Pelvic floor therapy in Augusta, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your sense of self and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from dominating on the basketball court, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same confidence and comfort you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Augusta, MO can help you achieve:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and inflammation
• Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
• Increased self-assurance and well-being

Axes Physical Therapy in Augusta, MO specializes in designing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most safely and successfully. If you are curious in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or desire to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, please contact us online today or get in touch to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you reclaim command 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 hammock-like structure at the bottom of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a base 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 control several important 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 squeezing and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from prolapsing
• Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports optimal 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, helping to preserve healthy tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles stretch from the tailbone at the back to the pubic bone at the front, while also joining 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).

Picture the pelvic floor as a woven network of muscles and tissues that forms a resilient foundation, holding the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from sagging. It works like a supportive sling to preserve the position and function of pelvic organs.

The chief 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 stool (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 works to keep your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have crucial roles. They help in controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the correct times and play a part in sexual function and pleasure by supporting the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is weakened or becomes too tense, it leads to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a condition where you have difficulty relaxing and aligning your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Frequently feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to push 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, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Augusta, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to helping you regain the joy of engaging 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 frustrated, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Augusta, MO 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 positive outcomes of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Augusta, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid in improving bladder and bowel control, reduce symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination facilitates essential functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less strong or stiffer muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can assist in diminishing or eradicating the discomfort you endure caused by 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 labor, decreasing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on particular muscles and addressing any underlying issues, therapy can improve sexual excitement, orgasm, and general sexual fulfillment.
• Education and self-management — Your personalized pelvic floor therapy plan won’t just consist of monitored exercises. By offering education and instructing you in methods you can utilize autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and empowers you to maintain a way of life that promotes pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Augusta, MO who can support you in enhancing your pelvic health and function. While some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction may require operative treatment, most patients in Augusta, MO will experience long-lasting and substantial progress through minimally invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Augusta, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Augusta, MO will include an assessment of your existing pelvic floor health. The subsequent sessions will focus on implementing your tailored treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Augusta, MO physical therapist will take the time to familiarize themselves with you and your symptoms. They will inquire about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will conduct a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to determine your present condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Augusta, MO may additionally include an internal examination to better determine the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed rather than an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will help in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the formulation of an effective treatment plan to help you in getting back to the activities you cherish.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Augusta, MO will create a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, techniques, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving physical strength and balance is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Augusta, MO are:

• Kegel exercises to loosen and engage the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Stretching exercises to release tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to integrate new muscle movements into daily activities

The exercises your Augusta, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your unique situation, but will all be aimed at reconditioning your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your current health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may commence with you lying flat on your back and gradually advance to seated and standing positions.

Manual Therapy

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

Biofeedback Training

Biofeedback training employs a device to gauge 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 contract and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and release the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle coordination and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to cross off – it also gives you entry to professional, research-supported insights that enhance your daily life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:

• Alterations to your diet
• Liquid management
• Appropriate posture and lifting techniques
• Tactics for managing constipation
• Any other advice for a healthier daily life and way of living

Augmenting the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications fosters improved pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in delivering individualized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Augusta, MO, our practice places our clients at the center and strives to attain beneficial patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a challenging and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, compassion, and customized attention.

We also embrace the belief in delivering evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we offer 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 Augusta, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Augusta, MO area, all dedicated to attaining your best pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from leading your fullest life. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Augusta, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the activities you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it challenging to navigate your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment online or reach out to the closest location to you to commence your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Augusta, MO today.