Pelvic floor therapy in Calverton Park, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical discomfort; it can impact your self-perception and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from getting back to a beloved sport, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same assurance and ease as before, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you need to regain your lifestyle. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Calverton Park, MO can lead to:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Calverton Park, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most securely and successfully. If you are interested in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or want to arrange an appointment with one of our physical therapusts, please contact us online today or get in touch to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you restore command 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 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 shields organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping manage several vital functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by providing you authority over the squeezing and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from prolapsing
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports optimal sexual function
• Provides support 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 sustain vibrant tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles span 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 channels or canals for the urethra (through which urine is passed), the vagina, and the anus (through which stool is passed).

Think of the pelvic floor as a woven web of muscles and tissues that constructs a sturdy base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from descending down. It works like a reinforcing sling to preserve the position and function of pelvic organs.

The primary 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 lower belly (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 assist in controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the right times and play a part in sexual function and satisfaction 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 aligning your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Challenges 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
• Feeling like you need to push out waste
• Pelvic aches
• Pain during sex
• Erectile dysfunction and trouble 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, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Calverton Park, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to assisting you regain the joy of participating in the things you treasure most in life.

How Physical Therapy Can Help With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

If you are suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, you may feel disappointed, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Calverton Park, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a comfortable 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 Calverton Park, 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 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 reducing or getting rid of the discomfort you feel resulting from 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 aid in readying the pelvic floor for childbirth, decreasing the chance 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 focusing on particular muscles and tackling any hidden issues, therapy can improve sexual arousal, orgasm, and general sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan won’t just consist of supervised exercises. By offering education and teaching you techniques you can utilize on your own, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and enables you to maintain a routine that promotes pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Calverton Park, MO who can assist you in boosting your pelvic well-being and function. Although certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction may require surgical treatment, the majority of patients in Calverton Park, MO will likely find sustained and significant improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Calverton Park, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Calverton Park, MO will include an examination of your existing pelvic floor health. The subsequent sessions will emphasize implementing your personalized treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. During this phase, your Calverton Park, 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 conduct a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to assess your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Calverton Park, MO may also include an internal examination to more assess 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 assist you in getting back 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 Calverton Park, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate specific goals, techniques, and expected results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to loosen and contract 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 integrate new muscle movements into daily tasks

The exercises your Calverton Park, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ 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 commence with you lying flat on your back and evolve 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 trigger point therapy (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve decompression (freeing up compressed nerves), joint mobilization (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 makes use of a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to manage and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you real-time feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and release the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle integration and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a list of exercises to complete – it also provides you with access to skilled, evidence-based insights that boost your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Alterations to your nutrition
• Fluid management
• Proper posture and lifting techniques
• Strategies for dealing with constipation
• Further recommendations for a more wholesome daily life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments encourages improved pelvic floor function and general well-being.

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

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Calverton Park, 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 Calverton Park, MO, our practice places our clients at the center and aims to obtain positive patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a sensitive and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, compassion, and tailored attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in offering evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to shape our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we offer 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in Calverton Park, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Calverton Park, MO area, all devoted to attaining your ideal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Calverton Park, 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 physical and occupational therapists in Calverton Park, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the activities you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it difficult to manage your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment through our website or contact the closest location to you to start your recovery with Axes Physical Therapy in Calverton Park, MO today.