Physical therapy has been linked with a number of benefits, from improving pain and quality of life to improving functioning after an accident. One of the lesser-known benefits of physical therapy is improvement in pelvic health! Unfortunately, most people don’t realize how crucial pelvic health is until it’s too late. If you’re struggling with issues such as bowel or urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, and other issues, here are 3 ways physical therapy can help improve your pelvic health.
1. Alleviate Urinary and Bowel Issues
The pelvis is responsible for holding together different organs that connect from the tailbone to the pubic bone. You can think of the pelvis as a sort of hammock that cradles organs below the spine. These include organs such as the uterus, male prostate, and bladder.
As you can see, all of these organs are closely linked together and vital for overall well-being. Unfortunately, pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to issues with these organs – primarily urinary and bowel incontinence and frequency. If you find yourself needing to urinate or have a bowel movement more frequently, having accidents, and suffering from incontinence, chances are you have some level of pelvic floor dysfunction. For some people, the opposite is true, and constipation might also point to pelvic floor dysfunction. Physical therapy is one of the best ways to help alleviate these life-altering symptoms.
While some people might need surgery to alleviate their symptoms, physical therapy is a more conservative and non-invasive approach. Best of all, you can do pelvic floor exercises at home and experience results fairly quickly. Working with a trained physical therapist can help you experience relief from these urinary and bowel issues.
2. Reduce Pelvic Pain
One of the most debilitating side effects of pelvic floor dysfunction is back pain, pelvic pain, and pain during intercourse. In addition to pelvic floor dysfunction, another common cause of pelvic pain is a condition known as Pudendal Neuralgia. Pudendal Neuralgia refers to any type of damage done to the Pudendal nerve. This nerve travels between the tailbone and the public bone in the pelvis. It plays an important role in helping regulate signals to the brain, such as when to use the restroom, sensations during sexual intercourse, and more.
This nerve can become damaged for several reasons. For instance, sitting for prolonged periods or repetitive movements like cycling can cause significant damage. Whether you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction or neuralgia, one thing is certain – pelvic pain can quickly decrease your quality of life. Physical therapy, including pelvic floor exercises and biofeedback, can help decrease pelvic pain due to either condition.
3. Improve Post-Partum Pelvic Health
Lastly, pelvic physical therapy is also an amazing tool for post-partum mothers. Childbirth can greatly change the structure of the pelvis, leading to tears, pelvic floor dysfunction, pain, and urinary and bowel incontinence just to name a few issues. Physical therapy is one of the go-tos for women after the post-partum period, as it’s a non-invasive way to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and improve strength after delivery.
Even before childbirth, some pregnant women also opt to engage in physical therapy. Doing so can help strengthen the pelvic muscles used during childbirth.
