Pelvic floor therapy in Affton, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the field, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and comfort as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you need to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Affton, MO can lead to:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and swelling
• Enhanced sexual performance and satisfaction
• Increased self-assurance and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Affton, MO specializes in designing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they love most securely and successfully. If you are curious in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or wish to book an appointment with one of our experts, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you reclaim control and confidence in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

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

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

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by providing you command over the squeezing and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and stops them from descending
• Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports healthy sexual function
• Provides stability and posture to the core and back
• During pregnancy, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymphatic 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 linking to the hip bones on each side. These muscles have passageways or passages for the urethra (through which urine is passed), the vagina, and the anus (through which stool is passed).

Imagine the pelvic floor as a woven web of muscles and tissues that creates a strong foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from dropping down. It works like a reinforcing sling to uphold the position and function of pelvic organs.

The primary 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 supports the organs inside your lower belly (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and works to maintain your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They aid in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the appropriate times and play a part in sexual function and satisfaction by supporting 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 experience difficulty unwinding and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Challenges urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Regularly feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing to force out waste
• Pelvic aches
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction and difficulty 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 can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical ability. While it can affect anyone deeply, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Affton, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to assisting you recover the joy of engaging in the pursuits you hold dear most in life.

How Physical Therapy Can Help With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

If you are suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, you may feel disappointed, embarrassed, or despairing. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Affton, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a pain-free existence.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Affton, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help improving bladder and bowel control, alleviate symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and provide better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination promotes vitals functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting weaker or less flexible muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can support in reducing or getting rid of the discomfort you endure due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can assist in readying the pelvic floor for childbirth, decreasing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on specific muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual gratification.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering information and guiding you in approaches you can try autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you actively participate in your own care and enables you to sustain a way of life that fosters pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Affton, MO who can support you in enhancing your pelvic well-being and function. Although certain cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate operative intervention, the majority of individuals in Affton, MO will likely find long-lasting and significant improvement through less invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Affton, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Affton, MO will comprise an evaluation of your current pelvic floor health. The following sessions will center around implementing your personalized treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Affton, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to understand you and your symptoms. They will inquire about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will perform a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to assess your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Affton, MO may additionally include an internal examination to further assess the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized rather than an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will help in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and support the creation of an suitable treatment plan to assist you in getting back to the activities you love.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Affton, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, techniques, and anticipated outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving strength and coordination is crucial for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Affton, MO include:

• Kegel exercises to release and engage the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Stretching exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to develop weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle movements into everyday tasks

The exercises your Affton, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ based on your particular needs, 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 evolve to seated 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 working on specific areas of your pelvis. It may include trigger point therapy (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve mobilization (freeing up compressed nerves), joint manipulation (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 control and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you instant feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and relax the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle coordination and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to mark off – it also gives you entrée to expert, research-supported insights that enhance your everyday life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:

• Adjustments to your eating habits
• Fluid control
• Proper body alignment and safe lifting methods
• Strategies for addressing constipation
• Additional recommendations for a more wholesome everyday life and way of living

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

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

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Affton, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in offering individualized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Affton, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a sensitive and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, empathy, and customized attention.

We also hold the belief in providing evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and state-of-the-art 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 interested in trying pelvic floor therapy in Affton, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Affton, MO area, all committed to attaining your ideal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Affton, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from living your fullest life. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Affton, MO have a unified mission: getting you back to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it challenging to manage your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment online or get in touch with the closest location to you to start your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Affton, MO today.