Pelvic floor therapy in Mapaville, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical discomfort; it can impact your sense of self and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from returning to a beloved activity, beginning parenthood, or just getting through a day with the same confidence and ease as before, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Mapaville, MO can help you with:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced pain and swelling
• Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
• Increased self-assurance and well-being

Axes Physical Therapy in Mapaville, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they enjoy most safely and effectively. If you are interested in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or wish to schedule 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 restore command and confidence in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that create a supportive hammock-like structure at the base of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a base for the organs in the pelvic area, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor safeguards organs and your spine from outside 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 providing you authority over the contraction and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from prolapsing
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports optimal 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 lymphatic circulation, helping to preserve 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 passageways 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 strong base, holding the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from sagging. It works like a supportive sling to maintain the position and function of pelvic organs.

The primary 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 maintain your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They assist in controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the right 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 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 aligning your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Regularly feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to push out waste
• 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, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Mapaville, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to assisting you recover the pleasure of participating in the activities 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, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans customized for you by your Mapaville, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a pain-free life.

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 Mapaville, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can assist in 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 promotes essential 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 less flexible muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can assist in lessening 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 assist in readying the pelvic floor for delivery, minimizing the chance of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on specific muscles and addressing any hidden issues, therapy can enhance sexual excitement, orgasm, and general sexual fulfillment.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan won’t solely comprise supervised exercises. By providing education and instructing you in 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 sustain a way of life that fosters pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Mapaville, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic well-being and function. While some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might require operative treatment, most patients in Mapaville, MO will experience sustained and substantial improvement through non-invasive physical therapy methods.

What Mapaville, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Mapaville, MO will include an assessment of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will center around implementing your personalized treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Mapaville, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to get to know you and your issues. They will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will conduct a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to evaluate your present condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Mapaville, MO may additionally involve an internal examination to better determine the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed 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 support the creation of an optimal 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 Mapaville, MO will design a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will incorporate specific goals, exercises, and projected outcomes 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 Mapaville, MO include:

• Kegel exercises to loosen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Flexibility exercises to release tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to build up weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle movements into everyday activities

The exercises your Mapaville, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your specific situation, but will all be aimed at rehabilitating 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 evolve to seated and standing positions.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy, such as instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, involves your physical therapist using their hands to put pressure on and massage 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 mobilization (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 manage and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and release the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle alignment and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to complete – it also provides you with entry to skilled, research-supported insights that enhance your daily life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:

• Alterations to your eating habits
• Fluid regulation
• Appropriate body alignment and safe lifting methods
• Tactics for managing constipation
• Any other recommendations for a better everyday life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications encourages 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 Mapaville, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in offering personalized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Mapaville, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and strives to attain 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 highest respect, empathy, and customized attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in providing evidence-based and comprehensive 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 exploring pelvic floor therapy in Mapaville, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Mapaville, MO area, all committed to realizing your ideal pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from leading your most life. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in Mapaville, MO have a singular mission: returning you to the activities you love the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to manage your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your aspirations. Request an appointment online or reach out to the nearest location to you to embark on your recovery with Axes Physical Therapy in Mapaville, MO today.