Pelvic floor therapy in High Ridge, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your self-perception and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from dominating on the grass, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and comfort you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in High Ridge, MO can lead to:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced discomfort and swelling
- Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
- Increased confidence and well-being
Axes Physical Therapy in High Ridge, MO specializes in developing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most safely and effectively. If you are interested in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or desire to arrange 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.
How the Pelvic Floor Works
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that constitute a supportive web-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 shields organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several basic functions.
The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:
- Helps control your bladder and bowels by providing you command over the squeezing and relaxing of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from prolapsing
- Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
- Supports well-functioning 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 lymphatic circulation, contributing to sustain vibrant tissue
Pelvic Floor Anatomy
The pelvic floor muscles extend 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).
Think of the pelvic floor as a woven mesh of muscles and tissues that creates a sturdy base, holding the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from descending 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 feces (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 crucial roles. They help in regulating the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the appropriate times and play a part in sexual function and pleasure by providing support to the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is weakened or becomes too tense, it leads to pelvic floor dysfunction.
Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when you experience difficulty unwinding and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.
Signs and Symptoms
- Challenges urinating or having bowel movements
- Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete
- Leakage of urine or feces
- Frequently 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 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, there is hope with professional physical therapy in High Ridge, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to assisting you regain the pleasure of engaging in the things 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 frustrated, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your High Ridge, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and experience a comfortable life.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in High Ridge, MO include:
- Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid in improving bladder and bowel control, reduce 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 support in lessening or getting rid of the discomfort you endure 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 aid in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can improve sexual excitement, orgasm, and general sexual health.
- Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not solely include supervised exercises. By providing information and guiding you in techniques you can utilize at home, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and enables you to sustain a way of life that fosters pelvic floor health.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in High Ridge, MO who can support you in boosting your pelvic health and function. While some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might require surgical treatment, the majority of individuals in High Ridge, MO will experience sustained and meaningful progress through minimally invasive physical therapy techniques.
What High Ridge, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in High Ridge, MO will include an assessment of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will emphasize implementing your personalized treatment plan.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your High Ridge, MO physical therapist will spend time to familiarize themselves with you and your issues. They will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will conduct a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to assess your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in High Ridge, MO may also involve an internal examination to more evaluate the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized as an alternative to an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will help in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the creation of an suitable treatment plan to assist you in resuming the activities you cherish.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in High Ridge, MO will create a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will include specific goals, techniques, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving muscle strength and balance is crucial for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in High Ridge, MO include:
- Kegel exercises to release and contract the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor motion
- Flexibility exercises to loosen tight muscles
- Resistance exercises to build up weak muscles
- Functional training to include new muscle actions into everyday tasks
The exercises your High Ridge, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ based on your particular situation, but will all be aimed at rehabilitating your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your current health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may initially start with you reclining on your back and evolve 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 manipulating specific areas of your pelvis. It may include trigger point therapy (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve mobilization (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 utilizes a device to measure 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 live feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and relax the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle alignment and mastery.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to mark off – it also gives you entrée to expert, science-backed insights that boost your daily life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:
- Changes to your nutrition
- Liquid management
- Proper posture and safe lifting methods
- Tactics for addressing constipation
- Any other advice for a better daily life and lifestyle
Complementing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations encourages enhanced pelvic floor function and general well-being.
Other methods in pelvic floor therapy may involve therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and other alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, MO, our practice places our clients at the center and strives to obtain positive patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a delicate and demanding issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, empathy, and tailored attention.
We also subscribe to the belief in delivering evidence-based and comprehensive 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 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 interested in trying pelvic floor therapy in High Ridge, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the High Ridge, MO area, all dedicated to attaining your ideal pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your High Ridge, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from living your fullest life. At Axes, our committed physio and occupational therapists in High Ridge, MO have a sole mission: returning you to the things you love the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your playing in your favorite sport or making it difficult to navigate your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your aspirations. Request an appointment online or reach out to the nearest location to you to embark on your path with Axes Physical Therapy in High Ridge, MO today.
