Pelvic floor therapy in Gray Summit, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from dominating on the basketball court, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and comfort you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to feel like your best you again. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Gray Summit, MO can help you achieve:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and inflammation
• Enhanced sexual performance and pleasure
• Increased self-assurance and well-being

Axes Physical Therapy in Gray Summit, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most safely and effectively. If you are curious in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or desire to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or get in touch to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you regain control and confidence in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that create a supportive web-like structure at the bottom 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 external pressure while helping control several everyday functions.

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

• Helps manage your bladder and bowels by providing you command over the contraction and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports optimal 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 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 connecting 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).

Imagine the pelvic floor as a woven mesh of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from dropping down. 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 helps you to hold in your stool (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 crucial roles. They help in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the appropriate times and contribute in sexual function and satisfaction by supporting the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is weakened or becomes too tense, it results in pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when you have 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 not fully finished
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Frequently feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to strain urine or feces
• Pelvic aches
• Pain during sex
• Erectile dysfunction and difficulty 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 doesn’t just affect people of a single certain 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 Gray Summit, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to helping you regain the joy of participating in the activities 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, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Gray Summit, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a comfortable life.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Gray Summit, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can assist in improving bladder and bowel control, diminish symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer 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 less flexible muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can aid in reducing or getting rid of the pain 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 assist in preparing the pelvic floor for delivery, decreasing the likelihood of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on particular muscles and dealing with any underlying issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, orgasm, and general sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering information and guiding you in methods you can practice autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and empowers you to sustain a way of life that promotes pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Gray Summit, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic well-being and performance. Although certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate operative treatment, most individuals in Gray Summit, MO will likely experience lasting and significant progress through non-invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Gray Summit, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Gray Summit, MO will include an examination of your current pelvic floor condition. The following sessions will emphasize implementing your tailored treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Gray Summit, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to get to know you and your issues. They will inquire about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will conduct 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 Gray Summit, MO may also involve an internal examination to more evaluate the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized as an substitute to 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 facilitate the development of an suitable treatment plan to help 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 Gray Summit, MO will design a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will include precise goals, techniques, and expected outcomes 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 Gray Summit, MO are:

• Kegel exercises to loosen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Flexibility exercises to loosen tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle patterns into daily activities

The exercises your Gray Summit, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will vary based on your particular needs, 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 begin with you reclining on your back and evolve to sitting 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 manipulating 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 utilizes a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to manage and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you instant feedback on how they engage and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate 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 mark off – it also provides you with entry to expert, research-supported insights that enhance your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:

• Changes to your nutrition
• Liquid control
• Proper posture and lifting techniques
• Approaches for addressing constipation
• Any other advice for a better daily life and way of living

Enhancing 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 Gray Summit, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in offering personalized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Gray Summit, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting positive patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a delicate and demanding condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, empathy, and tailored attention.

We also embrace the belief in providing evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to inform our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we present 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 interested in trying pelvic floor therapy in Gray Summit, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Gray Summit, MO area, all committed to achieving your optimal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Gray Summit, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from leading your most life. At Axes, our dedicated physio and occupational therapists in Gray Summit, MO have a unified mission: getting you back to the things you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it demanding to navigate your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment online or get in touch with the closest location to you to commence your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Gray Summit, MO today.