Pelvic floor therapy in Holstein, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your sense of self and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from returning to a beloved sport, beginning parenthood, or just getting through a day with the same assurance and ease as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Holstein, MO can help you achieve:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual performance and satisfaction
- Increased confidence and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Holstein, MO specializes in developing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they enjoy most safely and successfully. If you are curious in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or wish to schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapusts, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you restore control and confidence in your pelvic health.
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints 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 region, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor shields organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several everyday functions.
The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:
- Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by giving you authority over the squeezing and release of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
- 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, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
- Assists in blood and lymph circulation, helping to sustain 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 openings 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 constructs a resilient foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from dropping down. 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 supports 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 aid in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the right times and contribute in sexual function and pleasure 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 is a condition where you have difficulty relaxing and aligning 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
- Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing 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, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Holstein, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to helping you regain the joy of participating in the pursuits you hold dear 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 despairing. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Holstein, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a pain-free 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 Holstein, 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 facilitates vitals functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
- Pain management — By targeting less resilient or less flexible muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can aid in reducing or getting rid of the discomfort you feel 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 readying the pelvic floor for delivery, minimizing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and addressing any hidden issues, therapy can improve sexual excitement, climax, and overall sexual satisfaction.
- Education and self-management — Your customized pelvic floor therapy plan will not exclusively include guided exercises. By providing education and teaching you techniques you can try independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and enables you to maintain a way of life that supports pelvic floor wellness.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Holstein, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic well-being and function. While some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may require surgical intervention, the majority of individuals in Holstein, MO will experience sustained and meaningful progress through minimally invasive physical therapy approaches.
What Holstein, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Holstein, MO will comprise an examination of your current pelvic floor health. The remaining sessions will center around implementing your tailored treatment plan.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Holstein, MO physical therapist will spend time to get to know 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 determine your present condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Holstein, MO may additionally include an internal examination to further assess the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized instead of an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will aid in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the development of an suitable treatment plan to assist you in resuming the activities you enjoy.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Holstein, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, exercises, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving muscle strength and coordination is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Holstein, MO are:
- Kegel exercises to release and engage the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor movement
- Stretching exercises to release tight muscles
- Resistance exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to incorporate new muscle patterns into routine tasks
The exercises your Holstein, 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 existing health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may initially start with you lying down 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 manipulating specific areas of your pelvis. It may include myofascial release (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve release (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 makes use of a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to regulate and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they tighten and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage and release the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle coordination and command.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to cross off – it also provides you with access to expert, evidence-based insights that enhance your daily life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:
- Changes to your nutrition
- Liquid control
- Appropriate body alignment and safe lifting methods
- Tactics for dealing with constipation
- Further tips for a better day-to-day life and way of living
Augmenting the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications fosters enhanced pelvic floor function and general 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 Holstein, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in providing personalized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Holstein, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a sensitive and demanding condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, compassion, and customized attention.
We also embrace the belief in offering evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We make use of up-to-date research and cutting-edge 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 Holstein, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Holstein, MO area, all devoted to achieving your ideal pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Holstein, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to hinder you from living your most life. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in Holstein, MO have a singular mission: returning you to the activities you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it challenging to get through your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment through our website or get in touch with the most convenient location to you to embark on your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Holstein, MO today.