Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support parts of your urinary and reproductive systems. This group of muscles plays an important role in regulating your bladder and bowels. Pelvic floor dysfunction can cause pain, incontinence and other symptoms. However, physical therapy can treat the pelvic floor dysfunction and help you manage any pain or incontinence it causes.
What is pelvic floor dysfunction?
Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when your pelvic muscles are weakened, overtightened or not working together properly. It has many potential symptoms, including constipation, frequent urination and incontinence. Pelvic floor dysfunction sometimes occurs after pelvic surgery or injuries. It can also be caused by pregnancy, obesity or overuse of the pelvic muscles.
How does physical therapy treat pelvic floor dysfunction?
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a special type of physical therapy that can treat pelvic floor dysfunction and helps patients manage their symptoms. It works by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, with a goal to heal any injuries and restore them to functional condition.
As a patient in pelvic floor therapy, you’ll meet with a physical therapist who will assess your symptoms and design a treatment plan tailored to your specific condition. This treatment plan will likely include several treatment methods including stretches, exercise, manual therapy and others.
Pelvic floor therapy for women
Many women experience pelvic floor dysfunction during or after pregnancy. Others experience it after surgery or an injury or for any number of other reasons. Aside from causing incontinence and the other symptoms described above, it can also cause women to feel discomfort during sex.
Physical therapy can help to reduce these symptoms by increasing the flexibility of the pelvic muscles. Learn more about our women’s health program today to find out how we can help you manage the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Pelvic floor therapy for men
Men may experience pelvic issues due to surgery, injury, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, or for many other reasons. It can cause symptoms ranging from pain to incontinence to erectile dysfunction. Physical therapy can help restore the pelvic floor muscles, which not only reduces pain but allows the muscles to provide proper support for the urinary and reproductive organs. Learn all about our pelvic floor therapy for men on our men’s health page.
