Pelvic floor therapy in Doe Run, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from returning to a beloved activity, 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 need to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Doe Run, MO can help you achieve:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced discomfort and swelling
- Enhanced sexual function and satisfaction
- Increased self-assurance and well-being
Axes Physical Therapy in Doe Run, 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 desire to schedule 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 control and assurance in your pelvic health.
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is a complex of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that create a supportive hammock-like structure at the bottom 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 external pressure while helping manage several important functions.
The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:
- Helps control your bladder and bowels by giving you authority over the squeezing and relaxing of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from prolapsing
- 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, expands to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
- Assists in blood and lymph 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 openings 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 creates a strong base, holding 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 helps you to hold in your feces (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 lower belly (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and works to maintain your pelvis stable.
The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the appropriate 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 compromised or becomes too tense, it results in 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
- Frequently feeling the urge to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing to force out waste
- Pelvic pain
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- 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 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 Doe Run, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to assisting you regain the pleasure of participating in the pursuits 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 frustrated, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Doe Run, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy 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 Doe Run, MO include:
- Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid 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 relaxing and contracting 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 eradicating the discomfort you experience caused by 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 assist in readying the pelvic floor for delivery, decreasing the likelihood of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to giving birth.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting specific muscles and tackling any hidden issues, therapy can improve sexual excitement, climax, and overall sexual satisfaction.
- Education and self-management — Your personalized pelvic floor therapy plan won’t exclusively include supervised exercises. By offering information and instructing you in tips you can try at home, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and empowers you to maintain a routine that promotes pelvic floor health.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Doe Run, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic health and function. While some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may necessitate operative correction, the majority of patients in Doe Run, MO will likely experience lasting and substantial improvement through non-invasive physical therapy methods.
What Doe Run, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Doe Run, MO will involve an examination of your current pelvic floor condition. The following sessions will emphasize implementing your tailored treatment program.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Doe Run, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to familiarize themselves with 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 assess your present condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Doe Run, MO may additionally involve an internal examination to more evaluate the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used as an substitute to an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will aid in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and support the development of an optimal treatment plan to help you in getting back to the activities you enjoy.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Doe Run, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will include defined goals, techniques, and projected results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving strength and balance is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Doe Run, MO include:
- Kegel exercises to release and engage the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor movement
- Stretching exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
- Strengthening exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to incorporate new muscle movements into routine activities
The exercises your Doe Run, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different 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 begin with you lying flat on your back and gradually advance to sitting and upright 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 massaging specific areas of your pelvis. It may include trigger point therapy (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve mobilization (freeing up compressed nerves), joint manipulation (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 gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to manage and coordinate 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 relax the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle coordination and command.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a list of exercises to cross off – it also gives you entrée to professional, research-supported insights that enhance your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:
- Adjustments to your nutrition
- Fluid control
- Proper posture and lifting techniques
- Approaches for dealing with constipation
- Additional recommendations for a better everyday life and way of living
Complementing the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications encourages better pelvic floor function and overall well-being.
Other pelvic floor therapy techniques may incorporate therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and other alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Doe Run, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in providing personalized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Doe Run, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and aims to achieve favorable patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a sensitive and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, compassion, and customized attention.
We also subscribe to the belief in providing evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We make use of 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 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 Doe Run, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Doe Run, MO area, all dedicated to realizing your ideal pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Doe Run, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from living your best life. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Doe Run, MO have a sole mission: returning you to the activities you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to get through your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment through our website or get in touch with the closest location to you to start your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Doe Run, MO today.
