Pelvic floor therapy in Flint Hill, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can impact your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from getting back to a favorite activity, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and ease as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you need to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Flint Hill, MO can lead to:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced discomfort and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual performance and satisfaction
- Increased self-assurance and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Flint Hill, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they love most safely and successfully. If you are curious in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or desire to arrange an appointment with one of our experts, please contact us online today or reach out 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 create 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 region, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor shields organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping manage several important functions.
The pelvic floor has several functions and roles:
- Helps manage your bladder and bowels by giving you control over the contraction 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 alignment 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 sustain healthy tissue
Pelvic Floor Anatomy
The pelvic floor muscles stretch 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 channels 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 foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from sagging. It works like a supportive 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 helps to maintain your pelvis stable.
The pelvic floor muscles have crucial roles. They help in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the right times and contribute in sexual function and satisfaction by providing support to the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is compromised 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 aligning your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.
Signs and Symptoms
- Trouble urinating or having bowel movements
- Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
- Leakage of urine or feces
- Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing to push out urine or feces
- 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 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 Flint Hill, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to helping you recover the joy of engaging in the things you treasure 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 life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Flint Hill, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a comfortable life.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The positive outcomes of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Flint Hill, MO 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 provide better support for the pelvic organs.
- Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination facilitates 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 less flexible muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can assist in diminishing or eradicating the discomfort you endure due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
- Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can aid in readying the pelvic floor for delivery, reducing the likelihood of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting specific muscles and dealing with any hidden issues, therapy can improve sexual excitement, orgasm, 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 instructing you in tips you can utilize on your own, 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 Flint Hill, MO who can support you in improving your pelvic health and performance. Although some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate surgical treatment, most individuals in Flint Hill, MO will likely find lasting and significant improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy techniques.
What Flint Hill, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Flint Hill, MO will comprise an assessment of your current pelvic floor condition. The remaining sessions will center around implementing your customized treatment plan.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Flint Hill, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to familiarize themselves with you and your symptoms. 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 evaluate your present condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Flint Hill, MO may also include an internal examination to better determine the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used instead of an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will help in determining 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 enjoy.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Flint Hill, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, techniques, and anticipated outcomes to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving strength and balance is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Flint Hill, MO include:
- Kegel exercises to release and contract the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor movement
- Flexibility exercises to loosen tight muscles
- Resistance exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to include new muscle patterns into everyday tasks
The exercises your Flint Hill, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will vary based on your unique needs, 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, involves your physical therapist using their hands to put pressure on and massage 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 gauge 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 tighten and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage and relax the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle coordination and mastery.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a list of exercises to complete – it also gives you access to expert, evidence-based insights that boost your daily life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:
- Adjustments to your eating habits
- Fluid management
- Proper body alignment and lifting techniques
- Tactics for addressing constipation
- Further tips for a healthier day-to-day life and way of living
Complementing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications promotes enhanced 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 Flint Hill, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in offering individualized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Flint Hill, MO, our practice places our clients at the center and aims to attain beneficial patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a delicate and demanding issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, empathy, and customized attention.
We also hold the belief in offering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We make use of up-to-date research and advanced 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 Flint Hill, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Flint Hill, MO area, all committed to achieving your ideal pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Flint Hill, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to impede you from leading your best life. At Axes, our devoted physical and occupational therapists in Flint Hill, MO have a unified mission: returning you to the activities you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to manage your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment online or get in touch with the closest location to you to start your recovery with Axes Physical Therapy in Flint Hill, MO today.
