Both men and women have a pelvic floor. In women, the pelvic floor is the muscles, ligaments, connective tissues and nerves that support the bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum and help these pelvic organs function. In men, the pelvic floor includes the muscles, tissues and nerves that support the bladder, rectum and other pelvic organs.  Your pelvic floor muscles form a hammock from your pubic bone to your tailbone.  Your pelvic floor muscles have three main functions:

 

• Sphincter control (holding back urine, gas, and stool)
• Pelvic organ support (bladder, rectum, uterus in women)
• Sexual function

Understanding pelvic floor dysfunction:

Pelvic floor dysfunction can occur in any individual, regardless of age or gender.  You might have heard that it is “normal” to leak urine or have other symptoms because you’ve had a baby or because you are getting older.  This is not true.  Symptoms can be common, but are not normal and there are things you can do to improve and even fix the problem!

 

Common pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and conditions we treat:

 

• Urinary or fecal incontinence (leaking of urine or stool of any kind)
• Frequent and strong urge to go to the bathroom (urge incontinence)
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Constipation or bowel dysfunction
• Pain with sexual intercourse (dyspareunia)
• Pelvic pain (including vaginismus, chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, pudendal neuralgia, coccydynia/tailbone pain, and more)
• Interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Post-surgical or post-partum scar tissue dysfunction
• Abdominal pain
• Conditions related to pregnancy or post-partum conditions, including preparing for labor/delivery as well as help fully healing after birth
• Diastasis recti (separation of abdominal muscles)
• Side effects from cancer treatment
• Pediatric pelvic floor dysfunction (which can present with accidents, bed wetting, constipation, or pelvic pain in children)

Get started on your road to a better quality of life today:

Physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction can and should be a first line approach for these conditions because it is safe, has no side effects, and is often very successful. Your pelvic floor evaluation and follow up treatment sessions at Physical Therapy Solutions are customized to fit your needs, desires and goals. Our approach always involves comprehensive education to optimize your health, improve bowel or bladder function, overcome sexual difficulties, and move forward from experiencing pain. We provide high-quality manual therapy interventions including treatment to the pelvic floor muscles, connective tissue mobilization, dry needling, visceral mobilization and other myofascial techniques. Exercise interventions are utilized to improve pelvic floor and core function, restore healthy movement patterns and promote return to the activities you love- whether it is exercise, carrying your children, traveling, or just everyday life.  Contact Physical Therapy Solutions to get onto the road to recovery today!