Millions of Americans walk around with pelvic floor dysfunction and either get misdiagnosed, going from specialty to specialty or don’t realize they can get help. Some of the many issues associated with pelvic floor dysfunction include urinary incontinence, pelvic pain and constipation to name a few.
The pelvic floor consists of a group of muscles that acts as a sling supporting bowel and bladder function, sexual activity and trunk support. If the muscles are too tight, too weak or both it can cause dysfunction. Surrounding joints including the spine, ribs, and hip joints can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction.
Pelvic floor physical therapy involves a thorough subjective and objective evaluation. Treatment includes a lot of patient education, therapeutic exercises designed to help the pelvic floor function properly and ensuring support of surrounding structures.