Pelvic Care

A woman’s pelvic floor works 24/7 to support her bladder, colon, rectum, and reproductive organs, and the muscles perform many different functions. Unfortunately, pelvic floor problems are common in women when the muscles are too loose or too tight. Weakened pelvic floor muscles can cause urinary leakage, painful sex, a burning sensation during urination, or pelvic organ prolapse, among other conditions. Pelvic floor disorders are common in women who are pregnant or have had children, but can also occur from chronic cough, chronic constipation, surgery, or other diseases. As many as one-quarter of women have a pelvic floor disorder, and the odds go up as a woman gets older.

Pelvic health issues are not a normal part of aging, and although you may feel embarrassed, these issues are common and nothing to be ashamed of, so there’s no need to suffer in silence. Treatment can help and improve your quality of life.

Treatment Options

While very common in women, these conditions can be treated with surgeries, but more and more people are turning to physical therapy treatments to regain bladder control and reduce pelvic pain and dysfunction.

• Biofeedback is a way of training your body to make certain changes that will benefit your health. In this case, the patient can be trained to strengthen or relax the muscles in the pelvic area, helping to reduce pain and incontinence without surgical intervention.
• Exercises to improve function are often used to treat pelvic floor dysfunction. Your physical therapist will help you target specific areas that will promote abdominal strength and lessen pain.
• Relaxation techniques are also used to help patients learn how to ease their pelvic pain by learning exercises to relax the muscles in the pelvic area.
• Myofascial release is a treatment method used by the physical therapists to treat and prevent pelvic pain and urinary incontinence. This technique involves applying pressure to the connective tissues in the pelvic area of the body which helps to relax the muscles and relieve the pain in that area.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call our physical therapy team at (337) 494-2556.