Pelvic floor therapy in Cottleville, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your sense of self and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the basketball court, starting a family, or just navigating 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 research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Cottleville, MO can help you achieve:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and swelling
• Enhanced sexual performance and satisfaction
• Increased self-assurance and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Cottleville, MO specializes in developing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they enjoy most safely and effectively. If you are curious in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or wish to arrange an appointment with one of our physical therapusts, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you regain control and assurance in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that constitute a supportive web-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 outside pressure while helping control several important functions.

The pelvic floor has several functions and roles:

• Helps manage your bladder and bowels by providing you control 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 stability and posture to the core and back
• During pregnancy, expands to accommodate a growing fetus and assists in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymph circulation, contributing to maintain 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 linking 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).

Think of the pelvic floor as a woven mesh of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from descending down. It works like a supportive 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 sustains the organs inside your abdomen (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and works to maintain your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have crucial roles. They aid in regulating the release of urine and stool by tightening 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 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 experience difficulty unwinding and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Trouble 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 strain waste
• Pelvic pain
• 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 can affect anyone, regardless of 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 Cottleville, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to helping you regain the pleasure of participating 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, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Cottleville, MO 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, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Cottleville, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can assist in improving bladder and bowel control, reduce symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and provide better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination facilitates essential functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less strong or less flexible muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can assist in reducing or eliminating the pain you endure resulting from pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can assist in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the chance of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on particular muscles and tackling any hidden issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Your customized pelvic floor therapy plan won’t just include monitored exercises. By offering information and guiding you in tips you can utilize at home, your Axes physical therapist helps you actively participate in your own care and enables you to sustain a routine that supports pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Cottleville, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic health and function. While certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might require operative correction, most individuals in Cottleville, MO will experience lasting and meaningful improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Cottleville, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Cottleville, MO will comprise an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will focus on implementing your tailored treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Cottleville, MO physical therapist will spend time to get to know you and your symptoms. They will inquire about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will perform a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to evaluate your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Cottleville, MO may also include an internal examination to better assess the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used as an alternative to an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will assist in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the development of an suitable treatment plan to assist you in returning to the activities you love.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Cottleville, MO will design a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, techniques, and projected results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to release and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Stretching exercises to loosen tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to build up weak muscles
• Functional training to incorporate new muscle movements into routine tasks

The exercises your Cottleville, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ based on your unique 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 begin 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, 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 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 understand how to regulate and align your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they tighten and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage and release the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle integration and mastery.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a list of exercises to mark off – it also offers you entry to expert, research-supported insights that improve your daily life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Adjustments to your nutrition
• Fluid control
• Correct body alignment and safe lifting methods
• Approaches for addressing constipation
• Further advice for a more wholesome day-to-day life and way of living

Augmenting the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications promotes improved 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 other alternatives.

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in delivering personalized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Cottleville, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a challenging 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 comprehensive care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and advanced 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 exploring pelvic floor therapy in Cottleville, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Cottleville, MO area, all devoted to achieving your best pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to impede you from living your fullest life. At Axes, our devoted physio and occupational therapists in Cottleville, MO have a singular mission: getting you back to the things you love the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it difficult to manage your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment online or reach out to the most convenient location to you to start your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Cottleville, MO today.