Pelvic floor therapy is a type of treatment for men and women experiencing pelvic floor disorders. The pelvic floor is the muscles, nerves and other tissues that support and hold up the pelvic organs, which include female and male reproductive organs, the bladder and the rectum.
One out of 5 Americans experience some type of pelvic floor dysfunction at some point in their life, according to Holland Hospital, with nearly 25 percent of women sustaining pelvic floor disorders, a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology found.
Let’s take a closer look at understanding this important treatment method that those working in travel physical therapy jobs should be familiar with:
How do pelvic floor disorders happen?
Pelvic floor disorders are often associated with child birth, obesity and heavy lifting. However, the Cleveland Clinic notes that most of the causes of the condition are unknown. Pelvic floor dysfunction is characterized by the excessive contracting or relaxing of muscles in this area, which can interfere with urinary, sexual and bowel function.
Common symptoms of pelvic floor disorder include:
- Incontinence.
- Frequent need to urinate and difficult or painful urination.
- Constipation or excessive bowel movements.
- Pain during intercourse.
- Pain in the lower back or pelvic region.
- Prolapse of pelvic organs.
How does therapy treat pelvic floor disorders?
Pelvic floor therapy is administered by travel PTs who use a variety of methods to encourage the relaxation or strengthening of pelvic floor muscles.
PTs may encourage the patient to do pelvic floor exercises or may conduct myofascial release and massage to encourage the relaxation or movement of pelvic muscles, nerves and connective tissue and ease pain, Women’s Healthcare explains.
“PTs use a variety of methods to encourage the relaxation or strengthening of pelvic floor muscles.”
A common method is biofeedback, in which patients are hooked up to a sound machine or computer monitor while they perform pelvic floor exercises. The machine enables them to receive real-time feedback on the state of their muscles, which can help them be more aware of whether they are consciously or unconsciously clenching these muscles in their daily lives and can track progress made with regular exercise.
Raising awareness about pelvic floor therapy
In recent years, attention has grown around pelvic floor dysfunction, which was called “The hidden medical epidemic few women have been willing to talk about, until now” by The Washington Post. Many industry experts lament that pelvic floor therapy is not better known and more frequently recommended to patients, as it can potentially ease or eliminate painful conditions for which patients are frequently referred to other specialists with little improvement.
Pelvic floor dysfunction can be hard to spot by clinicians, some individuals may feel that their pain or discomfort is normal for their age and never ask their doctors about it, while others may feel sensitive about bringing up concerns about a very private area. But with greater awareness and an improved dialog concerning the prevalence of pelvic floor disorders and the benefits of treatment, more people can reduce their pain and improve their health and well-being.