Pelvic floor therapy in Collinsville, IL. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical discomfort; it can affect your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the field, beginning parenthood, or just getting through a day with the same confidence and ease you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Collinsville, IL can lead to:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Collinsville, IL specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they enjoy most securely and effectively. If you are curious in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or desire to arrange an appointment with one of our experts, please contact us online today or get in touch to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you reclaim control and assurance 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 base 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 safeguards organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping manage several everyday functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by giving you control over the squeezing and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from descending
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports well-functioning 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, helping 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 joining 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).

Imagine the pelvic floor as a woven web of muscles and tissues that constructs a strong base, 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 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 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 abdomen (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and helps to maintain your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have essential roles. They assist in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the correct times and play a part in sexual function and pleasure by providing support to 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 coordinating 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
• Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to strain urine or feces
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during sex
• 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 affect anyone deeply, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Collinsville, IL. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to assisting you recover the joy 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 hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With practical treatment plans customized for you by your Collinsville, IL physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and experience a pain-free life.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Collinsville, IL 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 supports essential functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting weaker or less flexible muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can assist in diminishing or eradicating the pain you endure 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 childbirth, minimizing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on particular muscles and tackling any subsurface issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual fulfillment.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan won’t exclusively consist of monitored exercises. By providing education and teaching you techniques you can utilize at home, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and empowers you to sustain a way of life that promotes pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Collinsville, IL who can help you in improving your pelvic well-being and function. While some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction may necessitate surgical correction, most individuals in Collinsville, IL will experience sustained and meaningful progress through less invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Collinsville, IL Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Collinsville, IL will involve an examination of your existing pelvic floor health. The subsequent sessions will emphasize implementing your tailored treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Collinsville, IL physical therapist will dedicate time to familiarize themselves with you and your issues. 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 current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Collinsville, IL may also involve an internal examination to better assess the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used rather than an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will aid in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the development of an optimal treatment plan to help you in getting back 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 Collinsville, IL will create a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will include precise goals, exercises, and expected outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving strength and coordination is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Collinsville, IL are:

• Kegel exercises to loosen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Stretching exercises to release tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to integrate new muscle patterns into routine tasks

The exercises your Collinsville, IL physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your particular situation, but will all be aimed at rehabilitating your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your existing health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may commence with you lying flat on your back and progress to sitting and standing 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 mobilizing techniques (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 employs a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to control and align your pelvic floor muscles by giving you real-time feedback on how they contract and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage 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 entry to skilled, science-backed insights that enhance your daily life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:

• Alterations to your nutrition
• Fluid management
• Proper body alignment and safe lifting methods
• Tactics for managing constipation
• Additional recommendations for a healthier day-to-day life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications fosters improved pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

Other pelvic floor therapy techniques may incorporate therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and more alternatives.

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Collinsville, IL

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in offering individualized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Collinsville, IL, our practice puts our clients at the center and strives to attain favorable patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a sensitive and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, empathy, and customized attention.

We also embrace the belief in delivering evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to inform our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we provide 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in Collinsville, IL at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Collinsville, IL area, all committed to attaining your optimal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Collinsville, IL Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Collinsville, IL have a singular mission: getting you back to the activities you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it demanding to manage your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your goals. Request an appointment online or get in touch with the nearest location to you to start your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Collinsville, IL today.