Pelvic floor therapy in Pacific, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can affect your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from getting back to a favorite activity, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same confidence and comfort you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you need to regain your lifestyle. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Pacific, MO can help you achieve:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced discomfort and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
- Increased confidence and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Pacific, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they love most safely and successfully. If you are interested in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or want to arrange an appointment with one of our physical therapusts, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you restore control and assurance in your pelvic health.
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that constitute a supportive hammock-like structure at the base of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a base for the organs in the pelvic area, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor shields organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping control several everyday functions.
The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:
- Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by giving you command over the contraction and relaxing of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and stops them from prolapsing
- Resists abdominal 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 assists in childbirth
- Assists in blood and lymphatic circulation, helping to preserve vibrant tissue
Pelvic Floor Anatomy
The pelvic floor muscles stretch 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 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 web of muscles and tissues that forms a resilient 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 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 supports the organs inside your abdomen (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 controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the appropriate times and play a part in sexual function and satisfaction by supporting 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 optimal 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 need to use the bathroom
- Sensation of needing to force out waste
- Pelvic discomfort
- Pain during sex
- 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 affect anyone deeply, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Pacific, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to assisting you regain the joy of engaging in the activities 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 disappointed, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Pacific, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and enjoy a pain-free existence.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Pacific, 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 less strong or more rigid muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can aid in reducing or getting rid of the pain you endure due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
- Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can assist in preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth, minimizing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
- Sexual health improvement — By focusing on particular muscles and tackling any underlying issues, therapy can improve sexual excitement, climax, and general sexual satisfaction.
- Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering information and instructing you in tips you can try independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and empowers you to sustain a way of life that supports pelvic floor wellness.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Pacific, MO who can support you in improving your pelvic well-being and function. Although certain cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may necessitate operative correction, most patients in Pacific, MO will likely find sustained and meaningful progress through less invasive physical therapy methods.
What Pacific, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Pacific, MO will involve an assessment of your existing pelvic floor condition. The remaining sessions will focus on implementing your personalized treatment plan.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Pacific, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to understand you and your symptoms. 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 Pacific, MO may additionally involve an internal examination to better determine the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed instead of an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will aid in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the formulation of an optimal treatment plan to help you in resuming the activities you enjoy.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Pacific, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, techniques, and projected outcomes 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 Pacific, MO are:
- Kegel exercises to relax and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to harmonize your breath with your pelvic floor motion
- Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
- Strengthening exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to integrate new muscle movements into everyday activities
The exercises your Pacific, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will differ based on your specific situation, but will all be aimed at retraining your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your current health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may begin with you reclining on your back and evolve 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 decompression (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 utilizes a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to regulate 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 activate and relax the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle coordination and command.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a list of exercises to complete – it also provides you with access to expert, research-supported insights that boost your everyday life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:
- Adjustments to your nutrition
- Liquid control
- Appropriate posture and lifting techniques
- Tactics for addressing constipation
- Additional tips for a more wholesome everyday life and way of living
Complementing the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications promotes better 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 other alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Pacific, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in offering customized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Pacific, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and aims to achieve positive patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a challenging and demanding condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, compassion, and customized attention.
We also embrace the belief in providing evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and state-of-the-art technology to inform 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 interested in trying pelvic floor therapy in Pacific, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Pacific, MO area, all devoted to attaining your best pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Pacific, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to impede you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our devoted physio and occupational therapists in Pacific, MO have a sole mission: getting you back to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it challenging to get through your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your aspirations. Request an appointment through our website or get in touch with the closest location to you to commence your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Pacific, MO today.
