How does Physiotherapy East Sheen address pelvic floor dysfunction?

Physiotherapy East Sheen address pelvic floor dysfunction

Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a specialized form of physical therapy that addresses pain or dysfunction in the muscles and connective tissue in your pelvic area. These muscles, which are essential for bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and pregnancy and childbirth, can become weak or tight. When these muscles don’t contract and relax as they should, you can develop urinary incontinence (leakage), pelvic pain, or problems with bowel movements, such as chronic constipation.

Your pelvic muscles are a group of muscles that extend from your pubic bone to your tailbone and support your bladder, uterus and rectum. In women, these muscles also support the fetus during pregnancy and must relax to allow a natural birth. Weakness or dysfunction of these muscles can cause bladder, bowel and sexual issues, including stress urinary incontinence (leakage during activities such as coughing, laughing, sneezing), pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction. These problems can be exacerbated by factors such as age, pregnancy, trauma to the pelvis, a history of pelvic surgery or childbirth, and lifestyle habits, like smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

During your first appointment, the physical therapist will review your symptoms and history and perform a pelvic exam. This may include assessing the hips, spine, and bony pelvis, as well as testing the muscles of your pelvic floor. Your therapist will then create a treatment plan to address your specific needs. This will involve exercises, stretches, manual therapy and other techniques to strengthen or relax your pelvic floor muscles. It is important to note that it takes time and effort to develop proper muscle coordination, so you may not see immediate results.

How does Physiotherapy East Sheen address pelvic floor dysfunction?

In some cases, your therapist will use a technique called “knack.” This involves the physical therapist guiding you through exercises or other pelvic floor activities that require you to contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles. This will help you become more aware of when these muscles are working, which will increase your self-management skills outside of Physiotherapy East Sheen sessions.

You may also be given information on lifestyle tips that will help reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life. This could include a recommendation to wear absorbent underwear, drink more water, avoid certain foods, or exercise with a buddy to provide motivation. It is also a good idea to wear loose-fitting clothing, as this can help reduce pressure on the pelvic muscles.

The main goal of pelvic floor physiotherapy is to improve your overall quality of life by reducing or eliminating your symptoms and improving the strength and coordination of your pelvic muscles. For many patients, this can mean the difference between having to wear diapers or not, and being able to control urinary incontinence, have a healthy vaginal prolapse, or achieve a satisfying sexual experience. Our physiotherapists are experts in pelvic floor rehabilitation, and we will work with you to help you get the best possible outcome for your pelvic health.