Pelvic floor therapy in Valles Mines, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause hurt; it can affect your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from returning to a favorite activity, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and comfort as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you need to feel like your best you again. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Valles Mines, MO can lead to:
- Improved bladder and bowel control
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- Enhanced sexual function and satisfaction
- Increased self-assurance and quality of life
Axes Physical Therapy in Valles Mines, MO specializes in designing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they love most securely and successfully. If you are interested in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or desire 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 command and assurance in your pelvic health.
Understanding the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that create a supportive hammock-like structure at the bottom of the pelvis. It acts like a “floor” or a base for the organs in the pelvic region, 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 has several functions and roles:
- Helps control your bladder and bowels by giving you command over the squeezing and release of muscles
- Supports organs in the pelvis and stops them from descending
- 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, expands to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
- Assists in blood and lymphatic circulation, helping to sustain healthy tissue
Pelvic Floor Anatomy
The pelvic floor muscles span from the tailbone at the back to the pubic bone at the front, while also joining to the hip bones on each side. These muscles have openings or canals 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 network of muscles and tissues that forms a strong foundation, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from dropping down. It works like a reinforcing 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 helps you to hold in your stool (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 supports 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 tightening and relaxing at the right times and play a part in sexual function and satisfaction by providing support to the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is weakened 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 unwinding and aligning your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.
Signs and Symptoms
- Difficulty 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
- Sensation of needing to force out urine or feces
- Pelvic discomfort
- 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, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Valles Mines, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to assisting you regain the joy of participating in the activities you treasure most in life.
How Physical Therapy Can Help With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
If you are suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, you may feel frustrated, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Valles Mines, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and experience a pain-free life.
Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Valles Mines, 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 provide 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 stiffer muscles and addressing trigger points, physical therapy can support in diminishing or eradicating the discomfort you endure caused by pelvic floor dysfunction.
- Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised during pregnancy and following childbirth. It can aid in readying the pelvic floor for delivery, decreasing the chance of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to pregnancy and labor.
- Sexual health improvement — By targeting specific muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can boost sexual arousal, orgasm, 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 autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and enables you to maintain a lifestyle that fosters pelvic floor wellness.
At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Valles Mines, MO who can support you in improving your pelvic health and performance. While some cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may require operative correction, most individuals in Valles Mines, MO will experience sustained and substantial improvement through non-invasive physical therapy approaches.
What Valles Mines, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves
Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Valles Mines, MO will comprise an examination of your current pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will focus on implementing your personalized treatment plan.
Assessment and Evaluation
The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Valles Mines, 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 conduct a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to determine your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Valles Mines, MO may additionally include an internal examination to more evaluate the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized instead of an internal examination.
The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will assist in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the creation of an suitable treatment plan to help you in returning to the activities you cherish.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises
Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Valles Mines, MO will design a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate specific goals, techniques, and expected outcomes to guide your therapy.
Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Improving muscle strength and coordination is essential for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Valles Mines, MO include:
- Kegel exercises to loosen and engage the pelvic floor muscles
- Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
- Flexibility exercises to loosen tight muscles
- Resistance exercises to develop weak muscles
- Functional training to incorporate new muscle movements into daily tasks
The exercises your Valles Mines, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your unique situation, but will all be aimed at retraining 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 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 release (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 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 live feedback on how they engage and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and relax the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle alignment and control.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to cross off – it also gives you access to professional, science-backed insights that enhance your daily life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:
- Changes to your nutrition
- Liquid control
- Proper body alignment and lifting techniques
- Approaches for managing constipation
- Any other advice for a more wholesome daily life and lifestyle
Complementing the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments promotes enhanced pelvic floor function and overall 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 Valles Mines, MO
At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in delivering individualized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a devoted physical therapist in Valles Mines, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and endeavors to achieve favorable patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a challenging and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, empathy, and personalized attention.
We also hold the belief in providing evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and cutting-edge technology to inform our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we offer 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in Valles Mines, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Valles Mines, MO area, all devoted to achieving your ideal pelvic health.
Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Valles Mines, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to hinder you from being your favorite version of yourself. At Axes, our dedicated physio and occupational therapists in Valles Mines, MO have a sole mission: returning you to the activities you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it challenging to manage your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan specifically to you and your goals. Schedule an appointment online or contact the most convenient location to you to start your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Valles Mines, MO today.
