Pelvic floor physical therapy is a treatment for various problems related to pelvic floor problems. It is a specialized treatment that involves multiple exercises that can help relieve pain or discomfort.
The Pelvic Floor
Everyone has a pelvic floor. It is made up of certain muscles which provide support to the urinary and reproductive tracts. The group of muscles also controls your bladder and bowels. In women, the pelvic floor keeps the bladder in your front, whereas your vagina rectum is at your back. Your uterus is usually held at the top of your pelvic floor with the help of muscles, tendons, and connective tissues. Also, the pelvic floor keeps the bowels, bladder, urethra, and rectum in their actual place in men.
The pelvic floor muscles are attached to your tailbone and pubic bone. In case the muscles in your pelvic floor are weak, or if it doesn’t work as they should normally work, it is referred to as pelvic floor dysfunction.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
When you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, your pelvic muscles may not relax or work together as they usually should have worked. In case your muscles can’t relax and only tighten, then you may be suffering from specific problems such as:
- Constipation
- Frequent peeing
- Trouble in controlling your bowels or urine leads to leaks.
- Pain during sex in women.
- Erectile dysfunction among men.
Sometimes the experts may be unable to find the exact cause of pelvic floor dysfunction. Some other factors that may trigger pelvic floor or pelvic pain may include:
- Pelvic Surgery
- Aging
- Pregnancy
- Being overweight
- Overusing of the pelvic muscles
- Serious injuries were caused to the pelvic area.
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is one of the most specialized kinds of physiotherapy that may help you relieve pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and help the muscles work the way they should generally work. Pelvic floor physiotherapy includes various exercises that may help your pelvic muscles relax and strengthen.
When you start pelvic floor physiotherapy, a physiotherapist will try learning about your symptoms. Your physiotherapist would check your core muscles to find out the strength of your muscles and also find out the amount of core endurance you possess.
You can learn much more about your symptoms when you begin pelvic floor physiotherapy. Your therapist would check your core muscles to find out their strength, along with their endurance. Your physical therapist may also make you try certain positions and activities to check the coordination of your pelvic floor muscles.
A complete assessment of your condition helps your physical therapist make a suitable and customized plan for your pelvic floor treatment. Your treatment should include both internal as well as external therapy. But, it is always seen that the therapist begins internal therapies once you are fully ready to receive that.
The main goal of pelvic floor physiotherapy is to ease your symptoms so you can return to your daily activities as soon as possible. It also includes being able to control your bladder better or participating in exercises and sports that you enjoy.
Physiotherapy is also very useful in relieving the pain and discomfort that women may feel during sex. Certain exercises may help them in becoming more aware of their muscles.
Exercises And Techniques
Pelvic floor physiotherapy includes various techniques or exercises. Let’s look at a few exercises and techniques used by pelvic floor physiotherapy.
- Trigger Point Therapy – Trigger point therapy puts pressure on certain spots on your body internally or externally. It is a technique used in pelvic floor physiotherapy where the physiotherapist may also inject anesthesia into the area.
- Kegels – Kegels are considered one of the most popular exercises for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles by contracting or relaxing the muscles. Kegel’s exercise can be beneficial in relieving the pain felt during sex and controlling incontinence. Your physiotherapists can be very helpful in guiding you through the Kegels process to gain the most out of this exercise.
- Electrical Stimulation – This technique is used to reduce your pelvic pain and muscle spasms. A trained and experienced physiotherapist may do this in the physiotherapy clinic at Airdrie, Canada, or may also guide you to do this with special equipment at your home.
Conclusion
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a very effective treatment to improve your pelvic floor health. It is beneficial for reducing pelvic pain or dysfunction. Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a type of physiotherapy that is said to help you with a range of pelvic floor-related issues in your body. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can treat certain conditions such as dyspareunia, endometriosis, postpartum pelvic pain, etc. A trained and certified physiotherapist can be very useful in alleviating and rehabilitating a patient who might have been battling pelvic floor issues for years.
