What is Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?

With many different treatments available, you might wonder, What is pelvic floor physiotherapy? Knowing what to expect from this type of physical therapy can be helpful if you’re searching for treatment for incontinence, pain, or something else. Read on to learn more about pelvic floor physiotherapy and how it can help your recovery!

1.   Pelvic Floor Therapy

Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a physio and occupational therapy helpful in treating several medical conditions. Also known as pelvic health or urogynaecology, it’s commonly beneficial in treating urinary incontinence (UI), pelvic organ prolapse (POP), and fecal incontinence (FI).

The condition affects millions worldwide, with an average lifetime prevalence rate ranging from 10 percent to 50 percent. Women who have given birth vaginally are at higher risk for developing UI and POP than those without children. POP surgery may also be necessary for these women to alleviate and prevent worsening symptoms.

2.   Treatment Techniques

Pelvic floor physiotherapists may use various hands-on treatment techniques, such as stretching and massage, to relieve pain and tightness. Some women find that learning to relax their pelvic floor muscles can help prevent them from tensing up in response to other painful conditions such as menstrual cramps. (Men, you may have heard it’s good for your prostate – it’s true!). The technique also helps men who suffer from urinary incontinence or erectile dysfunction.

Some people try self-help methods like vaginal weights before consulting with a pelvic floor physio. However, to avoid poor results and potential risks, the most important thing is to seek advice from a professional pelvic floor physiotherapist. For example, just because someone has had success using a particular weight doesn’t mean that this is the best type of weight for everyone else and in every situation. There are different techniques available, so it’s essential to talk about what might work best for you and thecondition with your pelvic floor physio.

3.   Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Benefits

Knowing that you can positively impact your health without undergoing surgery or resorting to drugs or pills can be empowering. It means you have more control over your well-being than you thought possible. If you’re suffering from pelvic pain and want an alternative treatment method, pelvic floor physiotherapy may be for you.

The treatment helps women post-childbirth, following prostatectomy, experiencing urinary incontinence, and those experiencing fecal incontinence due to constipation. Caring for the pelvic floor is important because it maintains continence by keeping the bladder closed when full and holding the urethra closed when we cough or sneeze. In men, prostate massage can help reduce the discomfort caused by an enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and help prevent complications such as incontinence.

4.   Who Benefits from Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

Anybody can benefit from pelvic floor physiotherapy if they are experiencing issues with their bladder, bowel, or sexual function. After childbirth (vaginal or cesarean), anyone could benefit from pelvic floor physiotherapy. That includes women and men of all ages. In some cases, injury to the pelvis may also lead to pelvic floor problems requiring physio treatment. Men suffering from prostate-related incontinence would be another group who may find relief through pelvic floor physiotherapy.

Females with obstetric history may experience postpartum incontinence after giving birth. Children and adolescents with bedwetting problems, urinary tract infections, constipation, and sexual dysfunctions may need therapy for pelvic floor problems. Also, elderly adults who suffer from conditions such as arthritis and Parkinson’s disease will sometimes have weakened muscles which can affect their ability to control urine flow. Older men often suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia, which affects urination patterns.

Conclusion

Your pelvic floor is an integral part of your body – as important as your heart and lungs for both women and men. The muscular base supports vital organs in our bodies, including our bladder, rectum, and sexual organs; it controls our bowels and can even help alleviate incontinence issues. Pelvic floor physiotherapy focuses on the muscles that support the pelvic region. It provides treatments such as exercises, massage, electrical stimulation, and dry needling to strengthen the muscles that support this area of the body. However, always consult with a skilled pelvic floor physiotherapist for effective results.