Pelvic floor therapy in Mackenzie, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can affect your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the basketball court, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and comfort as before, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to feel like your best you again. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Mackenzie, MO can help you achieve:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and inflammation
• Enhanced sexual function and satisfaction
• Increased self-assurance and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Mackenzie, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they love most securely and effectively. If you are curious in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or desire to book an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or get in touch to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you reclaim control and assurance in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is a complex of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that form a supportive hammock-like structure at the bottom of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a foundation for the organs in your pelvis, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor safeguards organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several everyday functions.

The pelvic floor has several functions and roles:

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by providing you authority over the squeezing and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports well-functioning sexual function
• Provides stability and alignment to the core and back
• During pregnancy, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and assists in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymphatic circulation, helping to preserve 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 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 network of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient base, holding the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from descending down. It works like a reinforcing 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 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 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 help in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the appropriate 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 is a condition where you have difficulty relaxing and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Challenges 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 force out waste
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction and difficulty 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 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 Mackenzie, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to helping you recover the joy of engaging in the activities you cherish 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 permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Mackenzie, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a comfortable life.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Mackenzie, 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 less resilient or stiffer muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can support in diminishing or eradicating the pain you experience due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can aid in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on specific muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can improve sexual arousal, orgasm, and overall sexual gratification.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By providing education and instructing you in methods you can utilize on your own, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and enables you to maintain a lifestyle that promotes pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Mackenzie, MO who can help you in boosting your pelvic health and performance. Although some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may necessitate surgical treatment, the majority of individuals in Mackenzie, MO will likely find lasting and substantial improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy methods.

What Mackenzie, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

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

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. During this phase, your Mackenzie, MO physical therapist will spend time to get to know 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 evaluate your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Mackenzie, MO may also include an internal examination to more evaluate the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed rather than an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will aid in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the formulation of an effective treatment plan to assist 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 Mackenzie, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will include defined goals, techniques, and projected results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to loosen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Stretching exercises to release tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to incorporate new muscle patterns into routine tasks

The exercises your Mackenzie, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your unique situation, 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 down on your back and gradually advance 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 working on specific areas of your pelvis. It may include myofascial release (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 rolling (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 manage and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they tighten and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and release the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle coordination and mastery.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to complete – it also provides you with entrée to skilled, evidence-based insights that enhance your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Alterations to your eating habits
• Fluid control
• Appropriate posture and lifting techniques
• Approaches for addressing constipation
• Additional tips for a healthier daily life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments fosters improved pelvic floor function and general 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 Mackenzie, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in providing customized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Mackenzie, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a challenging and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, empathy, and personalized attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in delivering 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 enhance 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 Mackenzie, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Mackenzie, MO area, all committed to realizing your ideal pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from being your favorite version of yourself. At Axes, our devoted physical and occupational therapists in Mackenzie, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the activities you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to manage your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment through our website or reach out to the nearest location to you to commence your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Mackenzie, MO today.