means that your therapist will watch and feel how you move in order to make the most accurate diagnosis possible. This leads to faster recovery times and improved outcomes.
Benefits of Manual Therapy
More accurate diagnoses and understanding of pain
Less discomfort and pain during treatment
Therapist can feel where there is tension and mobility issues
Are You Experiencing These Signs?
Pelvic Floor Symptoms & Pains
- Urinary Incontinence
- Stress Incontinence
- Urge Incontinence
- Urinary Dysfunctions
- Pelvic/Vaginal pain
- Fecal Incontinence
- Chronic Constipation
- Coccydynia
- Pain with Sexual Activity
- Nerve Pain
- Pre/Post Operative
- Bladder Pain
Urinary Incontinence
Incontinence is defined at any unintentional loss of urine
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence occurs when any physical activity (ie: coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping, running or heavy lifting) puts pressure on your bladder causing leakage.
Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence is associated with the bladder muscle contracting, usually associated with an increased urge to urinate, causing a leakage of urine.
Urinary Dysfunctions
Voiding dysfunction describes conditions where there is poor coordination between the bladder muscle and the urethra. This can result in incomplete relaxation or over activity of the pelvic floor muscles during voiding. Voiding dysfunction can manifest as a wide range of symptoms which can include difficulty in emptying bladder, urinary hesitancy, slow or weak urine stream, urinary urgency, urinary frequency or dribbling of urine. These conditions can be due to nerve dysfunction, non-relaxing pelvic floor muscles or both. Voiding dysfunction is also classified as being caused by either underactivity of the bladder (detrusor) or outflow (urethra).
Pelvic/Vaginal pain
This can refer to any pain within the pelvis or vagina. For men this can include scrotal or testicular pain.
Fecal Incontinence
Much like urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence can be a very embarrassing condition that is described as the inability to control bowel movements, causing stool to leak unexpectedly from the rectum. Also called bowel incontinence, fecal incontinence ranges from an occasional leakage of stool while passing gas to a complete loss of bowel control. Damage to the nerves that control the sphincter muscles in your rectum is the most common cause of fecal incontinence. This can happen during a surgical procedure, childbirth, or most commonly due to constant straining due to constipation.
Chronic Constipation
Long-term constipation can lead to many other pelvic floor disorders and can be a big cause of pelvic and abdominal pain. PT can use biofeedback and muscle retraining to help improve bowl habits along with diet modifications to aid in reducing constipation.
Coccydynia
Pain associated with the coccyx or tailbone. This pain is usually due to some form of trauma such as falling and landing on your bottom.
Pain with Sexual Activity
Also known as a condition called dyspareunia. This can included any pain that occurs before, during or immediately following intercourse. Males may experience painful ejaculation or erection.
Nerve Pain
Pelvic nerve conditions can be associated with the following nerves: pudendal nerve, ilio-hypogastric nerve, ilio-inguinal nerve, or the genito-femoral nerve. These nerves are located either in the abdominal wall, the pelvic cavity or surrounding the groin and perineal area. Damage to any of these nerves can cause chronic pelvic pain.
Pre/Post Operative
This can refer to any pelvic, hip or low back surgery. Whether you have had a hysterectomy, bladder suspension surgery, prostatectomy, spinal fusion or hip surgery its possible for your pelvic floor muscles to respond in a way that can cause pain. PT can help with any pain issues that can arise from muscle imbalance, instability, scar tissue formation or a combination of the above!
Bladder Pain
Can be referred to a condition called Interstitial Cystitis or Painful Bladder Syndrome. These conditions result in reoccurring pain and discomfort in the bladder and surrounding areas. Symptoms can vary in severity and patients may experience worsening pain as the bladder fills and empties.
Post-partum Pain
Following childbirth it is very common to have some sort of low back or pelvic pain. PT can be very helpful to decrease the pain faster and return you to your prior level of functioning!
Urinary Incontinence
Incontinence is defined at any unintentional loss of urine
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence occurs when any physical activity (ie: coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping, running or heavy lifting) puts pressure on your bladder causing leakage.
Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence is associated with the bladder muscle contracting, usually associated with an increased urge to urinate, causing a leakage of urine.
Urinary Dysfunctions
Voiding dysfunction describes conditions where there is poor coordination between the bladder muscle and the urethra. This can result in incomplete relaxation or over activity of the pelvic floor muscles during voiding. Voiding dysfunction can manifest as a wide range of symptoms which can include difficulty in emptying bladder, urinary hesitancy, slow or weak urine stream, urinary urgency, urinary frequency or dribbling of urine. These conditions can be due to nerve dysfunction, non-relaxing pelvic floor muscles or both. Voiding dysfunction is also classified as being caused by either underactivity of the bladder (detrusor) or outflow (urethra).
Pelvic/Vaginal pain
This can refer to any pain within the pelvis or vagina. For men this can include scrotal or testicular pain.
