Pelvic floor therapy in Town and Country, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your self-esteem and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from getting back to a beloved activity, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and comfort you used to, 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 Town and Country, MO can lead to:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Town and Country, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they love most safely and effectively. If you are interested in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or desire to arrange an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or reach out to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you restore command and assurance in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that create a supportive hammock-like structure at the bottom of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a foundation 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 manage several vital functions.

The pelvic floor provides a number of vital functions for the body:

• Helps control 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 belly 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, contributing 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 channels 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 creates a sturdy foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from dropping down. It works like a supportive sling to uphold 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 assists you to hold in your poo (puborectalis), one that connects the front and back bones of your pelvis and supports 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 works to keep your pelvis stable.

The pelvic floor muscles have important roles. They aid in regulating the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the right times and contribute in sexual function and pleasure by supporting the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is diminished 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 relaxing and aligning your pelvic floor muscles for ideal 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 pain
• Pain during sex
• 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 have a negative impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Town and Country, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to assisting you recover the pleasure of participating in the pursuits 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 frustrated, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans tailored for you by your Town and Country, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a comfortable existence.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The advantages of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Town and Country, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help improving bladder and bowel control, diminish symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination supports essential functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less strong or less flexible muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can support in diminishing or eliminating the pain you experience 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 delivery, minimizing the chance of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on specific muscles and dealing with any underlying issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, climax, and general sexual satisfaction.
• Education and self-management — Your personalized pelvic floor therapy plan won’t just consist of monitored exercises. By offering information and teaching you techniques you can try autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you actively participate in your own care and enables you to sustain a way of life that promotes pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Town and Country, MO who can assist you in improving your pelvic health and function. While certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate operative intervention, the majority of patients in Town and Country, MO will likely find sustained and meaningful improvement through non-invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Town and Country, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Town and Country, MO will comprise an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will center around implementing your customized treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Town and Country, MO physical therapist will take the time to understand you and your symptoms. They will inquire about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will conduct a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to assess your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Town and Country, MO may also include an internal examination to better determine the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will help in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the development of an effective treatment plan to assist 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 Town and Country, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will include defined goals, exercises, and expected outcomes to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving physical strength and coordination is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Town and Country, MO include:

• Kegel exercises to release and tighten the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Stretching exercises to loosen tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle patterns into everyday activities

The exercises your Town and Country, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your particular needs, 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 commence 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 trigger point therapy (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 makes use of a device to gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to regulate and align your pelvic floor muscles by giving you real-time feedback on how they contract and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and release the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle integration and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

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

• Alterations to your nutrition
• Liquid control
• Correct posture and safe lifting methods
• Approaches for addressing constipation
• Additional recommendations for a healthier everyday life and lifestyle

Complementing the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments fosters enhanced pelvic floor function and general well-being.

Other methods in pelvic floor therapy may involve therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and other alternatives.

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Town and Country, MO

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

We also embrace the belief in delivering evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and advanced technology to inform 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 Town and Country, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Town and Country, MO area, all committed to achieving your best pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Town and Country, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to hinder you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in Town and Country, MO have a sole mission: returning you to the things you love the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your playing in your favorite sport or making it difficult to navigate your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your aspirations. Request an appointment through our website or contact the most convenient location to you to start your path with Axes Physical Therapy in Town and Country, MO today.