What Is Done During Pelvic Floor Therapy?

Imagine a hidden superhero within you, protecting your organs, stabilising your core, controlling your bladder and bowel movements, and enhancing your sexual function. This superhero goes by the name "pelvic floor," a group of muscles that form a hammock-like structure at the base of your pelvis. However, even superheroes can have their Kryptonite, and for the pelvic floor, that comes in the form of weaknesses and dysfunctions due to various factors such as ageing, childbirth, surgery, and prolonged sitting. That's when Pelvic Floor Therapy swoops in to save the day.

If you have been recommended pelvic floor therapy or just curious about what it entails, you're in the right place. This blog post takes a deep dive into the world of pelvic floor therapy, unveiling its components, highlighting its importance, and setting you on the path of reclaiming your pelvic floor's superhero status.

Pelvic floor therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy that focuses on strengthening and rehabilitating the pelvic floor muscles to alleviate the symptoms of various pelvic floor disorders such as incontinence, prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction. A holistically designed plan involving different exercises, myofascial techniques, and biofeedback methods becomes a part of pelvic floor therapy.

What you can expect during your pelvic floor therapy sessions

Assessment and Evaluation

The first step in pelvic floor therapy is a thorough physical examination and review of your medical history. This assists your therapist in understanding your symptoms, determining the root of the problem, and tailoring the therapy plan to your specific needs. The physical examination may involve visual assessment and palpation of the pelvic floor muscles, as well as external and/or internal manual examination, depending on your comfort level.

pelvic floor exercises

The core of pelvic floor therapy lies in targeted exercises that help strengthen and relax the pelvic floor muscles. kegel exercises, the poster child of pelvic floor exercises, involve contracting and releasing the muscles as if you're stopping the flow of urine. Your therapist will guide you through other exercises as well, aimed at improving core strength, posture, and overall pelvic health. These exercises might also involve the use of props like exercise balls and resistance bands.

Biofeedback

To ensure you're engaging the correct muscles during exercises, your therapist may use biofeedback techniques. This involves placing sensors either externally or internally to monitor muscle contractions. The information provided by the sensors directly helps in understanding if the muscles are working correctly, enabling you to make appropriate adjustments to your technique.

Manual Therapy

For cases involving tight or overactive pelvic floor muscles, your therapist may employ various manual therapy techniques. Myofascial release, trigger point therapy and soft tissue mobilisation are some of the techniques to release muscle tension, promote relaxation and increase blood flow to the affected areas.

 Education and Lifestyle Modifications

In addition to therapy techniques, your therapist will provide you with valuable information about pelvic floor function, self-care tips and lifestyle modifications to support your therapy. This may include advice on proper toilet habits, dietary adjustments, good posture practices and relaxation techniques.

What Is Done During Pelvic Floor Therapy Example

Suppose you are a 35-year-old woman who has recently given birth to her first child. During your postpartum check-up, you mention to your doctor that you have been experiencing unexpected urine leaks when you cough, sneeze or exercise. Your doctor recommends pelvic floor therapy to help you regain muscle strength and function. You begin working with a pelvic floor therapist who performs an initial assessment and creates a personalised therapy plan. Over the course of several weeks, under the guidance of your therapist, you practise targeted exercises, receive biofeedback support and learn crucial self-care tips to reclaim your pelvic floor strength and bid farewell to those pesky leaks.

So, there you have it – a comprehensive guide to what's done during pelvic floor therapy. By embarking on this therapeutic journey, you are well on your way to revolutionise your pelvic health, improve your quality of life, and restore your pelvic floor's superhero powers. If you found this guide helpful, don't forget to share it with others who could benefit and explore other resources on Pelvic Floor Therapy. Together, let's empower ourselves and others to break free from the shackles of pelvic floor disorders and thrive in our everyday lives.