Pelvic floor therapy in Ethlyn, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your self-esteem and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from returning to a favorite sport, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and comfort 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 Ethlyn, MO can help you experience:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced pain and swelling
• Enhanced sexual performance and pleasure
• Increased confidence and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Ethlyn, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they love most safely and successfully. If you are interested in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or wish 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 assurance in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is a complex of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that form a supportive hammock-like structure at the base of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a foundation for the organs in your pelvis, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor protects organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several vital functions.

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

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by giving you control over the squeezing and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from descending
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports healthy sexual function
• Provides support 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 preserve healthy tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles extend 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 channels or canals 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 mesh of muscles and tissues that forms a strong foundation, holding the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from dropping down. It works like a reinforcing sling to preserve 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 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 lower belly (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and works to keep your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They assist in regulating the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the correct times and contribute in sexual function and pleasure 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 occurs when you have 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 incomplete
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Regularly feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to strain urine or feces
• Pelvic discomfort
• Pain during sex
• Erectile dysfunction and trouble 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, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Ethlyn, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to assisting you regain the pleasure of participating in the activities 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 despairing. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Ethlyn, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a pain-free 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 Ethlyn, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help improving bladder and bowel control, reduce 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 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 aid in reducing or eradicating the pain you experience due to 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 preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting specific muscles and dealing with any underlying issues, therapy can boost sexual excitement, climax, and general sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Your customized pelvic floor therapy plan will not solely consist of guided exercises. By providing information and guiding you in techniques you can try on your own, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and enables you to maintain a routine that promotes pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Ethlyn, MO who can support you in boosting your pelvic well-being and function. Although some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate surgical intervention, most patients in Ethlyn, MO will experience long-lasting and substantial improvement through less invasive physical therapy methods.

What Ethlyn, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Ethlyn, MO will include an examination of your current pelvic floor condition. The remaining sessions will center around implementing your personalized treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Ethlyn, MO physical therapist will take the time to understand you and your issues. They will ask 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 approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Ethlyn, MO may also include an internal examination to better determine the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will aid in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the development of an effective treatment plan to help you in resuming the activities you love.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Ethlyn, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, exercises, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to loosen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Stretching exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to develop weak muscles
• Functional training to integrate new muscle movements into routine tasks

The exercises your Ethlyn, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your specific situation, but will all be aimed at retraining your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your present health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may initially start with you lying down on your back and progress 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 decompression (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 employs a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to control and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you instant feedback on how they engage and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage and release the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle coordination and mastery.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to complete – it also offers you entry to skilled, research-supported insights that enhance your everyday life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Changes to your nutrition
• Liquid management
• Appropriate posture and safe lifting methods
• Strategies for managing constipation
• Additional recommendations for a healthier everyday life and way of living

Augmenting the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations encourages better pelvic floor function and general well-being.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in delivering customized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Ethlyn, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and strives to attain beneficial patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a sensitive and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, compassion, and personalized attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in delivering evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and state-of-the-art technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we provide 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 Ethlyn, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Ethlyn, MO area, all dedicated to achieving your ideal pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to impede you from being your favorite version of yourself. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Ethlyn, MO have a singular mission: getting you back to the activities you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it challenging to get through your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your goals. Request an appointment through our website or contact the closest location to you to start your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Ethlyn, MO today.