If you are experiencing pain in your vagina or pelvic area or have lost control of your bowel and bladder function, you might be having pelvic floor dysfunction. This condition is treatable with pelvic floor physical therapy. Pelvic floor therapy in Boca Raton is done by physiotherapists well trained to treat a wide range of pelvic floor conditions in women, men, and children. We will discuss more pelvic floor therapy in this article.
When Is Pelvic Floor Therapy Recommended?
This type of therapy targets the pelvic floor ligaments and muscles that support the pelvic organs that assist in bladder and bowel control and contribute to sexual arousal. If pelvic muscles fail to work as they are supposed to, symptoms and pain that interfere with normal function occur.
Pelvic floor therapy can help with the following:
- Â Â Â Â Painful urination
- Â Â Â Â Constipation
- Â Â Â Â Painful sex
- Â Â Â Â Endometriosis
- Â Â Â Â Urinary incontinence
- Â Â Â Â Bladder and bowel movements
- Â Â Â Â Menopause symptoms
Process of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
On the day you go for your pelvic floor physical therapy, you will walk into a private room where your physical therapist will go through your medical history, complaints, and symptoms. After that, your physical therapist will perform a physical exam that will consist of internal and external components.
While doing your external exam, your therapist will check your sacroiliac joints, lumbar spine, and muscles surrounding the pelvis to check for tenderness, pain, and tightness. They will check your pelvic muscles for elasticity, tenderness, and tone during an internal exam. Your physical therapist will then insert two gloved fingers in your rectum or vagina to access the pelvic muscles from the inside. A lubricant is used to ease the pain or discomfort.
Your ability to perform voluntary relaxations and contractions of the pelvic floor muscle is also examined, and the movement patterns of your pelvic floor as you breathe. After internal and external exams, your physical therapist will have a clinical assessment and causes of your symptoms. Your physical therapist will recommend you follow up for several sessions.
Conditions Treated By Pelvic Floor Therapy
Pelvic floor therapy is used to provide a solution to all types of disorders associated with pelvic floor dysfunction. This dysfunction can be classified as hypertonic or high tone and hypotonic or low tone.
Hypertonic disorders
When a muscle is hypertonic, it means that the muscle is more restricted and tighter than normal. This condition can make it difficult to stretch or relax the muscle. When pelvic floor muscles are tighter than normal, you can experience pain, muscle spasms, and pelvic pain.
Hypotonic disorders
When a muscle is hypotonic, it means that the muscle is loose and more relaxed than normal, making it hard to contract voluntarily. When your pelvic floor muscles are loose due to low tone, you cannot control your bladder and bowel movement.
Pelvic floor dysfunction is common, but it can be embarrassing to talk about your symptoms, especially when it comes to bowel movements. If you suspect you might have pelvic floor dysfunction see your doctor immediately before your symptoms worsen. MyDoc Women’s Health Specialist assures you that some of these symptoms are easy to treat. For more information, book an appointment with them online.
