— How Can it Help You?
If you suffer from urinary dysfunction, pain in the pelvic area, or painful intercourse, then you might need pelvic floor therapy to relieve the pain. This kind of treatment is effective in treating many disruptive and painful conditions involving the pelvic floor.
But what is involved in this treatment? The experts from Pelvic floor therapy NYC will provide you with all the information you need on this treatment procedure in this article.
What is Pelvic Floor?
Most of us know where the pelvic area is but do not know what a pelvic floor is. The pelvic floor pertains to the group of muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and connective tissues that serves as the base and support for the pelvic area.
Men and women both have a pelvic floor, but there are slight differences. In women, the pelvic floor supports the bladder at the front, the uterus at the top, and the vagina, and rectum at the back. In men, the pelvic floor holds the bowel, bladder, urethra, and rectum. The openings from the aforementioned organs pass through the pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor muscles are attached to the pubic bone at the front and the tailbone to the back for both men and women.
The Importance of the Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor plays an important part in bladder and bowel control of both men and women. This is because it ‘holds’ or supports the said organs. The pelvic floor is also important for the sexual health of both men and women.
For men, a weak pelvic floor can lead to erectile dysfunction; for women, a tight pelvic floor can cause painful intercourse. A dysfunctional pelvic floor can lead to urinary dysfunction for both men and women, especially adults and teenagers that participate in high-impact sports.
Other Types of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction can refer to a wide range of issues, including but not limited to:
- Bladder pain
- Constipation
- Bowel incontinence
- Cystocele
- Endometriosis
- Frequent urination and urinary incontinence
- Enterocele
- Groin pain
- Lower abdominal pain
- Pubic or tailbone pain
- Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain
- Pelvic asymmetry
- Pelvic pain
- Pelvic organ prolapse (POP)
- Prostatitis
- Urinary dysfunction due to impact sports
If you suffer from any of these conditions, you might need pelvic floor therapy NYC.
When Can Pelvic Floor Therapy Help?
Although some of the conditions mentioned above require surgery to repair structural defects, some can opt for physical therapy instead.
The best candidates for physical therapy are those that prefer conservative treatment options. They may not be surgical candidates, or they may not need or want surgery for the time being.
If you are experiencing pelvic floor symptoms that keeps you from enjoying life, you might want to consider giving pelvic floor therapy a try.
What to Expect from Pelvic Floor Therapy?
On the first appointment…
Like most people, you might feel a bit anxious or apprehensive when starting therapy. On the first appointment, your therapist will guide you through the details of the therapy and try to answer all your concerns and questions. The appointment is usually held in a private room; therapy will not start until you feel comfortable and are ready to start.
The therapist will usually explain how pelvic floor therapy is still physical therapy—but just for a different body part. Patients are encouraged to ask questions, and your therapist should try to answer them as much as they can.
During Treatment …
As with most outpatient therapies, pelvic floor therapy NYC includes exercises, movement coordination and manual techniques. But including electronic therapies can also help. One therapy included in the treatment is biofeedback, which involves small, painless electrodes applied to the area being treated (which could be the rectal, genital, or perianal area). Biofeedback can be an effective treatment option for patients especially for those that want to improve their bladder function.
Your therapy may have to perform an internal exam, when needed. While this can be uncomfortable, it’s a necessary part of the appointment. Imaging going to a therapist for a leg injury. If they ask you questions about your injury but don’t check your leg, that would definitely be weird. To see if your pelvic floor is working just fine, therapists must check and assess it to give you a proper and safe physical therapy diagnosis.
Length of Treatment
A common pelvic floor physical therapy treatment usually requires one visit every week for eight weeks. But the length of treatment can vary depending on several factors such as the diagnosis, how severe the dysfunction is, and your individual goals. The goal of any therapy is to help you get back to your ideal level of function so you can enjoy and live your life fully.
What You Can Expect from Pelvic Floor Therapy Results
After undergoing pelvic floor therapy NYC, you can expect and enjoy results such as:
- Being able to enjoy your favorite sport again
- Being able to start a family
- Getting through the day without incontinence
Before any of these things could be possible, it’s important that you completely dismiss the idea that your problem isn’t important or that it doesn’t matter. Many of us, especially women, minimize our symptoms and dismiss them as ‘normal’. But it’s never normal to ‘leak urine’ or to experience pain during intercourse. With the right treatment and support group, you’ll be able to correct such problems.
Conclusion
You should be able to notice improvements within the first few visits to your pelvic floor therapy NYC therapist. If you feel or do not notice any changes or improvements at all, you can request for adjustments during a re-assessment appointment. But remember recovery is a process that happens at a different pace for each person.
Speak with your therapist with regards to your gains and setbacks. Once you reach your goals, do check in with your therapist once or twice a year.
To get started with your pelvic floor therapy journey, you’ll need a physician referral. For women, this usually comes from an OB-GYNE or a specialist in urogynecology. For men, these would come from urology or a physician that deals with post prostate surgery care.
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