about Pelvic Floor PT
normalize bladder, bowel and sexual function for men and women
The pelvic floor is a sling of skeletal muscle that spans from the pubic bone to the tailbone, forming the base of the pelvis. The pelvic floor has several functions:
It houses the urethral and anal sphincters, which helps to regulate bowel and bladder function (including continence).
It supports the pelvic organs (bladder, bowel and uterus in women) and keeps them buoyant within our pelvis.
It stabilizes the bones of the pelvis.
It’s involved in sexual function; it helps to control blood flow necessary for arousal and orgasm.
It helps to drain the lymphatic tissue from our lower body.
Just like any of the skeletal muscle tissue in the body, the pelvic floor can become dysfunctional and may be weak or tight. Pelvic floor dysfunction may cause a variety of symptoms including, but not limited to: urinary incontinence, urinary urgency/frequency, urinary hesitancy/incomplete bladder emptying, pain with voiding, chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, anal fissure, fecal incontinence, dyspareunia (painful intercourse), pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic girdle pain, pain associated with endometriosis/PCOS/uterine fibroids, nerve pain (including pudendal neuralgia), vulvodynia, vaginismus, lower abdominal pain, testicular pain, rectal pain and tailbone (coccyx) pain. Pelvic floor dysfunction can develop insidiously or may result from trauma (e.g. childbirth, surgery or injury).
Pelvic floor physical therapy will assess the function of the pelvic floor muscle - how it contracts, relaxes and coordinates with your other muscles (e.g. breathing, bracing and bearing down). Pelvic floor physical therapy will help to restore appropriate length, neuromuscular control and function of the pelvic floor muscle in order to eliminate symptoms.
Pelvic floor physical therapy will address the entire body, as pelvic floor dysfunction rarely occurs exclusively. It’s likely that another part of the body is contributing to and perpetuating pelvic floor dysfunction. For instance, pelvic floor dysfunction is often associated with low back pain. Pelvic floor physical therapy may be the missing link if you are dealing with persistent lumbopelvic or hip pain. For example, pelvic floor physical therapy is often indicated in the rehabilitation of hip labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement, as pelvic floor dysfunction is frequently a contributing factor that goes untreated and inhibits full healing.