Pelvic floor therapy in Earth City, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can affect your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from returning to a favorite activity, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same confidence and comfort as before, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you need to feel like your best you again. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Earth City, MO can lead to:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Earth City, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they enjoy most securely and successfully. If you are interested in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or desire to book an appointment with one of our experts, please contact us online today or contact to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you restore command and confidence in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that form a supportive net-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 protects organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several basic functions.

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

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by giving you command over the contraction 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 sturdiness 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, helping to preserve 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 passages 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 sturdy base, holding the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from descending down. It works like a reinforcing sling to preserve 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 assists 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 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 essential roles. They assist in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening 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 results in pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when you experience difficulty unwinding and aligning 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
• Regularly feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing 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 affect anyone deeply, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Earth City, MO. 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 frustrated, ashamed, or despairing. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Earth City, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy a comfortable 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 Earth City, 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 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 stiffer muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can support in diminishing or eradicating the discomfort you endure resulting from 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 readying the pelvic floor for childbirth, decreasing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting specific muscles and dealing with any underlying issues, therapy can improve sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual fulfillment.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By providing education and guiding you in approaches you can utilize independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and enables you to sustain a lifestyle that fosters pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Earth City, MO who can assist you in boosting your pelvic health and function. Although some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might require operative treatment, the majority of patients in Earth City, MO will experience long-lasting and significant improvement through less invasive physical therapy methods.

What Earth City, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Earth City, MO will comprise an assessment of your current pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will emphasize implementing your personalized treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Earth City, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to familiarize themselves with you and your issues. 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 assess your present condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Earth City, MO may additionally include an internal examination to more assess the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized rather than an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will aid in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the creation of an effective treatment plan to assist 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 Earth City, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate specific goals, exercises, and expected outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to loosen and engage the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to build up weak muscles
• Functional training to incorporate new muscle movements into daily activities

The exercises your Earth City, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your particular needs, but will all be aimed at rehabilitating your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your current health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may begin with you reclining 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 massaging specific areas of your pelvis. It may include myofascial release (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 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 coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they engage and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and relax the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle integration and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a list of exercises to cross off – it also provides you with access to professional, research-supported insights that boost your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:

• Changes to your nutrition
• Liquid management
• Correct body alignment and safe lifting methods
• Approaches for dealing with constipation
• Any other recommendations for a healthier daily life and lifestyle

Augmenting the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments promotes better pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in providing personalized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Earth City, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting positive patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a challenging and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, empathy, and personalized attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in providing evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We make use of up-to-date research and state-of-the-art technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we present 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 interested in trying pelvic floor therapy in Earth City, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Earth City, MO area, all dedicated to realizing your optimal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Earth City, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to impede you from leading your most life. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Earth City, MO have a singular mission: returning you to the activities you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it challenging to get through your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment online or reach out to the most convenient location to you to start your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Earth City, MO today.