• HIS THERAPY PT and PELVIC HEALTH
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Category: Pelvic Floor

His TherapyBlogPelvic Floor
By Sabina Kapasi Pelvic Floor, Physical Therapy

Pelvic Floor Therapy For Men

Pelvic Floor Therapy Is For Men Too!

Pelvic floor physical therapy was, historically, prescribed for women who, after a few pregnancies, tend to leak urine.

But men can leak, too, especially after surgery for prostate cancer. Men can also suffer from chronic pelvic pain. Physical therapy specific to the pelvic floor muscles can provide relief.

Two of the main symptoms that men would seek out pelvic floor physical therapy are incontinence (inability to control urination) and pelvic pain.

Incontinence typically stems from problems with a man’s prostate gland. If he has an enlarged prostate (common condition as men age) the prostate can pinch the urethra. Then the bladder has to work harder to push urine out when it needs to empty, the bladder muscles thicken and become overactive. The result: leaking urine.

Men who have had surgery for prostate cancer will most likely have incontinence, at least temporarily, after their surgery.  Men who receive radiation therapy for prostate cancer may also experience incontinence.

Chronic, ongoing pelvic pain can come from the bladder, rectum or prostate. Pain tends to make muscles tighten up, like a constant cramp, and this becomes an uncomfortable cycle: pain leads to muscle tension, which causes more pain.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or have questions, please contact our office for more information and/or  to schedule your pelvic floor assessment today!

Have a blessed day
His Therapy
864-534-1780
office@histherapy.net

By Sabina Kapasi Pelvic Floor, Physical Therapy

Pelvic Floor Therapy and Where to Go for Help

Are You Dealing with PELVIC FLOOR Pain And Don’t Know Who To Call? CALL US! HIS THERAPY

We specialize in pelvic floor therapy for MEN, WOMAN and CHILDREN.

Pelvic floor therapy is a unique specialty of Physical Therapy which re-trains and strengthens the muscles of the pelvic floor and core musculature. Pelvic floor therapists will work with those who suffer from all sorts of pelvic floor problems including urinary incontinence, frequency and urgency, as well as constipation and other bowel problems, pelvic pain with intercourse, and PRE-natal and POST-natal discomforts.

Sabina Weaver, MSPT provides specialized treatments including dry needling, biofeedback, myofascial release and pelvic floor therapy to meet each individual’s needs,
Mind, Body and Spirit.

Call us for a pelvic floor assessment to get you back on track! 864-534-1780

By Sabina Kapasi Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Health, Pregnancy

Protect Your Pelvic Floor During Labor and Delivery

Lunch And Learn
October 24th – 12:30p – 1:30p 

Please join us for a $5.00 Lunch and Learn session with Mid-Wife, Linda Weaver,
as she explains how to protect your pelvic floor during labor and delivery.
His Therapy is hosting this event, we are located at 2 Parkway Commons Way
in Greer, SC
 
Please RSVP to 864.534.1780, so that we can hold you a spot.  Be sure to invite your friends who may benefit as well! Lunch will be provided.

By Sabina Kapasi Exercise, Health, His Thearpy, Pelvic Floor

Pelvic Floor Fitness Workshop

Join Sabina Weaver, MSPT, as she helps you understand more about your pelvic floor!

DATE:Thursday, November 29th
TIME: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
COST:  $5 per person
LOCATION:  Fitness with a View, 1095 Hartness Drive, Greenville, SC  29615
RSVP:  REQUIRED to, 864-420-3371

Hosted by Fitness with a View!

By Sabina Kapasi Pelvic Floor

Pelvic Floor Information

The Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor consists of several layers of muscles that cover the bottom of the pelvic cavity. These muscles have 3 distinct roles:
To Support the pelvic organs, the bladder, uterus and colon within the pelvis.
To assist in stopping and starting the flow of urine or the passage of gas or stool.
To aid in sexual appreciation

How to Locate the Pelvic Floor Muscles
Insert 1 or 2 fingers into the vagina or place a fingertip or on into the rectal outlet. 
Contract and lift the muscle as though you were holding back gad or a bowel movement 
You should actually feel the pelvic floor move during these muscle contractions.

The Functional Stop Test
This test is used to asses the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. DO NOT do this test every time you void because it will cause urine to flow back up into your system. It should be done once a week at the most.
Procedure:
Begin a flow of urine
Attempt to completely stop the flow of urine by contracting the pelvic floor muscles. DO NOT hold your breath. DO NOT contract your abdomen, thighs or buttocks to complete the test. Try to isolate the pelvic floor muscles.
Take note of whether you can completely stop the urine stream.

If performed correctly. you have isolated the pelvic floor muscles. When performing subsequent pelvic floor exercises (Kegels), you should feel a sensation of pulling up and in much like it did during this test. 

What Makes the Pelvic Floor Muscles Weak
Childbirth
Constipation
Sustained coughing or sneezing
Heavy lifting
Obesity
Hormones associated with menopauase

How Posture Affects the Pelvic Floor
The way you carry your body all day affects the pelvic floor muscles
Some tips:
Standing: Keep your knees unlocked, buttocks and abdomen relaxed.
Sitting: Use proper support for the back. An additional cushion under the thighs keeps pressure off the pelvic floor and buttocks
Lying: Elevate the legs on a pillow or two.

Preventing Stress on the Pelvic Floor
Lifting correctly
As you get ready to lift:
Bend your knees
Gently hold in your stomach muscles
Pull your vaginal muscles up and in.
Exhales or breathe out as you lift.(DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH!)
Moving Out of a Chair:
Take  your bottom with you! Scoot to the edge of the chair.
Tighten the muscles around your vagina
Suck in your lower belly muscles.
Push off the chair using your leg and arm muscles as you breathe out.

