Pelvic floor issues can happen in a lot of forms. Pelvic pain and urinary or fecal leakage are common types of pelvic floor issues. The pelvic floor covers the muscles, connective tissues, and ligaments that surround the organs in your pelvis like the bladder, rectum, vagina, and uterus. For many patients, pelvic floor physiotherapy is quite effective in addressing pelvic floor issues.
When to Seek Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is focused on issues that affect the muscles, connective tissues, and ligaments on the pelvic floor. These components support the pelvic organs, help with bowel and bladder control, as well as contribute to sexual orgasm or arousal. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can help with urinary and fecal incontinence, painful urination, bladder and bowel movements, painful sex, constipation, endometriosis, and other issues. If you are living with these problems, a physiotherapist can help.
Who Should Get Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?
The therapy is recommended for those who experience pelvic disorders. Men and women who have weak pelvic floor muscles can carry out exercises to make their pelvic floor stronger and improve their bowel and bladder control. Typically, physiotherapy is recommended if pelvic floor dysfunction has a neuromuscular cause. Such dysfunction may be due to aging, childbirth, illness, and surgery may exist along with other genitourinary issues.
How the Therapy Works
During your appointment, your orthopaedic doctor will look into your medical history or surgical history, medications, obstetric or gynecological history, and sexual history. They will perform a thorough orthopedic exam, focusing on your hips and lumbar spine, posture, and gait. Often, the assessment includes internal and external muscles. You may be asked to stand, sit, and walk, so your therapist can detect any posture or joint problems that impact your pelvic floor muscles.
With the assessment, your therapist can determine whether or not you can benefit from the therapy and create the right care plan. Often, the kind of therapy they will recommend depends on your symptoms.
Overall, your treatment is focused on restoring the strength and function of your pelvic floor muscles. So, if you have contracted or shortened muscles, your therapist will stretch them to relax and relieve pain in the pelvic floor. Similarly, the therapist will use appropriate techniques to strengthen the muscles, relieve contractions due to an overactive bladder, as well as keep your bladder, uterus, and rectum in place. Ultimately, physiotherapy for pelvic floor dysfunction helps ease your symptoms and restore normal pelvic functioning.
