Pelvic floor therapy in Winfield, MO. Pelvic floor causes more than just physical pain; it can impact your self-esteem and happiness. 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 you used to, pelvic floor physical therapy may be what you require to regain your lifestyle. With research-supported treatment plans, pelvic floor therapy in Winfield, MO can help you with:

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

Axes Physical Therapy in Winfield, MO specializes in developing customized treatment plans that gets pelvic floor patients back to the activities they love most safely and effectively. If you are curious in gaining more information 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 regain command and confidence in your pelvic health.

How the Pelvic Floor Works

The pelvic floor is a complex of muscles, ligaments, and tissues that constitute a supportive net-like structure at the bottom 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 safeguards organs and your spine from outside pressure while helping manage several everyday functions.

The pelvic floor has numerous functions and roles:

• Helps control your bladder and bowels by giving you control over the squeezing and relaxing of muscles
• Supports organs in the pelvis and avoids 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, stretches to accommodate a growing fetus and supports vaginal delivery in childbirth
• Assists in blood and lymph circulation, contributing to maintain 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 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 constructs a sturdy base, supporting the pelvic organs in place and avoiding them from descending down. It works like a reinforcing 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 poo (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 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 crucial roles. They aid in regulating 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 occurs when you experience difficulty relaxing and aligning your pelvic floor muscles for optimal function.

Signs and Symptoms

• Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements
• Feeling like your bowel movements are not fully finished
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Regularly feeling the need to use the bathroom
• Sensation of needing to strain urine or feces
• Pelvic aches
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• 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 can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical ability. While it can affect anyone deeply, it’s important to remember that proven, evidence-backed treatment plans exist with professional physical therapy in Winfield, MO. At Axes, we offer an entire team committed to helping you regain the joy of engaging in the things 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 disappointed, embarrassed, or hopeless. But a diagnosis is far from a life sentence. With pragmatic treatment plans customized for you by your Winfield, MO physical therapist, you can reclaim control over your life and experience a comfortable life.

Pelvic floor therapy involves exercises that can build strength in, stretch, or coordinate the pelvic muscles. The benefits of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction in Winfield, 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 the ability to relax and contract the muscles during urination, bowel movements, and sexual activity.
• Pain management — By targeting less resilient or stiffer muscles and addressing painful spots, physical therapy can assist in reducing or getting rid of the discomfort you experience 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 childbirth, reducing the likelihood of after childbirth pelvic floor dysfunction, and helping healing from changes and trauma to the pelvic floor related to giving birth.
• Sexual health improvement — By focusing on specific muscles and dealing with any subsurface issues, therapy can improve sexual excitement, orgasm, and overall sexual fulfillment.
• Education and self-management — Pelvic floor therapy is about more than just checking exorcises off of a list. By providing education and instructing you in methods you can practice autonomously, your Axes physical therapist helps you take an active role in your own care and empowers you to maintain a lifestyle that promotes pelvic floor health.

At Axes Physical Therapy, we have a team of knowledgeable pelvic floor therapists in Winfield, MO who can support you in improving your pelvic well-being and performance. Although certain cases of pelvic floor dysfunction might necessitate operative treatment, most individuals in Winfield, MO will likely experience long-lasting and significant progress through less invasive physical therapy approaches.

What Winfield, MO Pelvic Floor Therapy Involves

Your first pelvic floor therapy session in Winfield, MO will comprise an evaluation of your existing pelvic floor health. The subsequent sessions will emphasize implementing your personalized treatment program.

Assessment and Evaluation

The journey of pelvic floor therapy begins with an initial assessment. In this appointment, your Winfield, MO physical therapist will take the time to understand you and your symptoms. They will inquire about your medical history, lifestyle, and goals. Additionally, they will perform a physical examination and musculoskeletal assessment of your trunk and pelvis to evaluate your current condition. With your consent, a pre-pelvic floor therapy assessment in Winfield, MO may additionally include an internal examination to more assess the muscle strength level. Alternatively, biofeedback sensors can be used as an substitute to an internal examination.

The assessment and evaluation carried out by your physical therapist will help in recognizing the potential causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction and facilitate the development of an effective treatment plan to assist 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 Winfield, MO will design a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. This plan will incorporate defined goals, techniques, and anticipated 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 Winfield, MO include:

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

The exercises your Winfield, MO physical therapist prescribes for your pelvic floor dysfunction will change based on your particular situation, but will all be aimed at retraining 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 gradually advance to sitting and upright 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 mobilization (freeing up compressed nerves), joint mobilization (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 gauge and display the activity of your pelvic floor muscles on a screen. It help you understand how to regulate and harmonize your pelvic floor muscles by giving you instant feedback on how they tighten and relax. This feedback helps you better understand understand how to contract and relax the muscles correctly, optimizing your muscle coordination and control.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Modifications

Physical therapy isn’t just a collection of exercises to mark off – it also gives you entry to professional, research-supported insights that improve your everyday life. Your physical therapist may recommend you with:

• Changes to your nutrition
• Fluid management
• Correct body alignment and lifting techniques
• Approaches for dealing with constipation
• Any other recommendations for a more wholesome daily life and lifestyle

Enhancing the exercises and techniques utilized in pelvic floor therapy with these adaptations promotes improved pelvic floor function and overall well-being.

Other methods in pelvic floor therapy may involve therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, vaginal dilators, weighted cones, medications, and more alternatives.

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

At Axes Physical Therapy, we wholeheartedly believe in delivering personalized and caring treatment to our patients. Owned and operated by a dedicated physical therapist in Winfield, MO, our practice is focused on the client and getting beneficial patient results. We understand that pelvic floor dysfunction can present as a sensitive and demanding issue. That’s why we approach every patient with the greatest respect, empathy, and customized attention.

We also hold the belief in providing evidence-based and holistic care to our patients. We make use of up-to-date research and cutting-edge 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 exploring pelvic floor therapy in Winfield, MO at Axes Physical Therapy, we are here to help. We have several convenient physical therapy locations in the Winfield, MO area, all devoted to achieving your optimal pelvic health.

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

Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction to hinder you from leading your most life. At Axes, our committed physical and occupational therapists in Winfield, MO have a unified mission: returning you to the activities you cherish the most. Whether pelvic floor dysfunction is keeping your participation in your favorite sport or making it difficult to navigate your day, we will customize our physical therapy treatment plan precisely to you and your ambitions. Request an appointment online or get in touch with the most convenient location to you to embark on your rehabilitation with Axes Physical Therapy in Winfield, MO today.