Pelvic floor therapy in Maplewood, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from dominating on the basketball court, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and ease you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you need to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Maplewood, MO can help you experience:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Maplewood, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they love most securely and successfully. If you are curious in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or want to arrange an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or reach out 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 tissues that constitute a supportive net-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 shields organs and your spine from external pressure while helping manage several basic functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps manage your bladder and bowels by giving you command over the squeezing and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents 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 preserve vibrant tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles extend 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 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 mesh of muscles and tissues that creates a sturdy base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from descending down. It works like a supportive sling to uphold 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 supports 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 essential roles. They aid in regulating the release of urine and stool by tightening and relaxing at the appropriate times and contribute in sexual function and satisfaction by providing support to the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is weakened or becomes too tense, it leads to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when you have difficulty unwinding and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for ideal 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 urge to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to strain waste
• Pelvic discomfort
• 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 Maplewood, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to assisting you recover the pleasure of participating 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 life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Maplewood, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy a comfortable existence.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The positive outcomes of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Maplewood, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid 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 facilitates 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 more rigid muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can assist in reducing or eradicating the discomfort 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 readying the pelvic floor for labor, decreasing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on specific muscles and addressing any subsurface issues, therapy can enhance sexual excitement, climax, and overall sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan won’t just comprise supervised exercises. By offering information and guiding you in methods you can utilize independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and empowers you to maintain a way of life that fosters pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Maplewood, MO who can assist you in enhancing your pelvic health and performance. While some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might require operative intervention, the majority of patients in Maplewood, MO will find sustained and significant improvement through less invasive physical therapy techniques.

What Maplewood, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Maplewood, MO will comprise an examination of your existing 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. During this phase, your Maplewood, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to get to know 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 determine your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Maplewood, MO may also include an internal examination to better assess the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized rather than an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will aid in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the formulation of an suitable treatment plan to help 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 Maplewood, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, techniques, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving muscle strength and balance is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Maplewood, MO include:

• Kegel exercises to relax and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Stretching exercises to release tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle patterns into daily tasks

The exercises your Maplewood, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change 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 begin with you lying flat on your back and progress 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 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 measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to regulate and align 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 activate and release the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle integration and mastery.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to cross off – it also provides you with access to professional, research-supported insights that improve your everyday life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Changes to your nutrition
• Fluid control
• Correct posture and safe lifting methods
• Approaches for dealing with constipation
• Any other tips for a more wholesome daily life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications encourages enhanced pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

Other methods in pelvic floor therapy may involve therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and additional alternatives.

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Maplewood, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in offering individualized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Maplewood, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting favorable 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 utmost respect, empathy, and customized attention.

We also embrace the belief in delivering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We make use of up-to-date research and advanced technology to shape our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we provide 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 Maplewood, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Maplewood, MO area, all devoted to realizing your ideal pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our committed physio and occupational therapists in Maplewood, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it difficult to navigate your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment through our website or get in touch with the most convenient location to you to start your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Maplewood, MO today.