Pelvic floor muscles
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the bottom of your pelvis. It’s a part of your core muscle group which includes:
- Abdominal muscles.
- Diaphragm.
- Lower back muscles.
These muscles allow you to squeeze and relax automatically, and you can also control them deliberately, much like flexing a bicep. When one of these muscle areas is weak or tight, you may start to experience issues with your bladder, bowels or general pain.
Types of pelvic floor therapy
Pelvic therapy is a type of physical therapy to help you with issues related to your pelvic floor muscles. Understanding how your muscles work and function will help determine which exercises to focus on to strengthen your pelvic floor.
“Everyone can benefit from pelvic floor therapy because everyone has a pelvic floor,” said Jackson.
Relaxation therapy
Relaxation therapy can help lengthen the pelvic floor to open urethra, rectum and vagina to help with urinating, bowel movement and vaginal delivery of a baby. You may benefit from pelvic floor relaxation if you experience:
- Constipation.
- Overactive bladder.
- Pain with intercourse.
- Pelvic heaviness.
- Pelvic pain.
- Preparing for labor and delivery.
- Rectal pain.
Strength training
Strength training can help support your bladder and bowels. You can benefit from strength training especially if you experience:
- Diarrhea.
- Pain.
- Pelvic prolapse.
- Urinary leakage.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is also an important part of treatment. A clinical approach using hands-on pressure on the muscles of the pelvis. This type of therapy can help with:
- Increase range of motion.
- Muscle releases.
- Reduce or eliminate soft tissue inflammation.
- Reduce pain.
- Retrain muscles into correct movement patterns.
- Stability.
In addition to exercises, your therapist may recommend changes to your daily activities that may be contributing to your symptoms.
Finding relief for incontinence
While pelvic floor issues are more common in women, men can also benefit from therapy for urinary leakage, constipation, diarrhea and pain. Children can also benefit. Although children’s appointments differ from adults, pelvic floor therapy can work on urinary leakage during the day or night.
Pelvic floor therapy is also helpful after menopause, especially if you did not have any issues before menopause. The decrease in estrogen can cause dryness and weaken the pelvic floor muscles, but therapy can improve these symptoms by strengthening the muscles, increasing blood flow and bringing awareness to your pelvic floor's proper function.
Pelvic floor therapy after labor and delivery
After pregnancy and delivery, your body has gone through a lot, and your muscles may not be ready for activity even if you feel ready. Pelvic floor therapy can help with issues like urinary leakage, constipation, pain with intercourse, scar tissue or tearing, regardless of how long ago you had your baby.
Taking care of your body during pregnancy
To learn more about pelvic floor therapy, contact your primary care provider or find a physical therapist near you.
