Pelvic floor therapy in Kimmswick, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical discomfort; it can affect your sense of self and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the basketball court, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and comfort you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Kimmswick, MO can lead to:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced pain and swelling
• Enhanced sexual performance and pleasure
• Increased self-assurance and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Kimmswick, MO specializes in designing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most safely and successfully. If you are interested in learning more about pelvic floor therapy or wish to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, please contact us online today or get in touch to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you reclaim control and confidence in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that form a supportive web-like structure at the base 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 shields organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several everyday functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by providing you authority over the squeezing and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
• Resists belly 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 assists in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymph circulation, contributing to maintain healthy 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 openings 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 constructs a resilient foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from descending down. It works like a reinforcing sling to maintain the position and function of pelvic organs.

The main 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 sustains the organs inside your lower belly (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 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 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 optimal 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
• Sensation of needing to strain urine or feces
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction and difficulty 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 have a negative impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Kimmswick, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to assisting you recover the joy of engaging in the things 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 far from a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Kimmswick, 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 benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Kimmswick, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid 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 vitals functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting weaker or more rigid muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can assist in reducing or eliminating the discomfort you experience caused by pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can assist in preparing the pelvic floor for labor, reducing the chance of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on specific muscles and dealing with any hidden issues, therapy can enhance sexual excitement, climax, and overall sexual gratification.
• Education and self-management — Your customized pelvic floor therapy plan will not exclusively consist of guided exercises. By providing information and instructing you in tips you can utilize autonomously, 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 Kimmswick, MO who can support you in enhancing your pelvic health and function. While certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate surgical treatment, most patients in Kimmswick, MO will find lasting and meaningful improvement through less invasive physical therapy techniques.

What Kimmswick, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Kimmswick, MO will involve an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor health. The following sessions will emphasize implementing your tailored treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Kimmswick, MO physical therapist will take the time to get to know you and your issues. They will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will perform a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to assess your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Kimmswick, MO may additionally involve an internal examination to further evaluate the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will aid in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the creation of an suitable treatment plan to help 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 Kimmswick, MO will create a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, exercises, and expected outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving strength and coordination is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Kimmswick, MO are:

• Kegel exercises to relax and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Stretching exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to develop weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle patterns into daily tasks

The exercises your Kimmswick, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ based on your specific 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 commence with you lying down on your back and gradually advance 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 massaging specific areas of your pelvis. It may include trigger point therapy (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve mobilization (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 employs a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to regulate 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 relax the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle alignment and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to cross off – it also offers you entrée to expert, evidence-based insights that improve your daily life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Changes to your eating habits
• Fluid management
• Appropriate body alignment and lifting techniques
• Approaches for dealing with constipation
• Any other recommendations for a healthier daily life and lifestyle

Augmenting the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications promotes improved pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

Other pelvic floor therapy techniques may incorporate therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and other alternatives.

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Kimmswick, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in providing customized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Kimmswick, MO, our practice places our clients at the center and aims to achieve beneficial patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a delicate and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, compassion, and personalized attention.

We also embrace the belief in providing evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and advanced technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we offer 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in Kimmswick, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Kimmswick, MO area, all devoted to attaining your best pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Kimmswick, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from living your best life. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Kimmswick, MO have a sole mission: returning you to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it demanding to get through your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment online or get in touch with the closest location to you to start your recovery with Axes Physical Therapy in Kimmswick, MO today.