Pelvic floor therapy in Valley Park, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your self-esteem and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from getting back to a favorite activity, starting a family, or just getting through a day with the same assurance and ease as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you need to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Valley Park, MO can lead to:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Valley Park, MO specializes in designing personalized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they enjoy most safely and successfully. If you are interested in gaining more information about pelvic floor therapy or wish to book an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or contact to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you reclaim control and confidence in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints that form a supportive web-like structure at the base 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 protects organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping manage several basic functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by providing you command over the contraction and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids them from descending
• Resists belly pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports optimal sexual function
• Provides sturdiness 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 extend 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 channels or passages for the urethra (through which urine is passed), the vagina, and the anus (through which stool is passed).

Picture the pelvic floor as a woven web of muscles and tissues that creates a strong base, 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 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 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 essential 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 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 occurs when you experience difficulty unwinding and aligning 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
• Frequently feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing to strain waste
• Pelvic aches
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction and trouble 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, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Valley Park, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team dedicated to helping you recover the joy of engaging in the pursuits 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 frustrated, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Valley Park, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and enjoy a pain-free existence.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Valley Park, 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 painful spots, physical therapy can aid in lessening or eliminating the pain you feel 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 childbirth, minimizing the chance of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and promoting recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to childbirth.
• Sexual health improvement — By concentrating on particular muscles and tackling any subsurface issues, therapy can boost sexual excitement, orgasm, and overall sexual health.
• Education and self-management — Your tailored pelvic floor therapy plan will not just consist of supervised exercises. By providing education and teaching you approaches you can practice independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and enables you to maintain a lifestyle that fosters pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of experienced pelvic floor therapists in Valley Park, MO who can support you in enhancing your pelvic well-being and performance. While certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction may necessitate operative intervention, the majority of patients in Valley Park, MO will likely experience sustained and significant improvement through less invasive physical therapy methods.

What Valley Park, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Valley Park, MO will include an examination of your current pelvic floor health. The remaining sessions will emphasize implementing your tailored treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. During this phase, your Valley Park, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to familiarize themselves with 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 evaluate your current condition. With your approval, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Valley Park, MO may also involve an internal examination to more assess the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will help in identifying the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and support the formulation of an effective treatment plan to help you in resuming the activities you love.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Valley Park, MO will create a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, techniques, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving muscle strength and coordination is vital for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Valley Park, MO are:

• Kegel exercises to relax and engage the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to coordinate your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Stretching exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to build up weak muscles
• Functional training to integrate new muscle patterns into daily activities

The exercises your Valley Park, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will vary based on your unique needs, but will all be aimed at reconditioning your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your current health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may commence with you lying down 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 trigger point therapy (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 mobilization (lifting and rolling the skin to reduce adhesions).

Biofeedback Training

Biofeedback training makes use of a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to manage and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you real-time feedback on how they engage and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and release the muscles properly, optimizing your muscle integration and command.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a catalog of exercises to complete – it also offers you entry to skilled, research-supported insights that improve your daily life. Your physical therapist may advise you with:

• Alterations to your diet
• Fluid control
• Appropriate body alignment and lifting techniques
• Strategies for managing constipation
• Any other tips for a healthier day-to-day life and way of living

Complementing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations fosters improved 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 other alternatives.

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Valley Park, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we firmly believe in offering personalized and compassionate treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Valley Park, MO, our practice puts our clients at the center and aims to attain beneficial patient results. We realize that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a delicate and difficult condition. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, compassion, and personalized attention.

We also embrace the belief in offering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and advanced technology to inform our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we offer 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 Valley Park, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Valley Park, MO area, all dedicated to achieving your ideal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Valley Park, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to keep you from living your most life. At Axes, our devoted physio and occupational therapists in Valley Park, MO have a singular mission: getting you back to the things you value the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your playing in your favorite sport or making it demanding to navigate your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your ambitions. Schedule an appointment online or reach out to the closest location to you to commence your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Valley Park, MO today.