What do you need to know about pelvic health and physical therapy? You can start with some basic information about pelvic health – a specialty physical therapy practice. Many people believe that interstitial cystitis is a urinary tract infection. However, it is a chronic bladder disorder and can be treated with various interventions. This condition does not heal itself, but it is treatable and can be a debilitating experience for patients. Other symptoms of interstitial cystitis include tight muscles, muscle spasms, and pain trigger points. In addition, the pain may be referred from an injury, disease, or dysfunction of another organ.
Exercises
It can be very beneficial if you’ve ever wondered how to improve pelvic health through physical therapy practice. A pelvic health physical therapist works on various muscle groups in the pelvic region. These muscles include the pelvic floor, hip rotators, and abductors. These muscles can be restored to their proper function through pelvic physical therapy, leading to better health overall.
The goals of pelvic physical therapy are many, including improving muscle strength and coordination and controlling bladder function. Pelvic floor physical therapy may also incorporate electronic therapies such as biofeedback, which uses small electrodes to assess bladder function. The therapy may also focus on the pelvic floor’s dysfunctional movement patterns, and addressing chronic pains and recurrent injuries are other benefits of physical therapy for pelvic health. Physical therapists may also recommend pelvic exercises to help patients increase their activity levels.
Manual techniques
One study assessed the prevalence of manual techniques used by physical therapists to improve pelvic health. This study identified a significant difference between practitioners from the USA and Canada, with more manual techniques applied to the internal pelvic region. This difference may be related to geographic differences in PT training, which may influence the prevalence of pelvic manual therapy practices. In addition, there are differences between practitioners who use manual techniques on the pelvic region based on whether the physical therapist uses a variety of clinical practices.
Physical therapists focusing on pelvic floor muscles may use skin rolling to identify painful or restricted areas. This technique releases muscle tension and can also relieve pain. Other treatments, such as joint mobilization, improve range of motion and can help patients with pelvic pain. Pelvic floor physical therapy may also involve biofeedback, a technique that utilizes special sensors to monitor the activity of the pelvic floor muscles and provide feedback to the patient.
Movement coordination
Pelvic physical therapy has been around for more than 40 years. Unlike traditional physical therapy, pelvic physical therapy is hands-on and involves both internal and external techniques. Although the latter may not appeal to some women, physical therapists use various external techniques to relieve pelvic pain. These include nerve release, trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage, skin rolling, and joint mobilization. In addition, during pelvic physical therapy sessions, patients can learn more about the anatomy of the pelvic area and proper hygiene and behavior.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback has been proven to improve health and function by helping the body understand how muscle movement changes affect its function. It is a non-invasive treatment that is ideal for a variety of conditions related to pelvic health. The NHS offers pelvic floor exercise programs that include biofeedback. However, this is not a viable solution for every pelvic health condition. A better option would be to work with a physical therapist.
A physical therapist can use biofeedback to help patients improve their pelvic health. The technique works by measuring muscle strength using computer graphs and audible tones. The therapist can then personalize exercises according to each patient’s needs and goals. The benefits of biofeedback are clear. First, patients experience increased motivation and buy-in, which results in improved functional outcomes. Biofeedback helps patients improve proprioceptive and sensory awareness, which increases compliance with an exercise program at home. Besides helping patients improve pelvic health, biofeedback provides the physical therapist objective information and meaningful criteria for exercise progression.
