Pelvic floor therapy in Scotsdale, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can affect your sense of self and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from getting back to a beloved sport, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and ease as before, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you need to regain your lifestyle. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Scotsdale, MO can help you achieve:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced discomfort and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual function and satisfaction
- Increased confidence and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Scotsdale, MO specializes in creating personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most safely and effectively. If you are curious in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or want to schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapusts, please contact us online today or get in touch 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 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 outside pressure while helping control several important functions.
The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:
- Helps manage your bladder and bowels by giving you authority over the squeezing 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 support 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, contributing to maintain 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 connecting 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).
Think of the pelvic floor as a woven mesh of muscles and tissues that creates a sturdy foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from descending down. It works like a supportive 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 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 lower belly (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and helps to keep your pelvis stable.
The pelvic floor muscles have crucial roles. They assist in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the right times and play a part in sexual function and satisfaction 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 occurs when you experience difficulty relaxing and aligning your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.
Signs and Symptoms
- Challenges urinating or having bowel movements
- Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete
- Leakage of urine or feces
- Often feeling the need to use the bathroom
- Feeling like you need to strain waste
- Pelvic discomfort
- Pain during sex
- Erectile dysfunction and trouble 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, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Scotsdale, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to helping you recover the joy of engaging in the things 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 Scotsdale, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy 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 Scotsdale, MO include:
- Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can assist in improving bladder and bowel control, alleviate symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and provide 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 weaker or more rigid muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can support in lessening or eradicating the pain you feel due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
- Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can aid in preparing the pelvic floor for delivery, minimizing the risk of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor associated with giving birth.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting specific muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can boost sexual arousal, climax, and overall sexual gratification.
- Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering education and teaching you approaches you can practice at home, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and enables you to maintain a lifestyle that supports pelvic floor health.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Scotsdale, MO who can assist you in enhancing your pelvic health and performance. While certain cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may necessitate surgical correction, most individuals in Scotsdale, MO will likely find sustained and significant progress through non-invasive physical therapy techniques.
What Scotsdale, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Scotsdale, MO will comprise an assessment of your current 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. In this appointment, your Scotsdale, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to get to know 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 evaluate your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Scotsdale, MO may additionally include an internal examination to more evaluate the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized rather than an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will help in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the creation of an suitable 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 Scotsdale, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will include specific goals, exercises, and projected results to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving strength and balance is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Scotsdale, MO are:
- Kegel exercises to release and contract the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor movement
- Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
- Resistance exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to include new muscle patterns into daily activities
The exercises your Scotsdale, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your specific needs, but will all be aimed at rehabilitating your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your present health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may initially start with you reclining on your back and evolve to sitting 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 myofascial release (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 utilizes a device to measure 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 real-time feedback on how they tighten and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and relax the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle alignment and mastery.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to mark off – it also offers you entry to professional, research-supported insights that boost your everyday life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:
- Alterations to your nutrition
- Liquid control
- Appropriate body alignment and lifting techniques
- Strategies for managing constipation
- Further advice for a healthier daily life and lifestyle
Augmenting the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations encourages 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 additional alternatives.
Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Scotsdale, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in providing individualized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Scotsdale, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting favorable patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a challenging and difficult issue. 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 integrative care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and advanced technology to inform our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we provide a range of other physical therapy services that can enhance 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 Scotsdale, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Scotsdale, MO area, all dedicated to attaining your ideal pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Scotsdale, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our devoted physio and occupational therapists in Scotsdale, MO have a unified mission: returning you to the things you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to navigate your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment through our website or contact the most convenient location to you to embark on your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Scotsdale, MO today.
