Pelvic floor therapy in Weldon Spring Heights, MO. Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain; it can impact your self-perception and independence. If pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping you from getting back to a favorite sport, starting a family, or just navigating a day with the same assurance and comfort as before, pelvic floor physical therapy could be what you require to feel like your best you again. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Weldon Spring Heights, MO can lead to:

• Improved bladder and bowel control
• Reduced discomfort and swelling
• Enhanced sexual function and pleasure
• Increased self-assurance and quality of life

Axes Physical Therapy in Weldon Spring Heights, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the pastimes they enjoy most securely and successfully. If you are curious in discovering about pelvic floor therapy or wish 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 regain control and assurance in your pelvic health.

Understanding the Pelvic Floor

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 shields organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping manage several important functions.

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

• Helps regulate your bladder and bowels by giving you control 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, 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 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 mesh of muscles and tissues that forms a resilient foundation, holding the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from sagging. It works like a reinforcing sling to uphold the position and function of pelvic organs.

The chief 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 poo (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 supports the organs inside your lower belly (iliococcygeus). The coccygeus connects the side and back bones of your pelvis and works to maintain 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 appropriate 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 compromised 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 relaxing and coordinating your pelvic floor muscles for ideal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Often feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing to strain waste
• Pelvic discomfort
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Erectile dysfunction and trouble 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 have a negative impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health, there is hope with professional physical therapy in Weldon Spring Heights, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to assisting you recover the joy of participating in the things 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, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is not the same thing as a permanent condition. With practical treatment plans tailored for you by your Weldon Spring Heights, MO physical therapist, you can regain control over your life and experience a comfortable life.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can strengthen, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Weldon Spring Heights, 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 supports vitals 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 more rigid muscles and addressing sensitive areas, physical therapy can support in lessening or eradicating 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 aid in preparing the pelvic floor for delivery, decreasing the risk of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping recovery from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to pregnancy and labor.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on particular muscles and dealing with any underlying issues, therapy can improve sexual arousal, orgasm, and general sexual gratification.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By offering information and instructing you in tips you can utilize at home, your Axes physical therapist helps you actively participate in your own care and enables you to sustain a routine that supports pelvic floor wellness.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Weldon Spring Heights, MO who can help you in enhancing your pelvic health and performance. While certain instances of pelvic floor dysfunction might require operative correction, the majority of individuals in Weldon Spring Heights, MO will likely find lasting and substantial progress through non-invasive physical therapy techniques.

What Weldon Spring Heights, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your initial pelvic floor therapy session in Weldon Spring Heights, MO will involve an examination of your current pelvic floor condition. The following sessions will center around implementing your customized treatment plan.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. During this phase, your Weldon Spring Heights, 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 perform 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO may also include an internal examination to better determine the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be employed as an alternative to an internal examination.

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

Pelvic Floor Therapy Treatments and Exercises

Upon reviewing the findings from your assessment and evaluation, your pelvic floor therapist in Weldon Spring Heights, MO will create a personalized treatment plan specific to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, exercises, and anticipated results to guide your therapy.

Exercises for Pelvic Floor Therapy

Improving physical strength and balance is crucial for any pelvic floor therapy plan. Exercises that may be included in your physical therapy treatment plan in Weldon Spring Heights, MO include:

• Kegel exercises to loosen and contract the pelvic floor muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing to sync your breath with your pelvic floor motion
• Flexibility exercises to increase flexibility in tight muscles
• Resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles
• Functional training to include new muscle actions into routine tasks

The exercises your Weldon Spring Heights, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will be different based on your unique needs, but will all be aimed at rehabilitating 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 gradually advance 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 myofascial release (releasing tight knots in your muscles), nerve decompression (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 coordinate 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 contract and relax 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 access to professional, science-backed insights that enhance your everyday life. Your physical therapist may suggest you with:

• Changes to your eating habits
• Fluid management
• Proper posture and safe lifting methods
• Approaches for addressing constipation
• Any other advice for a better day-to-day life and way of living

Complementing the exercises and techniques employed in pelvic floor therapy with these adjustments promotes better pelvic floor function and general 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 Weldon Spring Heights, MO

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in delivering customized and empathetic treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a committed physical therapist in Weldon Spring Heights, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting positive patient results. We comprehend that pelvic floor dysfunction can pose as a challenging and demanding issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the utmost respect, compassion, and customized attention.

We also embrace the belief in offering evidence-based and comprehensive care to our patients. We make use of up-to-date research and state-of-the-art 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 exploring pelvic floor therapy in Weldon Spring Heights, MO, trust in Axes. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Weldon Spring Heights, MO area, all dedicated to realizing your best pelvic health.

Call Axes Physical Therapy for Your Weldon Spring Heights, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Today

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to impede you from leading your best life. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Weldon Spring Heights, MO have a sole mission: returning you to the things you treasure the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is preventing your participation in your favorite sport or making it challenging to manage your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your aspirations. Schedule an appointment through our website or reach out to the nearest location to you to embark on your journey with Axes Physical Therapy in Weldon Spring Heights, MO today.