Pelvic floor therapy in Bridgeton, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from dominating on the field, starting a family, 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 Bridgeton, MO can help you experience:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Bridgeton, 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 interested in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or want to arrange an appointment with one of our physical therapusts, please contact us online today or contact to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you regain control and assurance in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that create a supportive hammock-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 outside pressure while helping manage several important functions.

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

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by providing you control over the squeezing and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and stops them from descending
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports well-functioning sexual function
• Provides sturdiness 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 lymph circulation, helping to sustain vibrant tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles stretch 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 web of muscles and tissues that creates a sturdy foundation, holding the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from sagging. It works like a reinforcing sling to uphold 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 assists you to hold in your stool (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 sustains the organs inside your lower belly (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 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 results in pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when you have difficulty relaxing 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
• Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to push out waste
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during sex
• Erectile dysfunction and trouble ejaculating
• 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 Bridgeton, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to helping you recover the pleasure 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 disappointed, embarrassed, or despairing. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With practical treatment plans customized for you by your Bridgeton, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a pain-free existence.

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

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help improving bladder and bowel control, diminish 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 resilient or stiffer muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can aid in diminishing or getting rid of the discomfort you feel due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised for expecting mothers and those who have just given birth. It can assist in readying the pelvic floor for labor, decreasing the likelihood of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and dealing with any hidden issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, orgasm, and general sexual health.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering information and teaching you techniques you can practice autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and empowers you to sustain a way of life that promotes pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Bridgeton, MO who can assist you in boosting your pelvic health and function. Although certain cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may necessitate operative correction, the majority of individuals in Bridgeton, MO will experience sustained and significant improvement through less invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Bridgeton, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Bridgeton, MO will comprise an evaluation 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. During this phase, your Bridgeton, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to get to know 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 determine your present condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Bridgeton, MO may additionally include an internal examination to better assess the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will help in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the creation of an suitable 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 Bridgeton, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate specific goals, techniques, and projected 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 Bridgeton, MO include:

• Kegel exercises to release and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Stretching exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle patterns into everyday tasks

The exercises your Bridgeton, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change 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 begin with you lying down on your back and evolve to seated and upright 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 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 utilizes a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to manage and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they engage and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and relax the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle integration and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to complete – it also provides you with access to professional, science-backed insights that boost your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:

• Changes to your diet
• Liquid management
• Proper posture and lifting techniques
• Approaches for dealing with constipation
• Additional recommendations for a healthier daily life and way of living

Augmenting the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments encourages 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 Bridgeton, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in providing individualized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Bridgeton, MO, our practice places our clients at the center and endeavors to obtain favorable patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a sensitive and demanding condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, empathy, and personalized attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in offering evidence-based and holistic 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 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 exploring pelvic floor therapy in Bridgeton, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Bridgeton, MO area, all committed to realizing your optimal pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our dedicated physio and occupational therapists in Bridgeton, MO 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 demanding to manage your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your goals. Request an appointment through our website or reach out to the nearest location to you to embark on your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Bridgeton, MO today.