The first appointment for the initial pelvic floor assessment is to familiarize yourself with your health status as guided by your therapist.
They are likely to inquire as to why you are at the clinic, in addition to the personal questions you might be asked regarding your bladder and bowel habits, sexual history, past health records, pains, and any other relevant symptoms. It’s a critical discussion in adopting a treatment strategy unique to your situation.
At Proremedy Physio in Mississauga, our Mississauga Pelvic Health Physiotherapists are dedicated to addressing pelvic health concerns through comprehensive assessments and personalized treatment plans.
What is Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a specialized service that includes exercises aimed at the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder, bowel and uterus. It is integral in the management of situations like stress urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and various types of pelvic pain.
The pelvic health physiotherapist uses manual therapy, electrical stimulation, and appropriate pelvic floor exercises to improve muscle strength and reduce pain.
Patients with problems such as chronic constipation, pain during sex, or pelvic floor dysfunction can benefit from the improvements this therapy can bring to their daily activities and quality of life. The treatments aim to improve functioning and quality of life, from strengthening core muscles to enhancing pelvic stability.
What’s Involved in a Pelvic Floor Physio Assessment?
A pelvic floor physiotherapy assessment is a complete test aiming to diagnose various disorders originating in the pelvic floor muscles. Here’s what typically happens during such an assessment:
Initial Consultation
The first step of the assessment involves a thorough consultation in which the physiotherapist formulates your medical history and learns about problems you may experienced, including urinary incontinence, pelvic pain or complications related to sexual intercourse. This conversation seeks to establish your main complaints, health history, occupation, and other factors.
Physical Examination
After the consultation, a physical examination is conducted. This may be internal and/or external (with the patient’s permission), emphasizing the pelvic floor and related areas. The physiotherapist assesses muscle tone and strength and includes any obvious problems of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Functional Assessments
Sometimes, specific motor functions, such as observing a patient’s position, stability, and flexibility, may also be evaluated. These help define the extent of pelvic floor dysfunction to general mobility and several tasks in everyday life.
Education and Discussion
After the examination, the physiotherapist educates the patient regarding the pelvic floor with information about individual muscles and structures’ roles, working processes, and how problems impact general well-being.
This is also the time to mention possible therapy options, such as Physical therapy for muscles that support the pelvic floor, Manual therapy for the area and Lifestyle changes.
Development of a Treatment Plan
Appearing after the assessment session, the physiotherapist provides a plan of treatment according to your condition. You may have pelvic physical therapy exercises, behavioural activities, or any other recommended therapeutic approach included in this plan.
How Does Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Improve Daily Living?
- Enhancing Daily Function: Better control of the urge to urinate and lesser bowel incontinence, consequently giving confidence and comfort in day-to-day life.
- Sexual Health Benefits: Treating problems like painful intercourse or sexual disorders can improve couple and individual satisfaction.
- Pain Management: Indeed, contingent therapy aims to provide self-management instructions for managing tailbone pain, as well as discomfort and pain during physical exercise.
- Preventive Care: Some pelvic floor disorders can be prevented even without previous complications through constant attendance to pelvic floor physiotherapy.
- Quality of Life: Patients generally state that their quality of life becomes more distinguishable; they experience physical strength and a heightened awareness of their pelvic region.
What Techniques are Used in Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?
Manual Therapy
Manual therapy involves the physiotherapist using their hands to massage and manipulate the muscles and joints around your pelvic area. This helps loosen tight muscles, improve blood flow, and decrease pain, which is especially useful for conditions like pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. It can feel like a deep tissue massage focused on the pelvic region.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
These are special exercises designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Your physiotherapist will show you how to do Kegel exercises, which involve tightening and releasing the muscles that control urine flow. These exercises help with issues like urinary and bowel incontinence and can also improve sexual function.
Electrical Stimulation
Electrical stimulation entails applying a machine that delivers mild electrical currents to the pelvic region, where the pelvic floor muscles are located. This technique can help tone up the muscles and is applied to patients who have difficulty exercising independently. Women find it most suitable for controlling symptoms such as overactive bladder and stress incontinence.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is an approach to raising awareness about the tone of your pelvic floor muscles with the help of device feedback. Adhesive sensors are worn on part of the body and are linked with a monitor showing a graph of muscle activity.
This visual feedback aids in knowing when to contract and when to slack the pelvic muscles, which is important for issues such as constipation and weak pelvic muscle tone.
Education and Lifestyle Advice
Your physiotherapist will guide you in making the necessary modifications to enhance your daily living based on the recommended pelvic floor disorder treatment.
These facts could encompass advice on the number of days one should exercise, which type of foods one should consume, and when one should adjust the position of the Chair. Understanding the structure and how the pelvic floor works can help you regain control over your pelvic muscles and control issues.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, pelvic floor physiotherapy serves as a hope to patients who are struggling with urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain conditions.
Some of the approaches, for instance, manual therapy, included focused on the pelvic floor, electrical stimulation merged with extensive and specific education and lifestyle counselling enhances the clients’ control over their disorder and improves their quality of life.
At Proremedy Physio in Mississauga, our specialists remember that clients’ demands are unique; our physiotherapists will shape a regimen to help their clients enhance their ability to function in daily life. Don’t let pelvic health issues hold you back—reach out to us and take the first step towards a healthier, more comfortable life.
