Pelvic floor therapy in Concord, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the basketball court, 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 need to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Concord, MO can lead to:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Concord, MO specializes in creating personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they love most safely and successfully. If you are curious in learning more about pelvic floor therapy or want to arrange an appointment with one of our specialists, 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 create a supportive net-like structure at the bottom of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a base for the organs in the pelvic area, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor safeguards organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several basic functions.

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

• Helps manage your bladder and bowels by giving you control over the squeezing and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and stops them from descending
• Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports well-functioning sexual function
• Provides support and posture to the core and back
• During pregnancy, expands to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymph circulation, helping to preserve healthy 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 passageways or passages 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 dropping down. It works like a reinforcing sling to maintain 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 maintains 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 keep your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have essential roles. They help in regulating the release of urine and stool by tightening 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 diminished or becomes too tense, it leads to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a condition where you have difficulty relaxing and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Difficulty 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 strain waste
• Pelvic discomfort
• 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 can affect anyone, regardless of 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 Concord, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to helping you regain the pleasure 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 frustrated, ashamed, or despairing. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Concord, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a pain-free life.

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 Concord, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help improving bladder and bowel control, reduce symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination facilitates vitals functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less resilient or stiffer muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can support in lessening or eradicating the pain 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 aid in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on specific muscles and addressing any hidden issues, therapy can boost sexual arousal, orgasm, and overall sexual gratification.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not just consist of supervised exercises. By providing education and teaching you techniques you can utilize independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you actively participate in your own care and enables you to maintain a way of life that supports pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Concord, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic well-being and function. While some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might require surgical intervention, most patients in Concord, MO will find lasting and substantial improvement through less invasive physical therapy methods.

What Concord, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Concord, MO will involve an assessment of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will emphasize implementing your tailored treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Concord, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to understand you and your symptoms. 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 evaluate your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Concord, MO may additionally include an internal examination to more assess the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized as an alternative to an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will assist in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the formulation of an optimal treatment plan to assist 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 Concord, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will include defined goals, techniques, and expected results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving physical strength and balance is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Concord, 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
• Resistance exercises to develop weak muscles
• Functional training to incorporate new muscle movements into everyday tasks

The exercises your Concord, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your specific situation, but will all be aimed at reconditioning 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, involves your physical therapist using their hands to put pressure on and massage 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 utilizes a device to measure 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 real-time feedback on how they engage and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and release the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle integration and mastery.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to mark off – it also gives you access to expert, science-backed insights that improve your daily life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:

• Alterations to your eating habits
• Fluid control
• Correct posture and safe lifting methods
• Tactics for managing constipation
• Further recommendations for a more wholesome daily life and way of living

Augmenting the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications encourages better pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in providing personalized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Concord, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting favorable patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a sensitive and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, compassion, and personalized attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in offering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and cutting-edge 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 interested in trying pelvic floor therapy in Concord, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Concord, MO area, all devoted to achieving your best pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from living your most life. At Axes, our devoted physical and occupational therapists in Concord, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the activities you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to get through your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment through our website or reach out to the closest location to you to start your path with Axes Physical Therapy in Concord, MO today.