Pelvic floor therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical discomfort; it can affect your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the field, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and ease as before, 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 discomfort and swelling
- Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
- Increased confidence and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most safely and successfully. If you are interested in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or want to arrange an appointment with one of our experts, please contact us online today or contact 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 a group of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that constitute a supportive web-like structure at the bottom 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 safeguards organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several important functions.
The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:
- Helps control your bladder and bowels by giving you authority over the contraction and release of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
- Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
- Supports well-functioning sexual function
- Provides stability and posture to the core and back
- During pregnancy, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
- Assists in blood and lymphatic circulation, contributing to maintain 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 linking 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).
Picture the pelvic floor as a woven mesh of muscles and tissues that constructs a sturdy base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from sagging. 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 assists you to hold in your stool (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 maintain your pelvis stable.
The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They help in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the correct times and contribute in sexual function and pleasure by providing support to 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 experience 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
- Regularly feeling the urge to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing to strain urine or feces
- 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 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 Lake St. Louis, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to helping you recover the joy of engaging in the things 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, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans customized for you by your Lake St. Louis, 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 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, diminish symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and provide better support for the pelvic organs.
- Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination supports vitals 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 sensitive areas, physical therapy can aid in diminishing or eradicating the pain 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 aid in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, reducing the chance of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to childbirth.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and dealing with any hidden issues, therapy can improve sexual excitement, climax, and overall sexual satisfaction.
- Education and self-management — Your customized pelvic floor therapy plan won’t just consist of guided exercises. By offering education and guiding you in tips you can practice autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and enables you to maintain a way of life 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 improving your pelvic well-being and function. Although certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might require surgical correction, the majority of individuals in Lake St. Louis, MO will likely find lasting and meaningful improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy methods.
What Lake St. Louis, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Lake St. Louis, MO will include an evaluation of your current pelvic floor condition. The subsequent 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 Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapist will spend time to understand you and your symptoms. 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 determine your present condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Lake St. Louis, MO may also include an internal examination to better determine the 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 enable the formulation of an optimal treatment plan to assist you in getting back 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 Lake St. Louis, MO will design a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will include defined goals, techniques, and expected outcomes to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving muscle strength and coordination is crucial 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 loosen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor movement
- Flexibility exercises to loosen tight muscles
- Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
- Functional training to incorporate new muscle patterns into daily activities
The exercises your Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will vary based on your particular needs, but will all be aimed at reconditioning your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your present health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may commence with you reclining 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 decompression (freeing up compressed nerves), joint manipulation (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 utilizes a device to measure 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 real-time feedback on how they tighten and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage and relax the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle integration and command.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to cross off – it also provides you with entry to professional, research-supported insights that improve your everyday life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:
- Adjustments to your eating habits
- Fluid control
- Correct posture and safe lifting methods
- Strategies for addressing constipation
- Further advice for a better everyday life and way of living
Augmenting the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations encourages better pelvic floor function and general well-being.
Other pelvic floor therapy techniques may incorporate 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 wholeheartedly believe in delivering customized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Lake St. Louis, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and strives to achieve beneficial patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a sensitive and demanding issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, compassion, and tailored attention.
We also embrace the belief in providing evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to inform 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 interested in trying 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 optimal pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Lake St. Louis, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to impede you from leading your best life. At Axes, our committed physio and occupational therapists in Lake St. Louis, 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 difficult to get through your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment online or contact the closest location to you to start your path with Axes Physical Therapy in Lake St. Louis, MO today.
