Pelvic floor therapy in Knob Lick, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can affect your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from dominating on the field, beginning parenthood, 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 evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Knob Lick, MO can help you with:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced discomfort and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
- Increased self-assurance and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Knob Lick, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most safely and successfully. If you are curious in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or wish to book 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 control and confidence in your pelvic health.
How the Pelvic Floor Works
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that form a supportive web-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 safeguards organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping manage several basic functions.
The pelvic floor has several functions and roles:
- Helps manage your bladder and bowels by giving you control over the squeezing and release of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from prolapsing
- Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
- Supports healthy sexual function
- Provides stability 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, contributing to maintain healthy 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 channels or passages 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 network of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient foundation, holding the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from dropping down. It works like a supportive sling to preserve 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 important roles. They aid in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the appropriate times and contribute in sexual function and pleasure by supporting 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 occurs when you experience difficulty relaxing and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.
Signs and Symptoms
- Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements
- Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
- Leakage of urine or feces
- Regularly feeling the need to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing to force out waste
- Pelvic aches
- 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 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 Knob Lick, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to helping you recover the joy of participating in the activities 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 disappointed, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Knob Lick, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a comfortable existence.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Knob Lick, 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 promotes essential functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
- Pain management — By targeting weaker or stiffer muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can support in diminishing or eliminating the pain you endure caused by 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 risk of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to giving birth.
- Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on particular muscles and tackling any hidden issues, therapy can boost sexual excitement, orgasm, and general sexual fulfillment.
- Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not just comprise guided exercises. By providing information and guiding you in techniques you can practice independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role 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 knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Knob Lick, MO who can support you in improving your pelvic health and function. While certain cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate operative correction, the majority of patients in Knob Lick, MO will find long-lasting and meaningful improvement through non-invasive physical therapy techniques.
What Knob Lick, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Knob Lick, MO will involve an examination of your current pelvic floor health. The remaining sessions will center around implementing your personalized treatment program.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Knob Lick, MO physical therapist will spend time to familiarize themselves with you and your symptoms. 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 assess your present condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Knob Lick, MO may also include an internal examination to further evaluate the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used rather than an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will assist in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the creation of an effective treatment plan to assist you in returning to the activities you enjoy.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Knob Lick, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise 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 Knob Lick, MO are:
- Kegel exercises to loosen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor movement
- Flexibility exercises to release tight muscles
- Strengthening exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to incorporate new muscle actions into everyday activities
The exercises your Knob Lick, 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 initially start with you lying flat on your back and evolve to seated 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 working on 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 understand how to control and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you instant feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and relax the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle alignment and control.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to mark off – it also provides you with entrée to skilled, science-backed insights that improve your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:
- Alterations to your eating habits
- Fluid control
- Appropriate posture and safe lifting methods
- Strategies for managing constipation
- Additional tips for a better daily life and lifestyle
Augmenting the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments fosters 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 Knob Lick, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in offering customized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Knob Lick, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting favorable patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a sensitive and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, compassion, and personalized attention.
We also embrace the belief in offering evidence-based and holistic 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 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 exploring pelvic floor therapy in Knob Lick, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Knob Lick, MO area, all dedicated to realizing your ideal pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Knob Lick, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from leading your best life. At Axes, our committed physio and occupational therapists in Knob Lick, MO have a singular mission: getting you back to the things you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing 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. Request an appointment online or get in touch with the closest location to you to commence your path with Axes Physical Therapy in Knob Lick, MO today.
