Pelvic floor physiotherapy is meant to improve the function of the pelvic floor through lifestyle changes, exercises, education, and hands-on treatment to reduce or eliminate a patient’s symptoms. It includes evaluating and treating pelvic floor muscles that fail to function properly. These muscles have to do with urinary, sexual, and bowel function. Pelvic muscle dysfunction can result in symptoms like incontinence, pelvic pain, retention, and others. If you are considering this therapy, here are some facts you may want to learn about first:
Kegels Don’t Work for Everyone
If you have weak pelvic floor muscles, you can experience symptoms such as incontinence, urinary urgency, and prolapse. In this case, Kegels or pelvic floor exercises may help improve your symptoms. But, depending on your symptoms, these strengthening exercises may not be the right solution.
When your pelvic floor muscles become tight, you may experience symptoms like pelvic pain, painful intercourse, and a weak stream. It is important to maintain a strong pelvic floor and a tight pelvic floor is not normal. In this case, the Integral Performance Physiotherapy clinic will recommend relaxation exercises and gentle stretches to help release your muscles to improve your symptoms.
Your Core Includes Your Pelvic Floor
Your core includes your diaphragm and abdominal, pelvic floor, and lower back muscles. These muscles work together to support what’s inside your abdomen. Thus, all components of your core must be functioning properly. Your pelvic floor physiotherapist will assess all parts of your core, so they can design an exercise program focused on building up proper core function.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Benefit Anyone
Any person can suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction and benefit from the therapy. Here are people who can gain the most benefits from it:
- Pregnant women. The body of a pregnant woman goes through many changes. She may experience pain in her tailbone, lower back, hips, and pelvis. Also, she may experience urinary leakage, frequency, urgency, as well as painful intercourse. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can improve these symptoms.
- Post-menopausal women. As a woman goes through menopause, her estrogen levels will reduce significantly. Estrogen helps maintain proper pelvic function. Thus, a woman in the post-menopausal stage can experience symptoms like incontinence, heaviness, pelvic pain, and more. The therapy may be recommended in combination with other treatments to improve these symptoms.
- Pelvic floor dysfunction in men can occur because of chronic pelvic pain, post-prostatectomy, and chronic prostatitis. They may experience symptoms like incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and pelvic pain. Manual techniques, education, and exercises can eliminate these symptoms.