You probably have a good idea of what muscles like your quads, hamstrings and biceps do. But you might not really know what your pelvic floor muscles do.
If you fall into this category, you aren’t alone, but women should learn everything they can about this important muscle group. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that line the bottom of the pelvic area. One thing they do is help hold your bladder, bowel and other pelvic organs in place. They’re also involved in bladder and bowel evacuation and childbirth.
Having a problem with your pelvic floor can be painful. You may be able to find help with your pelvic floor problems at a physical therapy clinic near you. If you can, there are many reasons you should take advantage of this service.
Three reasons to use pelvic floor therapy if it’s available near you:
- It helps women get through pregnancy with less pain — The period of time when you’re actually giving birth isn’t the only painful part of pregnancy. Many women start to feel many types of pain long before that. For instance, one medical survey found that 72% of pregnant women reported lower back and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Pelvic floor rehab can help strengthen and stretch your pelvic floor muscles, which can help ease your pain.
- It addresses chronic pelvic pain — Many women develop pelvic pain that lasts for months or even years. This type of long-term pain is called chronic pelvic pain. Chronic pelvic pain is often linked to ongoing problems with the pelvic floor muscles. For instance, they could be tense, weak or inflamed. Physical therapists can use therapy techniques like manual therapy to help address chronic pelvic pain.
- It helps treat chronic urinary incontinence (UI) — Medical researchers tell us that up to 69% of women develop urinary incontinence. In many cases, this condition is the result of pelvic floor muscles that are too weak to control the flow of urine properly. Your physical therapist can help you learn how to establish a closer connection to these muscles. They can also show you how to do therapeutic exercises designed to strengthen your pelvic floor.
Looking for pelvic floor therapy near you? Peak Performance can help
At Peak Performance Sports & Physical Therapy, our team can help women who are looking for pelvic floor therapy near them. We can start by doing a free screening to determine what issue or issues you’re dealing with. Our physical therapists can then build you a pelvic rehab plan that’s unique to your needs. Some patients may even be able to use our virtual therapy service to work with a physical therapist from home.
Contact us today for more information about our pelvic rehabilitation service or to schedule an initial appointment.