Pelvic floor therapy in Byrnes Mill, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from returning to a beloved sport, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same confidence and ease you used to, 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 Byrnes Mill, MO can lead to:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced discomfort and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
- Increased confidence and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Byrnes Mill, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most safely and effectively. If you are interested in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or want to arrange 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.
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that form a supportive hammock-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 manage your bladder and bowels by providing you authority 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 optimal sexual function
- Provides sturdiness 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, contributing to maintain vibrant tissue
Pelvic Floor Anatomy
The pelvic floor muscles extend 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 openings or canals 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 network of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from sagging. It works like a reinforcing 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 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 supports 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 crucial roles. They aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening 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 leads to pelvic floor dysfunction.
Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when you have difficulty unwinding and aligning your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.
Signs and Symptoms
- Difficulty 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 strain urine or feces
- Pelvic aches
- Pain during sex
- Erectile dysfunction and difficulty 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 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 Byrnes Mill, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to assisting you regain the pleasure of engaging in the pursuits 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 not the same thing as a life sentence. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Byrnes Mill, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy a pain-free life.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Byrnes Mill, 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 provide better support for the pelvic organs.
- Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination promotes essential functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
- Pain management — By targeting less resilient or less flexible muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can aid in lessening or eliminating the discomfort you feel caused by 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 childbirth, reducing the chance of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
- Sexual health improvement — By focusing on particular muscles and tackling any hidden issues, therapy can enhance sexual excitement, orgasm, and overall sexual health.
- Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not solely consist of guided exercises. By providing education and teaching you methods you can utilize at home, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and empowers you to maintain a lifestyle that supports pelvic floor wellness.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Byrnes Mill, MO who can support you in enhancing your pelvic health and performance. While certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might require surgical treatment, most individuals in Byrnes Mill, MO will find sustained and substantial progress through less invasive physical therapy techniques.
What Byrnes Mill, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Byrnes Mill, MO will include an assessment of your current pelvic floor health. The remaining sessions will emphasize implementing your tailored treatment plan.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. During this phase, your Byrnes Mill, MO physical therapist will spend time to familiarize themselves with you and your issues. 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 current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Byrnes Mill, MO may additionally involve an internal examination to more determine the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized as an alternative to an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will aid in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the formulation of an effective treatment plan to help 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 Byrnes Mill, MO will design a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will include specific goals, techniques, and expected 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 Byrnes Mill, MO are:
- Kegel exercises to relax and engage the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor motion
- Stretching exercises to release tight muscles
- Strengthening exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to integrate new muscle actions into everyday activities
The exercises your Byrnes Mill, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your unique needs, but will all be aimed at retraining your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your current health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may initially start with you lying down on your back and evolve to sitting 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 manipulating 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 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 understand how to regulate and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they tighten and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and release the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle alignment and control.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to complete – it also provides you with entrée to professional, evidence-based insights that enhance your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:
- Adjustments to your diet
- Liquid management
- Appropriate body alignment and lifting techniques
- Tactics for addressing constipation
- Additional advice for a healthier day-to-day life and lifestyle
Enhancing the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations promotes better 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 Byrnes Mill, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in providing personalized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Byrnes Mill, MO, our practice places our clients at the center and strives to obtain favorable patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a delicate and demanding condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, empathy, and personalized attention.
We also embrace the belief in delivering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We make use of up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to inform 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 Byrnes Mill, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Byrnes Mill, MO area, all committed to attaining your best pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Byrnes Mill, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to hinder you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Byrnes Mill, MO have a sole mission: returning you to the things you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it challenging to navigate your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your aspirations. Request an appointment online or get in touch with the most convenient location to you to start your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Byrnes Mill, MO today.
