Pelvic floor therapy in Olympian Village, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your sense of self and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from getting back to a favorite activity, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and ease as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you need to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Olympian Village, MO can lead to:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced discomfort and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual performance and satisfaction
- Increased self-assurance and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Olympian Village, MO specializes in creating customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they enjoy most safely and successfully. If you are interested in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or want to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, 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 constitute a supportive net-like structure at the base of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a base for the organs in your pelvis, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor safeguards organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several everyday functions.
The pelvic floor has several functions and roles:
- Helps control your bladder and bowels by providing you control 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 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 lymph circulation, contributing to sustain healthy tissue
Pelvic Floor Anatomy
The pelvic floor muscles extend 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).
Picture the pelvic floor as a woven network of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient base, holding 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 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 poo (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 sustains 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 aid in controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the correct times and contribute 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 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
- Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements
- Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
- Leakage of urine or feces
- Frequently feeling the urge to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing to force out waste
- Pelvic pain
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Erectile dysfunction and difficulty 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 doesn’t just affect people of a single certain age, gender or physical ability. While it can have a negative impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Olympian Village, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to assisting you regain the joy of engaging in the pursuits 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, embarrassed, or despairing. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Olympian Village, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a comfortable existence.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Olympian Village, 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 the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
- Pain management — By targeting weaker or more rigid muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can assist in reducing or getting rid of the discomfort you feel 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 labor, minimizing the risk of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to pregnancy and labor.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can enhance sexual excitement, climax, and overall sexual fulfillment.
- Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan won’t solely comprise supervised exercises. By offering information and guiding you in methods you can try autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and empowers you to maintain a way of life that supports pelvic floor health.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Olympian Village, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic health and function. Although some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might require operative treatment, the majority of patients in Olympian Village, MO will likely find long-lasting and substantial progress through non-invasive physical therapy methods.
What Olympian Village, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Olympian Village, MO will comprise an evaluation of your current pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will center around implementing your tailored treatment program.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Olympian Village, MO physical therapist will take the time to familiarize themselves with 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 Olympian Village, MO may also involve an internal examination to more determine the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized as an substitute to an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will aid in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the creation of an effective 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 Olympian Village, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will include precise goals, techniques, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving physical strength and balance is crucial for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Olympian Village, MO include:
- Kegel exercises to relax and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor motion
- Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
- Resistance exercises to build up weak muscles
- Functional training to include new muscle actions into everyday tasks
The exercises your Olympian Village, 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 commence with you reclining on your back and gradually advance 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 myofascial release (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve release (freeing up compressed nerves), joint mobilization (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 understand how to control and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles by giving you real-time feedback on how they contract and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and relax 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 access to professional, evidence-based insights that boost your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:
- Adjustments to your diet
- Fluid control
- Appropriate posture and lifting techniques
- Approaches for dealing with constipation
- Additional advice for a more wholesome day-to-day life and way of living
Augmenting the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments fosters enhanced pelvic floor function and overall well-being.
Other pelvic floor therapy techniques may include therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and additional alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Olympian Village, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in offering customized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Olympian Village, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and strives to achieve positive patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest as a delicate and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, empathy, and customized attention.
We also hold the belief in delivering evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and advanced technology to inform 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 Olympian Village, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Olympian Village, MO area, all dedicated to achieving your best pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Olympian Village, 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 physio and occupational therapists in Olympian Village, MO have a singular mission: getting you back to the things 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 customize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment through our website or get in touch with the nearest location to you to commence your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Olympian Village, MO today.
