Your pelvic floor is made up of the ligaments, muscles and other structures that support the reproductive organs, bowel and bladder. If you could look into your lower abdomen, you’d see that your pelvic floor looks a lot like a hammock that attaches to your pubic bone and tailbone.
Like every other system of muscles in the body, the pelvic floor can become weak and ineffective over time. When this happens, you are more likely to experience pelvic organ prolapse (which is when your pelvic organs protrude through the openings of the vagina or anus. If you currently have pelvic floor issues, there are things you can do to strengthen and treat that area of the body. Here’s how searching for a “physical therapist near me” can help you live effectively with pelvic floor issues.
Effective Treatments Used for Pelvic Floor Issues
The goal of pelvic floor physical therapy is to help improve your quality of life by reducing pelvic floor issues and strengthening the pelvic floor. Your therapist may choose to use one or more of the following techniques to improve your symptoms:
- Electrical stimulation
- Trigger point therapy
- Biofeedback
- Kegels
Electrical stimulation can help reduce muscle spasms that are frequently felt by people with pelvic floor issues. It may also reduce pain associated with weak pelvic floor muscles and accompanying prolapse issues.
Trigger point therapy is a technique that applies targeted pressure to specific points on the body. These points are referred to as trigger points. When a professional applies pressure to these points, it can help reduce pain. Your physical therapist may also inject anesthesia into or near the trigger points for further relief.
Biofeedback involves the use of special devices to check pelvic floor muscle contraction. Your physical therapist can then use the information gleaned from biofeedback to make modifications to your pelvic floor exercises. An internal probe or external electrodes may be used during biofeedback therapy.
Kegels are exercises your physical therapist might recommend for strengthening your pelvic floor. You can do them on your own by alternating between contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. To do this, imagine you’re urinating and you need to stop the stream mid-urination. You should feel the muscles along your lower pelvic floor tighten. Your physical therapist will give you specific instructions for you to correctly perform Kegels to get the best results.
Regain Control of Your Body
Dealing with pelvic floor weakness and prolapse can be frightening and painful. Fortunately, you can regain control of your body with the help of physical therapy Washington NJ services. If you experience pain during sex, frequent constipation, trouble controlling your bowels or symptoms of organ prolapse, don’t delay receiving help.
The sooner you visit your physical therapist for treatment, the sooner you can get back to living a normal life. Pelvic floor issues are unlikely to go away on their own, so be sure to contact your Washington, NJ physical therapist today and schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience. You’ll be happy you did.
