A Physiotherapist’s Role in Pelvic Floor Health
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a special branch of physiotherapy that aims to resolve the problems that people have with their pelvic floor muscles. If you are suffering from certain types of pelvic health disorders, then you should consult with a physiotherapist who can look into it. This specific branch of physiotherapy has to do with internal examination along with external physio treatment of pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles are situated between the hip bones and the sacrum in the human body. They provide support to organs like the uterus in a woman, bladder as well rectum. The role of pelvic floor physiotherapy is assessing and treating pelvic floor dysfunction that can lead to chronic pelvic pain, fecal incontinence, urinary incontinence, and prolapse of the pelvic organs.
When you get in touch with a physiotherapist for the treatment of the pelvic floor health problems that you are having, he is going to use education, electrical stimulation, manual therapy, exercises as well as behavioral modification to make sure that you recover from your health issues. Both men and women can suffer from issues relating to pelvic floor dysfunction. The pelvic muscles play an important role in bowel movements, urination, and sexual activities. When one has a weak or tight pelvic floor, it can lead to improper defecation, constipation, and pain during menstruation. Sexual problems caused by poor pelvic floor health include difficulty achieving orgasm, the pain felt during penetration, premature ejaculation, painful erections, and pain during sexual stimulation. This is why it is important to strengthen one’s pelvic floor muscles through methods like pelvic health physiotherapy, pelvic floor exercises, Pilates, and yoga.
During your session with your physiotherapist, the health expert is going to note down your medical history and perform a thorough external exam of the pelvis. This will include studying the structure, flexibility, posture, and strength of the pelvis, the hips, and the lower back area. The physiotherapist is also going to carry out an internal exam of the pelvis to determine the functioning of the pelvic floor muscles. This is carried out rectally for men and vaginally and/or rectally for women. However, the physiotherapist may not perform the internal exam if you are suffering from some pain or discomfort. The findings of the initial exam will help the physiotherapist to come up with a treatment plan that is individualized for the specific needs of the patient. This can also further help to minimize the possibility of any pain or discomfort felt by the patient.
Once the treatment for your pelvic floor health problems start, you need to go for regular visits to your physiotherapist who can address the issues that you are having. In most cases, your physiotherapist will recommend you lifestyle changes, exercises, manual therapy, relaxation techniques, and electrotherapy. Along with these, the physiotherapist will also perform some further assessment tests to see how your condition is improving. If you have some tightness or pain in the pelvic region, these problems are going to improve with further treatment that is performed by the physiotherapist.