The main goal of pelvic floor physiotherapy is to improve pelvic floor function through lifestyle modifications, exercises, hands-on treatments, and education aimed to eliminate or decrease symptoms. The therapy involves assessing and treating the specific muscle groups involved in the bowel, urinary, and sexual function. The symptoms associated with incorrect functioning of such muscles include incontinence, retention, pelvic pain, and increased frequency or urgency. My best friend recommended this physiotherapist in Victoria to help repair my pelvic floor after giving birth for the first time. That said, here are facts about pelvic floor physiotherapy.
Pelvic Exercises Involve More than Kegels
Weak pelvic muscles can lead to a variety of symptoms, including prolapse and incontinence. Pelvic floor strengthening exercises or Kegels can help to alleviate such symptoms. However, Kegels might not necessarily be the best solution, depending on what the symptoms are. That because they can make the pelvic muscle tight instead of strong, causing a variety of other problems such as pain during intercourse, feeling of incomplete bowel or bladder emptying, and weak hesitant stream. Exercises that focus on relaxing and stretching the pelvic floor muscles can help to improve the symptoms.
Pelvic Floor Is a Part of the Core
Your core consists of a lot more than just the abdominal muscles. It includes all the muscles in the area, beginning at the diaphragm and ending at the pelvic floor. They include the abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles, low back muscles, and the diaphragm. All these muscles help to support the abdominal contents. Pelvic floor physiotherapy begins with assessing all the core muscles to figure out the right exercises to ensure good core function.
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Can Offer Benefits to Anyone
Pelvic floor dysfunction can occur to anyone, including men, and physiotherapy can help deal with it. However, there are some groups of people who stand higher chances of experiencing pelvic floor symptoms. Examples of individuals who can benefit the most from pelvic floor physiotherapy include prenatal and postpartum women, post-menopause women, and post-surgery patients.
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Can Be Uncomfortable
Generally, most patients experience some discomfort during the therapy sessions. That can be caused by the hands-on technics the physiotherapist use or the types of exercises recommended. However, the goal of the physiotherapy sessions is usually to alleviate pain instead of causing or increasing it. The pain or discomfort you experience during the session is typically temporary and fades away as you advance in your physiotherapy. If pain is among your main symptoms, you should feel some relief from it as well.