Pelvic floor therapy in Creve Coeur, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from getting back to a favorite activity, beginning parenthood, or just getting through a day with the same confidence 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 Creve Coeur, MO can lead to:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Creve Coeur, MO specializes in developing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits 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 specialists, please contact us online today or get in touch to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you regain command and confidence in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

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 base for the organs in the pelvic area, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor protects organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several everyday 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 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, contributing to maintain vibrant tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles stretch 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 passageways 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 network of muscles and tissues that creates a strong foundation, 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 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 helps 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 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 important roles. They aid in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the appropriate times and play a part in sexual function and pleasure by supporting the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is weakened 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 relaxing and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Frequently feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to force out waste
• Pelvic aches
• 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, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Creve Coeur, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to assisting you recover the joy of engaging in the pursuits you cherish 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 despairing. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a life sentence. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Creve Coeur, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a comfortable existence.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Creve Coeur, 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 less flexible muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can aid in lessening or eliminating the pain you experience caused by pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can aid in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and dealing with any underlying issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, orgasm, and overall sexual fulfillment.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering information and guiding you in tips you can try at home, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role 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 Creve Coeur, MO who can support you in boosting your pelvic health and function. While some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate operative intervention, most patients in Creve Coeur, MO will likely experience long-lasting and meaningful progress through less invasive physical therapy techniques.

What Creve Coeur, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Creve Coeur, MO will include an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor condition. The following sessions will center around implementing your personalized treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. During this phase, your Creve Coeur, MO physical therapist will take the time to familiarize themselves with 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 present condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Creve Coeur, MO may also include an internal examination to more evaluate the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will assist in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the development of an optimal treatment plan to assist 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 Creve Coeur, MO will create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, exercises, and anticipated outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving physical strength and coordination is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Creve Coeur, MO include:

• Kegel exercises to release and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Flexibility exercises to release tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle movements into everyday activities

The exercises your Creve Coeur, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will vary based on your specific situation, but will all be aimed at reconditioning your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your current health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may commence with you lying flat on your back and evolve to seated 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 trigger point therapy (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve release (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 utilizes a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to control and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and relax the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle coordination and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

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

• Changes to your nutrition
• Fluid control
• Correct body alignment and lifting techniques
• Approaches for managing constipation
• Any other advice for a healthier daily life and way of living

Enhancing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications promotes enhanced 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 Creve Coeur, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in providing customized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Creve Coeur, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting favorable patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a challenging and demanding issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, empathy, and tailored attention.

We also embrace the belief in providing evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and state-of-the-art technology to inform our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we offer 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 Creve Coeur, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Creve Coeur, MO area, all dedicated to achieving your ideal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Creve Coeur, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from being your favorite version of yourself. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Creve Coeur, MO have a singular mission: returning you to the activities you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to manage your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment through our website or get in touch with the nearest location to you to commence your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Creve Coeur, MO today.