Pelvic floor therapy in Black Jack, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your sense of self and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from returning to a favorite sport, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and ease 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 Black Jack, MO can help you achieve:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Black Jack, MO specializes in developing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most securely and effectively. If you are curious in learning more about pelvic floor therapy or desire to arrange an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you regain command and assurance in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is a complex of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that form a supportive web-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 protects organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several vital functions.

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

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by giving you control over the contraction and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
• Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports healthy sexual function
• Provides stability and alignment to the core and back
• During pregnancy, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and assists in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymphatic circulation, helping to maintain 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 openings 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 sturdy base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from sagging. 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 assists you to hold in your feces (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 lower belly (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and helps to keep your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the right 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 experience 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
• Regularly feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to force out urine or feces
• 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 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 Black Jack, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to assisting you recover the joy 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, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Black Jack, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a comfortable existence.

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

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can assist in improving bladder and bowel control, alleviate symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination supports essential functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less resilient or stiffer muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can support in lessening or eradicating the pain you feel due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can aid in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting specific muscles and tackling any hidden issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, orgasm, 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 practice autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you actively participate in your own care and empowers you to sustain a way of life that supports pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Black Jack, MO who can help you in enhancing your pelvic health and function. While some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction may require operative correction, the majority of patients in Black Jack, MO will find long-lasting and substantial progress through non-invasive physical therapy techniques.

What Black Jack, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Black Jack, MO will include an examination of your existing pelvic floor health. The subsequent sessions will center around implementing your personalized treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Black Jack, MO physical therapist will take the time to get to know you and your issues. 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 evaluate your present condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Black Jack, MO may additionally include an internal examination to further assess the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used as an substitute to an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will help in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and support the creation of an suitable treatment plan to help you in returning 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 Black Jack, MO will create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, exercises, and anticipated outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to relax and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Flexibility exercises to loosen tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle patterns into everyday activities

The exercises your Black Jack, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your specific 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 initially start with you reclining on your back and progress to sitting and upright 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 myofascial release (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 makes use of a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to manage and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they contract and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and relax the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle integration and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

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

• Changes to your diet
• Liquid control
• Correct body alignment and safe lifting methods
• Approaches for managing constipation
• Further recommendations for a healthier day-to-day life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations fosters better pelvic floor function and general 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 Black Jack, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in delivering customized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Black Jack, 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 highest respect, compassion, and tailored 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 state-of-the-art technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we present a range of other physical therapy services that can complement 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 Black Jack, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Black Jack, MO area, all dedicated to realizing your ideal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Black Jack, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from leading your best life. At Axes, our committed physio and occupational therapists in Black Jack, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the activities you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it demanding to manage your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your goals. Schedule an appointment through our website or contact the most convenient location to you to embark on your path with Axes Physical Therapy in Black Jack, MO today.