Pelvic floor physical therapy is a treatment for problems related to the pelvic floor. This specialized therapy includes exercises that can help relieve symptoms like pain, discomfort, and disruptions to your quality of life.
Everyone has a pelvic floor. It’s made up of the muscles that support the urinary and reproductive tracts. This group of muscles also controls your bladder and bowels.
In women, the pelvic floor keeps your bladder in place in the front and the vagina and rectum in the back. Your uterus is held in place at the top of the pelvic floor by muscles, tendons, and connective tissue. In men, the pelvic floor helps keep the bowels, bladder, urethra, and rectum in place.
The pelvic floor muscles attach to your tail bone and pubic bone. If the muscles in the pelvic floor are weak or don’t work as they should, this is called pelvic floor dysfunction.
When you have pelvic floor dysfunction, your pelvic muscles can’t relax or work together the way they should. If these muscles can’t relax, only tighten, you may have:
Sometimes, experts aren’t sure what causes pelvic floor dysfunction. But things that may trigger it include:
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a specialized kind of physical therapy to relieve the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and help the muscles work the way they should. This includes several exercises that help your pelvic muscles relax and get stronger.
When you begin pelvic floor therapy, a physical therapist (PT) will learn more about your symptoms. Your PT will check your core muscles to see how strong they are, along with how much core endurance you have. Your PT will also have you try certain activities and positions to check the coordination of your pelvic floor muscles.
Your assessment helps your PT make a pelvic floor physical therapy plan that best suits your needs. Your treatment will probably include both internal and external therapy. But they won’t begin internal therapy until you’re ready, because this can be uncomfortable for some people.
The goal of pelvic floor physical therapy is to ease your symptoms so that you can get back to your daily routine. This includes being able to control your bladder better or take part in sports and exercises that you enjoy.
Physical therapy can also relieve the discomfort and pain that women may feel during sex. Some exercises may help them to become more aware of their muscles and have better orgasms.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can include techniques or exercises like:
Written By: WebMD Editorial Contributors
Medically Reviewed By: Daniel Brennan, MD on November 27, 2021
Original Source: https://www.webmd.com/women/what-is-pelvic-floor-physical-therapy
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