Pelvic floor therapy in Champ, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from getting back to a beloved activity, beginning parenthood, or just getting through a day with the same confidence and comfort you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to feel like your best you again. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Champ, MO can lead to:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced pain and inflammation
• Enhanced sexual performance and pleasure
• Increased self-assurance and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Champ, MO specializes in creating personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most safely and effectively. If you are curious in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or wish to book 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 regain control and confidence in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that form a supportive net-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 vital functions.

The pelvic floor has several functions and roles:

• Helps manage your bladder and bowels by providing you authority over the contraction and release 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 lymphatic circulation, helping to preserve 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 linking 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 mesh of muscles and tissues that constructs a resilient base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from descending down. It works like a reinforcing sling to maintain 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 poo (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 maintain your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They help in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the right times and contribute in sexual function and pleasure by supporting 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 occurs when you experience difficulty unwinding and coordinating 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
• Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing to push out waste
• 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, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Champ, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to helping you regain the pleasure of engaging in the pursuits 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, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Champ, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a comfortable life.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The positive outcomes of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Champ, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid in 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 promotes vitals functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting weaker or more rigid muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can support in reducing or eliminating the discomfort 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 readying the pelvic floor for labor, decreasing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on particular muscles and tackling any underlying issues, therapy can improve 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 instructing you in tips you can utilize autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you actively participate in your own care and empowers you to maintain a way of life that fosters pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Champ, MO who can help you in enhancing your pelvic well-being and performance. Although some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may require surgical intervention, most individuals in Champ, MO will likely find sustained and meaningful improvement through less invasive physical therapy techniques.

What Champ, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Champ, MO will involve an examination of your existing pelvic floor health. The subsequent 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 Champ, MO physical therapist will spend time to understand you and your symptoms. 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 determine your present condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Champ, MO may also include an internal examination to better determine the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used as an alternative to 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 support the formulation of an effective 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 Champ, MO will create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will incorporate specific goals, exercises, and projected outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to relax and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to build up weak muscles
• Functional training to integrate new muscle movements into routine activities

The exercises your Champ, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ based on your particular needs, but will all be aimed at retraining your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your existing health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may commence with you lying down on your back and gradually advance to sitting 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 working on specific areas of your pelvis. It may include myofascial release (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve decompression (freeing up compressed nerves), joint mobilizing techniques (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 measure 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 tighten and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and release the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle alignment and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

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

• Alterations to your eating habits
• Liquid management
• Appropriate body alignment and lifting techniques
• Strategies for managing constipation
• Additional recommendations for a better everyday life and lifestyle

Complementing the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations promotes better pelvic floor function and general well-being.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in delivering personalized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Champ, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting positive patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a sensitive and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, empathy, and tailored attention.

We also embrace the belief in offering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and state-of-the-art technology to inform our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we present a range of other physical therapy services that can supplement 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 Champ, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Champ, MO area, all committed to achieving your best pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from leading your best life. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in Champ, MO have a unified mission: returning you to the activities you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it demanding to get through your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your aspirations. Request an appointment online or get in touch with the closest location to you to embark on your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Champ, MO today.