By Sabina Kapasi Pelvic Floor

The Pelvic Floor

What is it? 
  The pelvic floor consists of several layers of muscles that cover the bottom of the pelvic cavity.  
  These muscles have 3 distinct roles:
To support the pelvic organs, the bladder, uterus and colon within the pelvis. 
To assist in stopping and starting the flow of urine or the passage of gas or stool. 
To aid in sexual appreciation 

  How do you locate the pelvic floor muscles? 
 Insert 1 or 2 fingers into the vagina or place a fingertip on or into the rectal outlet. 

Contract and lift the muscles as though you were holding back gas or a bowel movement. 

You should actually feel the pelvic floor move during these muscle contractions. 

 
  So what makes the pelvic floor muscles weak? 
Childbirth
Constipation

Sustained coughing or sneezing 

Heavy lifting 
Obesity

Hormones associated with menopause 
  
   How does posture affect the pelvic floor?
   The way you carry your body all day affects the pelvic floor muscles. 
    Some tips: 
standing:  Keep your knees unlocked, buttocks and abdomen relaxed. 
Sitting:  Use proper support for the back. An additional cushion under the thighs keeps pressure off the pelvic floor and buttocks. 
Lying:  Elevate the legs on a pillow or two. 

 
  How do you prevent stress on the pelvic floor? 
  Lifting Correctly 
  As you get ready to lift: 
Bend your knees. 
Gently hold in your stomach muscles.

pull your vaginal muscles up and in.

Exhale or breathe out as you lift. (Don’t hold your breath!) 
  Moving out of a chair 
Take your bottom with you! 
Scoot to the edge of the chair. 
Tighten the muscles around your vagina. 
Suck in your lower belly muscles. 
Push off the chair using your leg and arm muscles as you breathe out.

By Sabina Kapasi Pelvic Floor

How posture affects the pelvic floor

The way you carry your body all day affects the pelvic floor muscles. 
Some tips: 
Standing:  Keep your knees unlocked, buttocks and abdomen relaxed. 
Sitting: Use proper support for the back.  An additional cushion under the thighs keeps pressure off the pelvic floor and buttocks. 
Lying:  Elevate the legs on a pillow or two. 

Preventing stress on the pelvic floor
Lifting correctly
As you get ready to lift: 
Bend your knees
Gently hold in your stomach muscles
Exhale or breathe out as you lift (Don’t hold your breath!) 

Moving out of a chair
Take your bottom with you! 
Scoot to the edge of the chair 
Tighten the muscles around your vagina
Suck in your lower belly muscles
Push off the chair using your leg and arm muscles as you breathe out 

By Sabina Kapasi Pelvic Floor

Do you know what causes the pelvic floor muscles to become weak?

Childbirth 
         This is the major, but not only, factor that stretches and damages your perineal muscles.  If                   strength is not resorted in these muscles after delivery, they will remain stretched like an old               hammock, and continue weakening as you resume your normal activities.  Future pregnancies             will further weaken these muscles. 
Constipation 
sustained coughing or sneezing 
Heavy lifting 
Obesity 
Hormones associated with menopause 

The good new is that we can help you! Call us today to schedule an appointment with us. 

By Sabina Kapasi Health, Pelvic Floor, Pelvic Health

Take Care Of Your Pelvic Floor

What Are Pelvic Floor Muscles? 
 Pelvic floor muscles are the collection of skeletal muscles covering the bottom edge of the abdominal cavity.  They run from the pubic bone in the front to the coccyx (tail bone)  in the back and attach to both sides of the pelvis.  They form a “sling” at the base of the pelvic bowl and help to hold up the organs of that area, which include the bladder, uterus and the rectum. 

What Do They Do? 
 Pelvic floor muscles have three main functions:  supportive, sphincteric, and sexual.  Strong pelvic floor muscles help to hold the pelvic organs in place against the pull of gravity.  They also help you maintain control of your bladder and bowels by lifting the urethra and rectum to keep them closed.  Finally, pelvic floor muscles play a role in sexual function by enabling the vagina to be lifted in tighter, thus increasing sensation, during intercourse.  They can become weak or injured in different ways including birthing injuries or neurological dysfunction. 

How Can I Keep Mine Strong? 
You can strengthen pelvic floor muscles by routinely performing some exercises that target them.  You should pull the muscles “up and in,” meaning if you had an object inserted into your vagina you would be pulling it into your body with these contractions.  You can tell if you are using the correct muscles because the sensation of contraction the pelvic floor muscles is the same as when you stop your urine flow (however, this is NOT part of the exercise program, do not routinely stop your urine flow). Perform these contractions, being careful not to 
substitute” with contraction of your abdominal, buttocks, or hip muscles.  Try to contract the muscles as strongly as you can for as long as you can hold the contraction.  Do as many of these “strong holds” as you can.  Another exercise involves contractions of the same muscles, but in quick succession and as many as you can.  A good format to begin with is: 

Strong Hold:                                                         Quick Hold: 
5 repetitions of 10 second holds                     15 repetitions of 1-2 second holds 
   
      Rules to go by 
Water intake should be 8-10  10 oz. glasses per day 
You should void only 6-8 times in a 24 -hour period. 
You should be able to go 2-5 hours between voids. 
You should be able to count 8-10 seconds during the urine stream. 
If you are younger than 65, you should not need to void in the middle of the night
Avoid bladder irritants such as caffeine, alcohol, acidic juices, sodas, and nicotine