Pelvic floor therapy in Avon, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical discomfort; it can affect your sense of self and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from getting back to a favorite sport, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same assurance 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 Avon, MO can help you achieve:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Avon, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most safely and effectively. If you are curious in learning more about pelvic floor therapy or want to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or contact 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 complex of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that create a supportive net-like structure at the base 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 shields organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several vital functions.

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

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by providing you command over the contraction and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and stops them from prolapsing
• 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 lymphatic circulation, contributing to sustain healthy tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles extend 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 channels 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 constructs a resilient foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from dropping 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 feces (puborectalis), one that connects the front and back bones of your pelvis and maintains the urethra and rectum (pubococcygeus), and one that connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and supports 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 important roles. They aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the appropriate times and contribute in sexual function and satisfaction by providing support to the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is compromised 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 experience difficulty unwinding and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Trouble urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Frequently feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing to force out waste
• Pelvic discomfort
• 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 have a negative impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Avon, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to helping you regain the pleasure of engaging in the activities you cherish 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 not the same thing as a life sentence. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Avon, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy a comfortable life.

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

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid in 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 facilitates essential functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less resilient or more rigid muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can aid in reducing or eradicating the pain you experience 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 delivery, decreasing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on particular muscles and addressing any subsurface issues, therapy can improve sexual arousal, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By providing information and guiding you in methods you can utilize independently, 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 wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Avon, MO who can help you in boosting your pelvic health and function. While some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may require operative treatment, the majority of patients in Avon, MO will likely experience long-lasting and significant progress through less invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Avon, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Avon, MO will comprise an assessment of your current pelvic floor condition. The following sessions will emphasize implementing your customized treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Avon, MO physical therapist will spend time to understand you and your issues. They will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will perform a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to evaluate your present condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Avon, MO may also include an internal examination to better determine the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will aid in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the creation of an effective treatment plan to assist you in resuming the activities you cherish.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Avon, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will include precise goals, exercises, and expected outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to loosen and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Stretching exercises to loosen tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to incorporate new muscle actions into routine tasks

The exercises your Avon, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your unique situation, but will all be aimed at reconditioning 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 manipulating specific areas of your pelvis. It may include myofascial release (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 utilizes a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to regulate and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you instant feedback on how they tighten and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage and relax the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle coordination and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to cross off – it also offers you access to skilled, evidence-based insights that improve your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Alterations to your nutrition
• Fluid regulation
• Proper body alignment and lifting techniques
• Tactics for dealing with constipation
• Any other recommendations for a healthier day-to-day life and lifestyle

Augmenting the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments fosters enhanced pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in offering personalized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Avon, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting positive patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a delicate and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, empathy, and customized attention.

We also hold the belief in offering 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 present 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in Avon, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Avon, MO area, all dedicated to realizing your optimal pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our devoted physical and occupational therapists in Avon, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the things you love the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it difficult to navigate your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment online or contact the closest location to you to start your recovery with Axes Physical Therapy in Avon, MO today.