Pelvic floor therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your self-esteem and independence. 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 could be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO can lead to:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced pain and swelling
• Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
• Increased confidence and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they enjoy most securely and effectively. If you are curious in learning more about pelvic floor therapy or desire to arrange an appointment with one of our experts, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you restore command and assurance in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is a complex of muscles, ligaments, and fibers 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 protects organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several everyday functions.

The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by giving you command 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 optimal 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, contributing to preserve 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 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).

Picture the pelvic floor as a woven web of muscles and tissues that creates a strong base, holding the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from descending down. It works like a supportive sling to maintain 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 helps to maintain your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have crucial roles. They assist in controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the appropriate times and play a part in sexual function and satisfaction by supporting the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is weakened 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 aligning 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
• Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing to strain urine or feces
• Pelvic pain
• 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 affect anyone deeply, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to assisting you recover the pleasure of engaging 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, ashamed, or despairing. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a comfortable existence.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The positive outcomes of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Lake St. Louis, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help improving bladder and bowel control, reduce symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination promotes vitals functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less strong or more rigid muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can aid in reducing or eliminating the discomfort you feel 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 assist in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the risk of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and tackling any subsurface issues, therapy can boost sexual arousal, climax, and general sexual fulfillment.
• Education and self-management — Your customized pelvic floor therapy plan won’t just consist of monitored exercises. By offering information and teaching you approaches you can practice on your own, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and empowers you to maintain a lifestyle that fosters pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Lake St. Louis, MO who can help you in boosting your pelvic well-being and function. Although certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction may require surgical treatment, the majority of patients in Lake St. Louis, MO will likely experience lasting and substantial improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Lake St. Louis, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Lake St. Louis, MO will comprise an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will focus on implementing your tailored treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to familiarize themselves with 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 evaluate your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Lake St. Louis, MO may also involve an internal examination to more assess the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will assist in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and support the formulation of an effective treatment plan to help 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 Lake St. Louis, MO will design a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, exercises, and projected results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to release and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle movements into daily tasks

The exercises your Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ based on your particular needs, but will all be aimed at reconditioning your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your current health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may begin with you lying flat on your back and progress to seated 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 release (freeing up compressed nerves), joint mobilizing techniques (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 makes use of a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to manage and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you real-time feedback on how they engage and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and relax the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle integration and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to complete – it also offers you entry to professional, science-backed insights that boost your everyday life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Changes to your eating habits
• Liquid control
• Correct posture and lifting techniques
• Approaches for managing constipation
• Additional advice for a more wholesome daily life and way of living

Enhancing the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments fosters improved pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

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

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in providing individualized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Lake St. Louis, 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 issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, compassion, and personalized attention.

We also hold the belief in offering evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we present 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 Lake St. Louis, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Lake St. Louis, MO area, all dedicated to realizing your best pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Lake St. Louis, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in Lake St. Louis, MO have a sole mission: getting you back 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 personalize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment through our website or get in touch with the most convenient location to you to start your path with Axes Physical Therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO today.