Pelvic floor dysfunction is not as rare as many would think, affecting one in three women during their lifetime. Luckily, pelvic floor therapy is an effective way to improve the life quality of women and men.
If you’re suffering from pelvic floor disorder, your first step will be to consult highly reliable professionals at a trusted facility. We recommend pelvic floor therapy in Miami, where you will be in good hands.
That being said, you’ll also want to educate yourself on the process. This article covered some of the most frequently asked questions, such as “what is pelvic floor therapy,” who needs it, and much more.
Ready? Let’s get straight into it.
What Are the Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?
First of all, how do you know you have a pelvic floor disorder? In essence, you won’t be able to relax correctly, and you’ll have trouble coordinating the pelvic floor muscles when having a bowel movement.
Some of the most frequent symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include:
- Straining to defecate
- Having stool or urine leakage
- Constipation
- Having a frequent need to urinate
- Pelvic floor pain
Of course, the degree of dysfunction will vary from one individual to the next.
Usually, your body tightens and relaxes the pelvic floor muscles, allowing you to use the restroom without difficulty. Just think about any other muscle activity, such as clenching your fist. Your pelvic muscles work similarly.
However, when you’re suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, the body won’t relax the muscles, but rather it will tighten them. As a result, you’ll feel a “tight” sensation in your body.
But, what causes the symptoms, like pelvic floor pain? Well, there are a few common reasons, including the following:
- Pregnancy
- Overuse of the pelvic muscles (due to pushing hard or using the bathroom too frequently)
- Weight issues
- Pelvic surgery
- Old age
Overall, the complete list of pelvic floor disorder causes is unknown.
What Is Pelvic Floor Therapy?
Now that you’re aware of the most common symptoms associated with pelvic floor disorder, your best option is to consult with a healthcare professional to discuss pelvic floor therapy. However, you might be wondering, what is pelvic floor therapy?
In the simplest terms, pelvic floor physical therapy is an effective treatment that utilizes physical therapy principles to recondition the pelvic floor muscles. The therapy aims to boost the function and strength of your pelvic floor muscles while alleviating the pain, dysfunction, and weakness in the muscles.
A skilled pelvic floor therapist will assess your muscles through the vagina or the rectum by manipulating them to boost functioning and strength during pelvic floor physical therapy. The professional might apply resistance to increase power (if the muscles are dysfunctional/weak) or stretch the muscles (if they are contracted/short).
Pelvic floor therapy is beneficial when it comes to:
- Fecal incontinence
- Constipation
- Menopause symptoms
- Painful urination
- Rectal pain
- Endometriosis
- Unexplained pain
- Interstitial cystitis
- Pain in the testicles
Who Needs Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?
As mentioned previously, individuals experiencing pelvic floor disorder symptoms should consider pelvic floor physical therapy.
Usually, physicians refer patients for this type of therapy if they are experiencing painful intercourse, incontinence, chronic pelvic floor pain, and difficulty with urination or bowel movements. Men can be treated too if they experience painful and premature ejaculation.
How Does Pelvic Floor Therapy Look Like?
Pelvic floor therapy might sound intimidating, but it’s a simple procedure. A professional will take you to a treatment room to evaluate you when you arrive at the clinic. The physical therapist will take notes of your medical history, concerns, and symptoms.
Next, your physical therapist will examine your body both internally and externally.
The goal of the internal examination is to check the pelvic floor muscles for any discomfort, sensitivity, tone, and flexibility. The professional will introduce one or two gloved fingers into the rectum and/or the vagina to palpate your muscles. Of course, the physical therapist will use lubricants to help with discomfort.
When it comes to the external exam for men, you can expect your physical therapist to check the muscles around the penis for tightness, pain, and tenderness. Overall, the professional will assess the sacroiliac joints and the lumbar spine.
After both types of examinations, the therapist will determine the possible cause of the symptoms and schedule you for upcoming sessions. Remember, every session happens in a separate treatment room to ensure privacy.
What Are the Pelvic Floor Therapy Techniques?
Pelvic floor therapy techniques are predominantly “hands-on,” and they include both external and internal assessment. However, because some patients feel unease when it comes to internal therapy, physical therapists will delay it until the patient is mentally prepared.
That being said, some of the most frequent internal pelvic floor therapy techniques include passing a finger or a specialized tool through the vagina or the rectum to perform point therapy. Professionals typically do deep tissue massage, joint mobilization, and nerve release when it comes to external techniques.
Of course, pelvic floor physical therapy is not the only form of treating these disorders.
If you have pelvic floor dysfunction, you should also consider the following techniques:
Practice Doing Kegels
Physicians also encourage patients to perform pelvic floor therapy exercises at home, or “Kegels.”
Speaking of Kegels, how does one perform them? It’s simple, and once you start getting the hang of them, you can do them anytime, anywhere.
To perform these pelvic floor therapy exercises, all you need to do is find your pelvic floor muscles (pro tip: locate them by attempting to stop the stream of urine mid-flow. If you’re stopping and starting the flow, you’re using the muscles) and contract them repeatedly.
The good news is that these pelvic floor therapy exercises are highly effective in treating and preventing disorders.
Get Manual Therapy
A physical therapist will perform a pelvic floor massage to boost posture, mobility, and blood circulation. Your physician will try to relax the pelvic floor muscles and alleviate the trigger points.
Getting Pelvic Floor Biofeedback
Pelvic floor biofeedback is similar to pelvic floor massage because both are internal assessments. The physician will see how your pelvic floor muscles are working during the biofeedback technique.
If you’re a woman, you can expect the physician to insert a probe into the vagina, or if you’re a man, into the rectum. You will be able to see the results on a screen.
Consider Electrical Stimulation
Another technique physicians use for examinations involves low voltage electric currents. These are beneficial because the patient learns how to coordinate the muscle contractions. As a result, the individual will experience fewer muscle spasms and reduced pain.
Conclusion
So, the question remains, is pelvic floor physical therapy effective?
Yes, it is highly effective in treating dysfunction. It’s also best if you try to enter the doctor’s office with a relaxed attitude and positive mindset. Of course, you will want to choose a reliable and trusted professional in a safe clinic.
Book Your Appointment Today
If you’re finding pain unbearable and want to improve your quality of life, we encourage you to consult a professional today. Why wait? Your life is more precious than you think.