Pelvic floor therapy in Villa Ridge, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your self-esteem and happiness. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from getting back to a favorite activity, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same confidence and comfort you used to, 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 Villa Ridge, MO can help you with:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and inflammation
• Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
• Increased self-assurance and well-being

Axes Physical Therapy in Villa Ridge, 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 discovering 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 reclaim control and confidence in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and fibers that form 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 manage several everyday functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by providing you control over the squeezing and release of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and prevents them from prolapsing
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports well-functioning sexual function
• Provides stability and alignment 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, contributing to maintain healthy 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 openings or canals 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 network of muscles and tissues that forms a resilient base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and preventing 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 helps you to hold in your feces (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 crucial 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 compromised 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 relaxing and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Trouble urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Often feeling the urge to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing to force out 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 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 Villa Ridge, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted to helping you recover the joy of engaging in the pursuits 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 despairing. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans customized for you by your Villa Ridge, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and experience a pain-free life.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, improve flexibility of, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The positive outcomes of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Villa Ridge, 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 offer better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination promotes essential functioning, such as the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less resilient or less flexible muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can assist in reducing or getting rid of the pain you experience resulting from 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, reducing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recuperation from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By targeting particular muscles and tackling any subsurface issues, therapy can enhance sexual arousal, climax, and general sexual health.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By providing education and guiding you in approaches you can try on your own, your Axes physical therapist helps you engage actively in your own care and enables you to sustain a lifestyle that fosters pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Villa Ridge, MO who can support you in enhancing your pelvic health and performance. Although some instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate operative treatment, the majority of patients in Villa Ridge, MO will experience lasting and significant progress through minimally invasive physical therapy methods.

What Villa Ridge, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Villa Ridge, MO will comprise an assessment of your existing pelvic floor condition. The remaining sessions will emphasize implementing your tailored treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. In this appointment, your Villa Ridge, MO physical therapist will dedicate time to get to know you and your issues. They will ask 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 consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Villa Ridge, MO may also include an internal examination to more assess the strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be utilized rather than an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation performed by your physical therapist will help in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and support the creation of an suitable treatment plan to assist you in getting back to the activities you enjoy.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Villa Ridge, MO will design a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will include defined goals, techniques, and expected results 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 Villa Ridge, MO include:

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

The exercises your Villa Ridge, 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 existing health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may commence with you lying down on your back and progress 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 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 harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they engage and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and release the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle integration and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

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

• Alterations to your eating habits
• Fluid regulation
• Appropriate posture and lifting techniques
• Strategies for managing constipation
• Further recommendations for a more wholesome everyday life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques used in pelvic floor therapy with these modifications fosters improved pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

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

Axes Physical Therapy’s Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy in Villa Ridge, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in providing customized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Villa Ridge, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a sensitive and difficult issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, compassion, and tailored attention.

We also embrace the belief in delivering evidence-based and integrative care to our patients. We employ up-to-date research and advanced technology to shape 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 considering pelvic floor therapy in Villa Ridge, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Villa Ridge, MO area, all devoted to achieving your best pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Villa Ridge, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from leading your fullest life. At Axes, our dedicated physical and occupational therapists in Villa Ridge, MO have a singular mission: returning you to the things you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your playing in your favorite sport or making it challenging to manage your day, we will personalize our physical therapy treatment plan exclusively to you and your goals. Request an appointment online or contact the nearest location to you to start your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Villa Ridge, MO today.