Pelvic Floor Rehab

Pelvic floor rehabilitation is a specialized branch of physical therapy focused on treating conditions related to the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles form a “sling” from the front to the back of the pelvis, supporting the pelvic organs such as the bladder, uterus, and rectum.

Various factors like childbirth, surgery, aging, or injury can lead to weakened pelvic floor muscles, resulting in conditions such as incontinence, sexual dysfunction, pelvic pain, and other related disorders. The Pelvic floor rehabilitation services at Coast Spine Center in Stuart, FL, aims to rehabilitate, relax and lengthen, or strengthen these muscles to help alleviate symptoms through targeted exercises and therapies.

Conditions Treated

Urinary Incontinence
This is a common condition affecting both men and women, where one experiences involuntary loss of urine. Pelvic floor rehab can help strengthen the muscles that control urination.

Fecal Incontinence
Similar to urinary incontinence, this condition involves the inability to control bowel movements. It is often a symptom of a weakened pelvic floor.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse
This occurs when pelvic organs drop due to weak muscles and ligaments, causing discomfort and a range of urinary and fecal issues.

Chronic Pelvic Pain
Conditions like endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, and chronic prostatitis can cause persistent pelvic pain, which can often be managed through pelvic floor rehabilitation.

Sexual Dysfunction
Issues such as painful intercourse or erectile dysfunction may be addressed through pelvic floor rehab.

Assessment and Diagnosis

A comprehensive evaluation is the first step in pelvic floor rehabilitation. Our physical therapist will assess muscle strength, tone, and coordination. This may involve both external and internal examination techniques, and sometimes, imaging studies like MRI or ultrasound may be ordered for more detailed analysis.

Treatment Techniques

Pelvic Floor Exercises
Also known as Kegel exercises, these are the cornerstone of pelvic floor rehab. They involve contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles to improve strength and endurance.

Biofeedback
This technique employs electronic instrumentation to monitor the pelvic floor muscles, helping patients understand how to contract and relax these muscles more effectively.

Electrical Stimulation
Low-voltage electrical currents are used to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles, helping to strengthen them and improve their function.

Manual Therapy
Myofascial release and trigger point therapy can help in reducing muscle tightness and spasm in the pelvic region.

Education and Lifestyle Modification
Patients are educated about their condition and how lifestyle changes like diet modification and weight management can help alleviate symptoms.

Benefits of Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation

By addressing uncomfortable and often stigmatized issues like incontinence and sexual dysfunction, pelvic floor rehab helps to significantly improve patients’ quality of life. Most pelvic floor rehab methods and therapies are non-invasive and serve as effective alternatives to surgical interventions, which can carry risks and longer recovery times.

Our physical therapists personalize treatment for each patient, taking into consideration their specific condition, symptoms, age, and lifestyle.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation has proven to be incredibly effective in treating a range of conditions that many find difficult to discuss, much less seek treatment for. Through a combination of specialized exercises, cutting-edge techniques, and patient education, this form of physical therapy offers a path to improved health and a more comfortable life.

DIASTASIS RECTI:

Diastasis recti, or rectus abdominis diastasis, is a gap on the two sides of the rectus abdominis muscle. The distance between the right and left rectus abdominis muscles is created by the stretching of the linea alba, a connective collagen sheath that is stretched out during pregnancy. We are trained at assessing this condition and using Rock Tape to help close it with specific exercises to assist in the strengthening of the pelvic floor to help reduce urine leakage, prolapse and painful intercourse.

Contact us today for a consultation to see if you qualify for care.