Pelvic floor therapy in Herculaneum, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your sense of self and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from returning to a beloved sport, starting a family, 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 Herculaneum, MO can help you with:
- 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 Herculaneum, MO specializes in creating customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most safely and effectively. If you are curious in learning more about pelvic floor therapy or want to book an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you reclaim command and confidence in your pelvic health.
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that constitute a supportive net-like structure at the base of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a base for the organs in the pelvic area, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor shields organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several important functions.
The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:
- Helps control your bladder and bowels by providing you authority over the squeezing and relaxing of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from prolapsing
- Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
- Supports optimal sexual function
- Provides support and alignment to the core and back
- During pregnancy, expands to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
- Assists in blood and lymphatic 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 linking 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).
Think of the pelvic floor as a woven web of muscles and tissues that forms a resilient foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from sagging. It works like a supportive sling to preserve 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 poo (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 supports the organs inside your abdomen (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and helps to keep your pelvis stable.
The pelvic floor muscles have crucial roles. They aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the appropriate 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 results in pelvic floor dysfunction.
Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction is a condition where you have difficulty unwinding and coordinating 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 push out 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 can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical ability. While it can affect anyone deeply, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Herculaneum, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to assisting you recover the pleasure of engaging in the activities 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 despairing. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a life sentence. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Herculaneum, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and experience a pain-free existence.
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 Herculaneum, MO include:
- Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help 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 supports essential functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
- Pain management — By targeting less resilient or stiffer muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can aid in lessening or getting rid of the discomfort you experience 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 delivery, minimizing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
- Sexual health improvement — By focusing on specific muscles and addressing any underlying issues, therapy can boost sexual excitement, climax, and overall sexual health.
- Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not just include guided exercises. By providing education and instructing you in approaches you can practice independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively 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 skilled pelvic floor therapists in Herculaneum, MO who can assist you in boosting your pelvic health and performance. While certain cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate operative intervention, most individuals in Herculaneum, MO will likely experience long-lasting and meaningful progress through non-invasive physical therapy techniques.
What Herculaneum, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Herculaneum, MO will involve an assessment of your existing pelvic floor condition. The remaining sessions will emphasize implementing your personalized treatment program.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Herculaneum, MO physical therapist will spend time to familiarize themselves with 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 determine your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Herculaneum, MO may additionally involve an internal examination to further determine the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used rather than 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 support the formulation of an effective treatment plan to assist you in getting back to the activities you cherish.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Herculaneum, MO will design a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will include precise goals, exercises, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving strength and balance is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Herculaneum, MO are:
- Kegel exercises to loosen and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor motion
- Flexibility exercises to release tight muscles
- Strengthening exercises to strengthen weak muscles
- Functional training to include new muscle movements into everyday activities
The exercises your Herculaneum, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your particular needs, but will all be aimed at rehabilitating 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 flat on your back and evolve to sitting and standing 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 mobilizing techniques (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 employs a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to manage and harmonize 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 properly, optimizing your muscle coordination and control.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to complete – it also provides you with access to expert, science-backed insights that boost your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:
- Changes to your nutrition
- Fluid regulation
- Proper posture and lifting techniques
- Strategies for dealing with constipation
- Additional recommendations for a better everyday life and way of living
Enhancing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications promotes improved pelvic floor function and overall well-being.
Other methods in pelvic floor therapy may include therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and more alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Herculaneum, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in providing individualized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Herculaneum, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting positive patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a sensitive and demanding issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, empathy, and tailored attention.
We also embrace the belief in offering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and advanced technology to shape 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 exploring pelvic floor therapy in Herculaneum, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Herculaneum, MO area, all dedicated to attaining your best pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Herculaneum, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from leading your fullest life. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Herculaneum, 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 challenging to manage your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment online or contact the most convenient location to you to start your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Herculaneum, MO today.
