Pelvic floor therapy in Owensville, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can affect your sense of self and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from returning to a favorite sport, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same assurance and comfort as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you require to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Owensville, MO can help you achieve:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and inflammation
• Enhanced sexual performance and pleasure
• Increased confidence and well-being

Axes Physical Therapy in Owensville, MO specializes in creating personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most safely and successfully. If you are interested in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or wish to book an appointment with one of our experts, 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 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 your pelvis, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor safeguards organs and your spine from external pressure while helping control several vital functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by providing you control over the contraction and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from descending
• Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports healthy sexual function
• Provides stability and alignment to the core and back
• During pregnancy, expands to accommodate a growing fetus and assists in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymphatic circulation, contributing to sustain healthy tissue

Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The pelvic floor muscles stretch 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 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 mesh of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from sagging. It works like a supportive sling to maintain 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 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 sustains the organs inside your abdomen (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and helps to keep 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 correct times and play a part in sexual function and pleasure by supporting 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 experience difficulty relaxing 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
• Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to force out urine or feces
• Pelvic aches
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• 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 can affect anyone, regardless of 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 Owensville, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to helping you recover the pleasure of participating in the activities 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 disappointed, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Owensville, MO physical therapist, you can regain 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 benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Owensville, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can aid in improving bladder and bowel control, alleviate symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination facilitates vitals 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 stiffer muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can assist in diminishing or eliminating the discomfort you feel due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can assist in readying the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the likelihood of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can improve sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual fulfillment.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not just comprise guided exercises. By providing education and teaching you techniques you can practice on your own, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and enables you to sustain a lifestyle that promotes pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Owensville, MO who can support you in boosting your pelvic health and function. Although some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might require operative correction, the majority of patients in Owensville, MO will find long-lasting and significant progress through less invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Owensville, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Owensville, MO will comprise an examination of your current pelvic floor health. The subsequent sessions will focus on implementing your tailored treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Owensville, MO physical therapist will take the time to understand 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 assess your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Owensville, MO may also include an internal examination to better evaluate the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used as an alternative to an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted 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 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 Owensville, MO will create a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will include defined goals, exercises, and anticipated outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving physical strength and balance is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Owensville, 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 loosen tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to build up weak muscles
• Functional training to incorporate new muscle patterns into routine tasks

The exercises your Owensville, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ based on your specific situation, 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 begin with you reclining on your back and evolve to sitting 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 release (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 employs 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 instant feedback on how they contract and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to engage and relax the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle alignment and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to mark off – it also offers you access to professional, evidence-based insights that boost your day-to-day life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:

• Adjustments to your diet
• Liquid management
• Proper posture and safe lifting methods
• Strategies for addressing constipation
• Additional advice for a more wholesome everyday life and lifestyle

Augmenting the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications fosters improved pelvic floor function and general 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 Owensville, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in providing individualized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Owensville, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a challenging and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the highest respect, compassion, and personalized attention.

We also subscribe to the belief in delivering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to guide our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we present 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 Owensville, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Owensville, MO area, all dedicated to attaining your ideal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Owensville, 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 Owensville, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the activities you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to manage your day, we will tailor our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment through our website or get in touch with the nearest location to you to embark on your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Owensville, MO today.