Pelvic floor therapy in House Springs, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can affect your self-perception and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from returning to a beloved sport, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same assurance and ease you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in House Springs, MO can help you with:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
- Increased confidence and well-being
Axes Physical Therapy in House Springs, MO specializes in developing customized 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 want 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 reclaim command and confidence in your pelvic health.
How the Pelvic Floor Works
The pelvic floor is a complex of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that constitute 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 shields organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several vital functions.
The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:
- Helps manage your bladder and bowels by providing you authority over the squeezing and release of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from prolapsing
- Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
- Supports optimal sexual function
- Provides stability and posture to the core and back
- During pregnancy, expands 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 stretch 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 channels or canals 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 web of muscles and tissues that forms a strong foundation, holding the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from sagging. It works like a supportive sling to uphold 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 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 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 important roles. They assist in regulating 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 have difficulty relaxing and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.
Signs and Symptoms
- Trouble urinating or having bowel movements
- Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
- Leakage of urine or feces
- Often feeling the need to use the bathroom
- Feeling like you need to strain waste
- Pelvic discomfort
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Erectile dysfunction and trouble 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 House Springs, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to helping you recover 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 practical treatment plans customized for you by your House Springs, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy a pain-free existence.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The positive outcomes of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in House Springs, MO include:
- Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid 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 facilitates essential functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
- Pain management — By targeting weaker or less flexible muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can support in diminishing or eradicating the discomfort 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 assist in readying the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the risk of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and tackling any underlying issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual fulfillment.
- Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not solely include supervised exercises. By providing information and instructing you in methods you can utilize independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and empowers you to sustain a lifestyle that promotes pelvic floor wellness.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in House Springs, MO who can assist you in improving your pelvic well-being and performance. While certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction may require operative correction, most individuals in House Springs, MO will find long-lasting and substantial improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy techniques.
What House Springs, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in House Springs, MO will comprise an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor condition. The following sessions will focus on implementing your personalized treatment program.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your House Springs, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to get to know 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 present condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in House Springs, MO may additionally involve an internal examination to better assess the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used rather than an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will help in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and support the development of an suitable treatment plan to help you in returning 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 House Springs, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, exercises, and expected results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving strength and balance is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in House Springs, MO are:
- Kegel exercises to relax and contract the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
- Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
- Strengthening exercises to build up weak muscles
- Functional training to integrate new muscle movements into daily activities
The exercises your House Springs, 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 initially start with you lying down on your back and progress to sitting and upright 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 trigger point therapy (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve mobilization (freeing up compressed nerves), joint mobilization (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 employs a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to control and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they tighten and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and release the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle alignment and control.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to mark off – it also offers you access to professional, science-backed insights that boost your everyday life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:
- Alterations to your diet
- Liquid management
- Correct body alignment and lifting techniques
- Approaches for addressing constipation
- Additional tips for a more wholesome day-to-day life and lifestyle
Complementing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments encourages enhanced pelvic floor function and overall well-being.
Other methods in pelvic floor therapy may involve therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and more alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in House Springs, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in providing individualized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in House Springs, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a challenging and difficult condition. 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 comprehensive care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and advanced technology to shape our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we offer 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in House Springs, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the House Springs, MO area, all devoted to attaining your best pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your House Springs, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to impede you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our dedicated physio and occupational therapists in House Springs, MO have a sole mission: returning you to the things you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping 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. Schedule an appointment online or get in touch with the closest location to you to start your path with Axes Physical Therapy in House Springs, MO today.
