Pelvic floor therapy in New Melle, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your sense of self and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from dominating on the grass, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and comfort as before, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in New Melle, MO can help you with:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced pain and swelling
• Enhanced sexual function and satisfaction
• Increased confidence and well-being

Axes Physical Therapy in New Melle, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most safely and successfully. If you are curious in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or wish to schedule 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 restore command and assurance in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

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

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by providing you command over the contraction and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
• Resists abdominal 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 assists in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymphatic circulation, helping to sustain healthy tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles span 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 channels or passages for the urethra (through which urine is passed), the vagina, and the anus (through which stool is passed).

Think of the pelvic floor as a woven mesh of muscles and tissues that constructs a strong base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from descending down. It works like a reinforcing sling to maintain 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 abdomen (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and helps to maintain your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have essential roles. They help in regulating 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 compromised or becomes too tense, it leads to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a condition where you have difficulty unwinding and aligning 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
• Frequently feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to push out urine or feces
• Pelvic discomfort
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction and trouble 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 New Melle, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to helping you recover the pleasure of engaging 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 disappointed, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your New Melle, MO physical therapist, you can regain 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 advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in New Melle, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid in improving bladder and bowel control, reduce symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer 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 trigger points, physical therapy can assist in reducing or eliminating the pain you experience 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, minimizing the risk of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to pregnancy and labor.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on particular muscles and dealing with any hidden issues, therapy can enhance sexual excitement, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering information and teaching you approaches you can utilize independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and enables you to maintain a way of life that promotes pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in New Melle, MO who can assist you in boosting your pelvic health and performance. Although some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction may require operative treatment, most patients in New Melle, MO will likely find long-lasting and substantial improvement through non-invasive physical therapy methods.

What New Melle, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in New Melle, MO will involve an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will emphasize implementing your personalized treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your New Melle, MO physical therapist will take the 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 determine your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in New Melle, MO may additionally involve an internal examination to further determine the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used as an substitute to an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will assist in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the development of an optimal treatment plan to assist 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 New Melle, MO will create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will include specific goals, techniques, and projected results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to release and engage the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Flexibility exercises to loosen tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to build up weak muscles
• Functional training to incorporate new muscle actions into routine activities

The exercises your New Melle, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your specific 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 initially start with you lying flat on your back and progress to seated and upright 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 trigger point therapy (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 rolling (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 coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you instant feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and relax the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle alignment and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

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

• Alterations to your diet
• Liquid regulation
• Appropriate body alignment and safe lifting methods
• Tactics for dealing with constipation
• Additional tips for a better daily life and lifestyle

Complementing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments encourages improved pelvic floor function and general well-being.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in offering personalized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in New Melle, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and endeavors to obtain positive patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a delicate and demanding condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, compassion, and tailored attention.

We also hold the belief in offering evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We make use of 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 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in New Melle, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the New Melle, MO area, all committed to attaining your best pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your New Melle, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to hinder you from leading your fullest life. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in New Melle, MO have a singular mission: returning you to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it demanding to get through your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your goals. Request an appointment online or reach out to the nearest location to you to embark on your recovery with Axes Physical Therapy in New Melle, MO today.