Did you know you can also practice pelvic floor therapy at home?
But first, it is important to know that pelvic health physical therapy can be an effective treatment when it comes to a variety of conditions specific to the pelvis and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Our team of physical therapists in our Greenville market is proud to be specially trained to help both men and women alleviate symptoms, including:
- Stress and urge urinary incontinence/leaking
- Urinary urgency
- Urinary frequency
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pelvic and genital pain
- Pregnancy and postpartum-related dysfunction
- Tailbone pain
- Constipation
- Diastasis recti
- Fecal incontinence
- Pain bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis
- Painful intercourse/dyspareunia/vaginismus
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
At your first visit, you and your physical therapist will discuss your pelvic floor symptoms.
They will ask questions related to bowel, bladder and sexual function, as well as pain, to get a better understanding of your experience. With your consent, a physical examination will be performed to learn more about the strength, endurance, coordination and flexibility of your pelvic floor muscles.
By the end of your first appointment, you and your physical therapist will develop a treatment plan to work toward your therapy goals. Follow-up appointments are typically one to two times per week and last 45 to 60 minutes.
During these appointments, treatment may include manual therapy, biofeedback, strengthening exercises, flexibility, electrical stimulation, postural retraining, body mechanics education/retraining, bowel and bladder health education/retraining and/or other appropriate treatments tailored to your individual needs.
But what about pelvic floor therapy at-home exercises or lifestyle changes to incorporate into your daily routine?
Exercises that focus on a certain muscle group, like hip strengthening, can be really helpful in improving the stability of the pelvic girdle and reducing the demand on the pelvic floor muscles. Other ways to engage your pelvic floor include keeping your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, pushing your lower back up for a bridge pose and Kegel exercises.
However, for pelvic floor exercises for your specific issues, it is best to consult with a pelvic floor therapist, as doing the wrong exercises or not performing pelvic floor exercises correctly has the potential to exacerbate symptoms or not help.
Here are a few simple lifestyle changes that can help you improve your quality of life:
- Drink more water and fewer bladder irritants, such as coffee, tea, carbonated beverages and alcohol.
- Use the restroom every two to four hours: Don’t hold it too long, but don’t go every time you feel the first urge.
- Breathe! Better breathing allows our pelvic floor muscles to move better, which can aid in urinary, bowel and pain symptoms.
How long does it usually take to see pelvic floor health improvements, and how many sessions might I need?
This can vary depending on the severity and chronicity of symptoms, but generally, we hope to see changes in symptoms in four to six weeks. This can vary from person to person and can be influenced by consistency in attendance of appointments and completing exercises as prescribed. Generally, you can expect to come to therapy one to two times per week for eight to 12 weeks. The frequency of appointments and number of sessions may vary based on symptom severity.
Learn more about pelvic floor disease as well as the other women’s health services we provide at Bon Secours.
