Pelvic floor therapy in Grantwood Village, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your self-esteem and independence. 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 assurance and comfort as before, 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 Grantwood Village, MO can help you achieve:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced pain and swelling
- Enhanced sexual performance and pleasure
- Increased self-assurance and well-being
Axes Physical Therapy in Grantwood Village, MO specializes in designing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most safely and effectively. If you are interested in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or wish 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 reclaim control and confidence in your pelvic health.
How the Pelvic Floor Works
The pelvic floor is a complex 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 foundation for the organs in the pelvic area, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor protects organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several vital functions.
The pelvic floor has several functions and roles:
- Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by providing you control over the contraction and relaxing of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and stops them from prolapsing
- Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
- Supports healthy sexual function
- Provides stability and posture to the core and back
- During pregnancy, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
- Assists in blood and lymph circulation, helping to preserve 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 channels 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 mesh of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from sagging. It works like a reinforcing sling to maintain 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 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 helps to maintain your pelvis stable.
The pelvic floor muscles have essential roles. They aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the correct times and contribute in sexual function and satisfaction by supporting 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
- Challenges urinating or having bowel movements
- Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete
- Leakage of urine or feces
- Regularly feeling the urge to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing to force out waste
- Pelvic discomfort
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- 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 affect anyone deeply, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Grantwood Village, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to helping you regain the joy of participating in the pursuits 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 disappointed, embarrassed, or despairing. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Grantwood Village, 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 Grantwood Village, MO include:
- Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can assist 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 promotes vitals functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
- Pain management — By targeting less resilient or more rigid muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can assist in lessening or eradicating the pain you feel 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, minimizing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to childbirth.
- Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on particular muscles and tackling any subsurface issues, therapy can boost sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual satisfaction.
- Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering education and guiding you in tips you can utilize independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and enables you to maintain a way of life that promotes pelvic floor health.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Grantwood Village, MO who can help you in boosting your pelvic health and performance. Although some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may require surgical correction, most individuals in Grantwood Village, MO will find lasting and meaningful progress through minimally invasive physical therapy approaches.
What Grantwood Village, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Grantwood Village, MO will include an assessment of your existing pelvic floor health. The following sessions will center around implementing your personalized treatment program.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. During this phase, your Grantwood Village, MO physical therapist will spend time to understand 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 evaluate your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Grantwood Village, MO may also involve an internal examination to more determine the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used instead of an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will aid in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the creation of an effective treatment plan to help you in getting back to the activities you love.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Grantwood Village, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will include precise goals, techniques, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving strength and coordination is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Grantwood Village, MO include:
- Kegel exercises to relax and contract the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor movement
- Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
- Strengthening exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to incorporate new muscle actions into daily tasks
The exercises your Grantwood Village, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your unique situation, but will all be aimed at retraining 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 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 release (freeing up compressed nerves), joint mobilization (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 utilizes a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to regulate and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they tighten and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and release the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle alignment and command.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a list of exercises to cross off – it also gives you entry to skilled, research-supported insights that boost your everyday life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:
- Alterations to your eating habits
- Fluid control
- Correct posture and lifting techniques
- Tactics for managing constipation
- Any other tips for a more wholesome daily life and way of living
Enhancing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments promotes better pelvic floor function and overall well-being.
Other pelvic floor therapy techniques may involve therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and other alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Grantwood Village, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in delivering customized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Grantwood Village, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting favorable patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a challenging and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, empathy, and customized attention.
We also subscribe to the belief in providing evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and advanced technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we offer 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 exploring pelvic floor therapy in Grantwood Village, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Grantwood Village, MO area, all committed to achieving your best pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Grantwood Village, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to hinder you from leading your best life. At Axes, our devoted physical and occupational therapists in Grantwood Village, MO have a unified mission: returning you to the things you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it demanding to navigate your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment online or get in touch with the closest location to you to embark on your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Grantwood Village, MO today.
