Pelvic floor therapy in Moscow Mills, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your sense of self 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 confidence and comfort as before, 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 Moscow Mills, MO can help you experience:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced pain and swelling
- Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
- Increased self-assurance and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Moscow Mills, MO specializes in creating personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they love most securely and successfully. If you are interested in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or wish to arrange an appointment with one of our physical therapusts, please contact us online today or contact to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you regain command and confidence in your pelvic health.
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that form a supportive web-like structure at the base 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 control several basic functions.
The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:
- Helps manage your bladder and bowels by giving you command over the contraction and release of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and stops them from descending
- Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
- Supports optimal sexual function
- Provides support and posture to the core and back
- During pregnancy, expands to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
- Assists in blood and lymph circulation, helping to sustain 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 joining 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 web of muscles and tissues that forms a sturdy foundation, holding 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 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 assists you to hold in your stool (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 works to maintain your pelvis stable.
The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by tightening 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 diminished 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 unwinding 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 need to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing to force out waste
- Pelvic pain
- Pain during sex
- 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 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 Moscow Mills, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to helping you recover the joy of engaging in the pursuits you love most in life.
How Physical Therapy Can Help With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
If you are suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, you may feel frustrated, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Moscow Mills, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy a pain-free life.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Moscow Mills, MO include:
- Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can assist in improving bladder and bowel control, reduce 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 weaker or less flexible muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can support in diminishing or eliminating the pain you experience due to 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 delivery, decreasing the likelihood of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with childbirth.
- Sexual health improvement — By focusing on specific muscles and dealing with any hidden issues, therapy can boost sexual excitement, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction.
- Education and self-management — Your personalized pelvic floor therapy plan will not just comprise monitored exercises. By offering education and instructing you in approaches you can try independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you actively participate in your own care and enables you to maintain a lifestyle that supports pelvic floor wellness.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Moscow Mills, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic well-being and performance. Although some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate surgical treatment, most individuals in Moscow Mills, MO will likely experience lasting and meaningful improvement through minimally invasive physical therapy approaches.
What Moscow Mills, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Moscow Mills, MO will comprise an examination of your current pelvic floor health. The remaining sessions will center around implementing your personalized treatment plan.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Moscow Mills, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to familiarize themselves with 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 approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Moscow Mills, MO may also include an internal examination to more evaluate the muscle 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 determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the formulation of an suitable treatment plan to help you in returning to the activities you love.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Moscow Mills, MO will create a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, exercises, and projected results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving strength and coordination is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Moscow Mills, MO include:
- Kegel exercises to release and engage the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor movement
- Stretching exercises to loosen tight muscles
- Resistance exercises to build up weak muscles
- Functional training to incorporate new muscle actions into daily tasks
The exercises your Moscow Mills, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your specific 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 lying down on your back and evolve 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 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 manage and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they engage and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and release the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle integration and command.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to cross off – it also gives you entrée to expert, science-backed insights that enhance your daily life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:
- Alterations to your nutrition
- Liquid regulation
- Proper posture and lifting techniques
- Approaches for addressing constipation
- Any other recommendations for a healthier day-to-day life and lifestyle
Complementing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations encourages improved pelvic floor function and overall well-being.
Other methods in pelvic floor therapy may incorporate therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and more alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Moscow Mills, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in providing customized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Moscow Mills, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a challenging and demanding issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, empathy, and tailored attention.
We also subscribe to the belief in delivering evidence-based and holistic 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 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in Moscow Mills, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Moscow Mills, MO area, all devoted to attaining your best pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Moscow Mills, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in Moscow Mills, MO have a singular mission: returning you to the activities you love the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it demanding to navigate your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment through our website or reach out to the closest location to you to embark on your recovery with Axes Physical Therapy in Moscow Mills, MO today.
