Pelvic floor therapy in Edwardsville, IL. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical discomfort; it can affect your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the grass, 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 regain your lifestyle. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Edwardsville, IL can help you achieve:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and inflammation
• Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
• Increased confidence and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Edwardsville, IL specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most securely and successfully. If you are interested in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or wish to schedule 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 assurance in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that form a supportive web-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 safeguards organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping manage several important functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by providing you command over the contraction and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from descending
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports optimal sexual function
• Provides support and alignment to the core and back
• During pregnancy, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and assists in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymphatic 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 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 web of muscles and tissues that forms a resilient foundation, holding the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from sagging. 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 poo (puborectalis), one that connects the front and back bones of your pelvis and supports 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 important roles. They aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the appropriate times and contribute in sexual function and pleasure by providing support to 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 is a condition where you have difficulty unwinding and aligning your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Trouble 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
• Feeling like you need to force out waste
• Pelvic aches
• Pain during sex
• Erectile dysfunction and difficulty 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 Edwardsville, IL. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to assisting you regain the pleasure of engaging in the things 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, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Edwardsville, IL 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 benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Edwardsville, IL include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid 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 supports vitals functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less strong or more rigid muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can assist in lessening or eradicating the discomfort you experience caused by pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can assist in readying the pelvic floor for childbirth, reducing the risk of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting specific muscles and addressing any underlying issues, therapy can boost sexual excitement, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not solely consist of supervised exercises. By providing information and teaching you techniques you can utilize independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and empowers you to sustain a way of life that supports pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Edwardsville, IL who can support you in boosting your pelvic health and function. While certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate surgical correction, most individuals in Edwardsville, IL will likely experience long-lasting and significant improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy methods.

What Edwardsville, IL Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Edwardsville, IL will involve an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will focus on implementing your personalized treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Edwardsville, IL physical therapist will take the time to understand you and your symptoms. They will ask 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 current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Edwardsville, IL may additionally involve an internal examination to further assess the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed as an alternative to an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will aid in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the formulation of an effective 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 Edwardsville, IL will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will include specific goals, exercises, 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 Edwardsville, IL are:

• Kegel exercises to loosen and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Flexibility exercises to release tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to integrate new muscle patterns into routine tasks

The exercises your Edwardsville, IL physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will vary 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 commence with you lying flat on your back and evolve to seated 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 manipulating specific areas of your pelvis. It may include trigger point therapy (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 makes use of a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to manage and align your pelvic floor muscles by giving you real-time feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and relax the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle alignment and mastery.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

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

• Adjustments to your eating habits
• Liquid management
• Appropriate body alignment and lifting techniques
• Strategies for managing constipation
• Further recommendations for a more wholesome everyday life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments fosters improved 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 more alternatives.

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Edwardsville, IL

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in delivering individualized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Edwardsville, IL, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a challenging and difficult condition. 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 integrative care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we present a range of other physical therapy services that can complement 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 Edwardsville, IL at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Edwardsville, IL area, all committed to achieving your optimal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Edwardsville, IL Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to hinder you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our committed physio and occupational therapists in Edwardsville, IL have a singular mission: getting you back to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your playing in your favorite sport or making it difficult to get through your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your aspirations. Request an appointment through our website or reach out to the most convenient location to you to embark on your recovery with Axes Physical Therapy in Edwardsville, IL today.