Pelvic floor therapy in Madison, IL. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can impact your self-esteem and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from returning to a beloved sport, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same assurance and comfort as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you require to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Madison, IL can help you with:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced pain and inflammation
• Enhanced sexual performance and pleasure
• Increased confidence and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Madison, IL specializes in developing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most securely and effectively. If you are curious in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or want to book an appointment with one of our physical therapusts, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you restore control and assurance in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that constitute a supportive net-like structure at the bottom of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a foundation for the organs in your pelvis, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor safeguards organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several basic functions.

The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by giving you authority over the contraction and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports healthy sexual function
• Provides support and posture to the core and back
• During pregnancy, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and assists in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymph circulation, contributing to preserve healthy tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles span from the tailbone at the back to the pubic bone at the front, while also connecting to the hip bones on each side. These muscles have passageways or canals for the urethra (through which urine is passed), the vagina, and the anus (through which stool is passed).

Picture the pelvic floor as a woven mesh of muscles and tissues that constructs a strong base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from descending down. It works like a supportive sling to maintain the position and function of pelvic organs.

The main muscles of the pelvic floor are called the levator ani and the coccygeus. The levator ani has three parts: one that wraps around the rectum and helps you to hold in your poo (puborectalis), one that connects the front and back bones of your pelvis and supports the urethra and rectum (pubococcygeus), and one that connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and sustains the organs inside your abdomen (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and helps to maintain your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have essential roles. They help in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the correct times and play a part in sexual function and satisfaction by providing support to the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is diminished or becomes too tense, it results in pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when you have difficulty unwinding and aligning your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Challenges urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to push out waste
• Pelvic aches
• Pain during sex
• Erectile dysfunction and trouble reaching orgasm
• Organ prolapse

Potential Causes

• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Pelvic surgery or trauma
• Obesity
• Aging
• Menopause
• Chronic constipation or straining
• Chronic coughing or sneezing
• Heavy lifting or high-impact exercise
• Psychological factors like stress or emotional trauma
• Nerve damage
• Surgery

Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just affect people of a single certain age, gender or physical ability. While it can have a negative impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Madison, IL. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to helping you recover the joy of participating in the things you love most in life.

How Physical Therapy Can Help With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

If you are suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, you may feel disappointed, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Madison, IL physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and experience a comfortable existence.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Madison, IL include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can assist in improving bladder and bowel control, diminish symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and provide better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination supports vitals functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting weaker or stiffer muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can aid in lessening or getting rid of the pain you experience resulting from pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can assist in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, decreasing the chance of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to pregnancy and labor.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on specific muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can boost sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual health.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not just consist of supervised exercises. By providing education and guiding you in methods you can try independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and enables you to maintain a lifestyle that fosters pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Madison, IL who can support you in boosting your pelvic well-being and performance. Although some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate surgical treatment, the majority of individuals in Madison, IL will likely experience long-lasting and substantial improvement through less invasive physical therapy methods.

What Madison, IL Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Madison, IL will involve an assessment of your current pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will center around implementing your tailored treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Madison, IL physical therapist will dedicate time to familiarize themselves with you and your symptoms. They will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will conduct a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to assess your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Madison, IL may additionally include an internal examination to further evaluate the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized as an alternative to an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will aid in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the formulation of an optimal treatment plan to assist you in returning to the activities you enjoy.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Madison, IL will design a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, exercises, and projected outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving muscle strength and coordination is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Madison, IL are:

• Kegel exercises to release and engage the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Flexibility exercises to loosen tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to build up weak muscles
• Functional training to integrate new muscle movements into everyday activities

The exercises your Madison, IL physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your unique situation, but will all be aimed at retraining your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your present health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may initially start with you reclining on your back and progress to sitting and standing positions.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy, such as instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, is a hands-on technique that involves your physical therapist applying pressure or massaging specific areas of your pelvis. It may include myofascial release (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve decompression (freeing up compressed nerves), joint mobilization (improving the mobility of your joints), deep tissue massage (relaxing tense muscles), or skin rolling (lifting and rolling the skin to reduce adhesions).

Biofeedback Training

Biofeedback training employs a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to manage and align your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they tighten and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage and release the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle coordination and mastery.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to mark off – it also gives you entry to professional, evidence-based insights that boost your everyday life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:

• Alterations to your eating habits
• Fluid control
• Correct body alignment and safe lifting methods
• Approaches for managing constipation
• Any other recommendations for a healthier day-to-day life and way of living

Augmenting the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments promotes better pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

Other pelvic floor therapy techniques may incorporate therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and other alternatives.

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Madison, IL

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in delivering individualized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Madison, IL, our practice is focused on the client and getting favorable patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a delicate and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, empathy, and personalized attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in providing evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We make use of up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to shape our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we provide a range of other physical therapy services that can enhance your pelvic floor therapy, including:

• Orthopedic rehab
• Sports physical therapy
• Neurological physical therapy
• Geriatric physical therapy
• Pre- or post-surgery rehab

If you are exploring pelvic floor therapy in Madison, IL, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Madison, IL area, all dedicated to attaining your best pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Madison, IL Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from being your favorite version of yourself. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in Madison, IL have a sole mission: returning you to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to get through your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment through our website or contact the closest location to you to embark on your path with Axes Physical Therapy in Madison, IL today.