Fecal Incontinence
Much like urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence can be a very embarrassing condition that is described as the inability to control bowel movements, causing stool to leak unexpectedly from the rectum. Also called bowel incontinence, fecal incontinence ranges from an occasional leakage of stool while passing gas to a complete loss of bowel control. Damage to the nerves that control the sphincter muscles in your rectum is the most common cause of fecal incontinence. This can happen during a surgical procedure, childbirth, or most commonly due to constant straining due to constipation.
Chronic Constipation
Long-term constipation can lead to many other pelvic floor disorders and can be a big cause of pelvic and abdominal pain. PT can use biofeedback and muscle retraining to help improve bowl habits along with diet modifications to aid in reducing constipation.
Coccydynia
Pain associated with the coccyx or tailbone. This pain is usually due to some form of trauma such as falling and landing on your bottom.
Pain with Sexual Activity
Also known as a condition called dyspareunia. This can included any pain that occurs before, during or immediately following intercourse. Males may experience painful ejaculation or erection.
Nerve Pain
Pelvic nerve conditions can be associated with the following nerves: pudendal nerve, ilio-hypogastric nerve, ilio-inguinal nerve, or the genito-femoral nerve. These nerves are located either in the abdominal wall, the pelvic cavity or surrounding the groin and perineal area. Damage to any of these nerves can cause chronic pelvic pain.
Pre/Post Operative
This can refer to any pelvic, hip or low back surgery. Whether you have had a hysterectomy, bladder suspension surgery, prostatectomy, spinal fusion or hip surgery its possible for your pelvic floor muscles to respond in a way that can cause pain. PT can help with any pain issues that can arise from muscle imbalance, instability, scar tissue formation or a combination of the above!
Bladder Pain
Can be referred to a condition called Interstitial Cystitis or Painful Bladder Syndrome. These conditions result in reoccurring pain and discomfort in the bladder and surrounding areas. Symptoms can vary in severity and patients may experience worsening pain as the bladder fills and empties.
Post-partum Pain
Following childbirth it is very common to have some sort of low back or pelvic pain. PT can be very helpful to decrease the pain faster and return you to your prior level of functioning!
A Safe, Comfortable Process
What to Expect at Your First Visit
At your first visit, you’ll meet with me one-on-one to review the history of your current condition in a supportive and comfortable setting. We’ll talk about how long you’ve been experiencing symptoms, what those symptoms are like, and what treatments you may have already explored, including what has and hasn’t worked for you. After our discussion, I’ll perform a comprehensive evaluation of your posture, muscle strength, and the stability of your pelvis and lower back. I’ll also assess your muscles to identify any areas of tightness or tenderness that may be contributing to your symptoms. The next portion of the evaluation focuses on the muscles of your pelvic floor. This may include an internal examination, but there are no scary tools involved. This assessment allows me to better understand how your pelvic floor muscles contract and relax, as well as identify any areas of increased tension or tenderness. Once the evaluation is complete, we’ll review the findings together and create an individualized plan of care based on your goals. Your treatment plan may include manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, muscle re-education, stretching, and patient education to support your recovery.
Convenient Downtown Location
State-of-the-Art Office
We’ve been a part of the Little Italy community for over 6 years. Our office features top-of-the-line equipment to get you the results you expect.
Real Reviews From Real Patients
See What Our Patients Are Saying
"The team at Physical Therapy Effect is top notch. They support the Padres Pedal the Cause event every year at Petco Park to raise money for cancer research and do exceptional work."
Padres P.
"My herniated disc has shown tremendous improvement, all because of the great work by Dr. Mark. Top off the treatment experience with an extremely professional and friendly staff!"
John W.
"You couldn't go to a better PT place to heal and feel better again. You want to heal and be with some of the most caring and friendliest and healing staff, this is the right place"
D B.
"Dr. Shulman and staff are a cut above everyone else. They will customize a treatment plan for the individual. I’ve had excellent results with my back pain and appreciate the care."
Steve M.
"Mark and the team at The Physical Therapy Effect are awesome people with a real passion for helping others. Their dedication to providing the best service possible is evident."
Megan P.
"This place and the people that work there are the best! Very friendly and great at what they do. It's an awesome environment and I would highly suggest."
Emmett C.
"I recently 'graduated' and feel completely back to normal and I wouldn't have been able to do it without him, his team, amazing staff, and adorable office dogs. I have already recommended him."
Kari C.
"To say that Dr. Shulman is a ‘miracle worker’ would not be an overstatement. Ok maybe a little, but he’s the only person who has been able to relieve my neck pain. Beyond that, the office is great."
Shelley M.
"Amazing staff! Extremely knowledgeable and experienced! One of the best physical therapy staffs I have utilized. From my back to my shoulder to my feet, they have helped me regain mobility."
