Pelvic floor therapy in Warrenton, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can affect your sense of self and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing you from getting back to a favorite activity, beginning parenthood, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and ease as before, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you require to feel like your best you again. With evidence-backed treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Warrenton, 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 Warrenton, MO specializes in designing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pursuits they love most securely and effectively. If you are interested in finding out more about pelvic floor therapy or want to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, please contact us online today or get in touch to the Axes location nearest you. We’re here to help you regain command and confidence in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is the soft tissues and joints 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 your pelvis, including the bladder, uterus, urethra, and rectum. The pelvic floor shields organs and your spine from external pressure while helping control 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 descending
• Resists abdominal pressure from lifting, coughing, or other activities
• Supports optimal sexual function
• Provides stability and alignment 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 sustain vibrant 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 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 mesh of muscles and tissues that creates a resilient foundation, holding the pelvic organs in place and preventing them from sagging. It works like a supportive sling to uphold the position and function of pelvic organs.

The primary 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 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 help in controlling the release of urine and stool by contracting and relaxing at the correct times and contribute in sexual function and satisfaction by supporting the organs involved in sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is weakened or becomes too tense, it results in pelvic floor dysfunction.

Causes, Signs, and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a condition where you have difficulty unwinding and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Challenges urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Regularly feeling the urge to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need 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 can affect anyone, regardless of 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 Warrenton, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team devoted 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 disappointed, ashamed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans customized for you by your Warrenton, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a comfortable 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 Warrenton, MO include:

• Improved pelvic floor muscle strength — Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help improving bladder and bowel control, alleviate symptoms of urinary and fecal incontinence, and offer better support for the pelvic organs.
• Improved pelvic floor muscle coordination — Enhancing coordination facilitates vitals functioning, such as relaxing and contracting muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting weaker or more rigid muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can assist in diminishing or getting rid of the pain you endure due to pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Pre- and postpartum care — Pelvic floor therapy is frequently advised for expecting mothers and those who have just given birth. It can aid in readying the pelvic floor for delivery, minimizing the likelihood of postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction, and facilitating recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor connected to pregnancy and labor.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on specific muscles and dealing with any underlying 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 information and teaching you methods you can utilize independently, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and enables you to sustain a lifestyle that promotes pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of skilled pelvic floor therapists in Warrenton, MO who can help you in improving your pelvic well-being and function. Although certain cases of pelvic floor dysfunction may require operative intervention, most patients in Warrenton, MO will experience sustained and significant progress through less invasive physical therapy techniques.

What Warrenton, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Warrenton, MO will involve an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor condition. The subsequent sessions will focus on implementing your customized treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial evaluation. During this phase, your Warrenton, MO physical therapist will take the time to get to know you and your symptoms. They will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will perform a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to determine your present condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Warrenton, MO may also involve an internal examination to more evaluate the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used instead of an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation conducted by your physical therapist will help in determining the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and enable the development of an optimal 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 Warrenton, MO will develop a personalized treatment plan customized to your needs. This plan will incorporate precise goals, exercises, and expected results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

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

• Kegel exercises to relax and engage the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor movement
• Stretching exercises to loosen tight muscles
• Strengthening exercises to develop weak muscles
• Functional training to integrate new muscle actions into routine tasks

The exercises your Warrenton, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your specific needs, but will all be aimed at reconditioning your body and muscles for optimal health. Depending on your present health and level of pelvic floor dysfunction, exercises may commence with you lying flat on your back and progress to seated 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 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 utilizes a device to measure and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you learn how to regulate and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you live feedback on how they tighten and release. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to activate and release the muscles appropriately, optimizing your muscle alignment and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a list of exercises to cross off – it also gives you access to expert, evidence-based insights that improve your everyday life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:

• Adjustments to your diet
• Fluid management
• Proper posture and lifting techniques
• Approaches for dealing with constipation
• Additional tips for a more wholesome everyday life and lifestyle

Complementing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations encourages enhanced pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

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

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we strongly believe in providing customized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Warrenton, 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 customized attention.

We also hold the belief in providing evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We utilize up-to-date research and state-of-the-art technology to shape our treatment plans and methodologies. In addition, we present 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 Warrenton, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Warrenton, MO area, all dedicated to achieving your optimal pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Warrenton, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to prevent you from being the best version of yourself. At Axes, our dedicated physio and occupational therapists in Warrenton, MO have a singular mission: getting you back to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping 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 aspirations. Schedule an appointment through our website or get in touch with the most convenient location to you to commence your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Warrenton, MO today.