Proven results in as little as 2-3 sessions!
* Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction
* Prenantal/Postpartum Care
* Men’s Pelvic/Prostate Health
* Pediatric Bladder Dysfunction/Bed Wetting
* Pelvic Pain including, but not limeted to: Coccydynia, Dyspareunia, Interstitial Cystitis and Vulvodynia
For more information and or a personal evaluation, Please contact our office at 864-534-1780.
Pelvic organ prolapse, defined as protrusion of the Pelvic organs (uterus, bladder or rectum) into the vagina, is a common but often overlooked problem. Two large epidemiologic studies – the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) and a Kaiser Permanente study – evaluated the incidence of pelvic organ prolapse among a wide range of women. The WHI, which followed more than 160,000 postmenopausal women ages 50-70, documented pelvic organ prolapse in 41% of women who had not undergone hysterectomy and in 38% of women who had undergone the procedure. Kaiser Permanente’s epidemiology of Prolapse and Incontinence Questionnaire (EPIQ), documented self-reported pelvic organ Prolapse in 7% of 4,458 respondents ages 25 to 84.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse occurs when the pelvic floor muscle (levator ani) weakens and allows the pelvic organs to bulge into the vaginal cavity. In its early stages, the condition often produces no symptoms. As the pelvic floor muscle weakens, prolapse worsens and leads to urinary and fecal symptoms.
Management Options
Surgery is the only definitive therapy for pelvic organ prolapse, but it is often imperfect. That’s because the repair of one vaginal compartment may predispose another compartment to develop prolapse. In addition, the integrity of pelvic floor innervation and muscle strength can affect surgical outcome. This conclusion is supported by the fact that approximately one-third of procedures for pelvic organ prolapse are repeat operations.
Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Pelvic Organ Prolapse are:
Pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME)
For women who are unable to perform PFME, biofeedback
Space-occupying devices (tampons, pessaries, etc.)
Behavioral modification
Avoidance of heavy lifting Maintenance of a healthy weight
Avoidance of constipation Avoidance of chronic coughing
The Colpexin Sphere
A new intravaginal device, the Colpexin Sphere, offers a unique option for conservative management. The Colpexin Sphere, which became available in the United States in 2006, supports the pelvic floor muscle and facilitates performance of PFME. The device is a medical-grade polycarbonate sphere with a locator string that is fitted above the hymenal ring to support the pelvic floor muscle.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse is a significant clinical issue among women of all ages, and it often results in discomfort, altered lifestyle and urinary incontinence. The Colpexin Sphere, which provides pelvic organ support and facilitates pelvic floor muscle strengthening, is an efficacious and conservative management option that should be considered for women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
Bone is living tissue that is constantly changing and adapting. The good news is that you can improve your bone health at any age. There is a misconception that osteoporosis is a disease of the elderly when actually healthy bone development starts in our youth. Girls who have diets high in dairy and who exercise regularly create bones that are denser and are less likely to develop osteoporosis. Women reach their peak bone mass at about age 21. After that, there is a slow, steady decline that increases with the loss of estrogen surrounding menopause.
Listed Below are 5 helpful tips to improve your bone health:
Trunk Lifts – trunk lifts build strength in your back bones by doing reverse sit-ups; lie on your stomach and lift up your trunk.
Vitamin D3 – a daily dose of Vitamin D3 helps your body absorb calcium. It is also known as the “sunshine vitamin” because we make it when our skin is exposed to sunlight. If you live in the Northeast, however, you cannot depend on getting enough daily sun year-round to make sufficient Vitamin D3; So taking the supplement is encouraged.
Lift Weights – Pump a little iron in addition to your cardio. Strength training with high loads and low repetitions can increase bone mineral density in women.
Increase Your Dairy Intake – Calcium is not produced by our bodies; so we must get it from food or supplements. Calcium is essential for many bodily functions (including heart rate regulations), so if you don’t have enough in your diet, calcium will be taken from your skeleton. If you are allergic to dairy, you should talk to your doctor about good calcium supplements.
Walk More – walking is a weight – bearing activity that increases the bone density in your hips. Gradually build up to walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes, five days per week. Other wight-bearing exercises include tennis, jogging, volleyball, calisthenics, aerobics, stair-climbing, and dance.
Remember that what you do today strengthens your bones tomorrow.
Tips To Maintain Good Bladder Habits:
1. Maintain a good fluid intake. Depending on your body size and environment, drink 4-8 cups (8oz each) of fluid per day unless otherwise advised by your doctor. Not enough fluid creates a foul odor and dark colored urine.
2. Limit the amount of caffeine (coffee, soda, chocolate or tea) and citrus foods that you consume, as these foods can be associated with increased sensation of urinary urgency and frequency.
3. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Alcohol increases urine production and also makes it difficult for the brain to coordinate bladder control.
4. Avoid constipation by maintaining a balanced diet of dietary fibers.
Practice these habits and enjoy a healthy bladder!
What is stress Incontinence?
Stress incontinence occurs when you are not able to prevent urine from leaking out when the pressure in your abdomen increases with events such as coughing, sneezing, and lifting.
It is caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles (the muscles that keep urine from leaking out) that is contributed to by trauma such as delivering a baby.
Physical Therapists can fix this problem by teaching their patients the following: the function of the pelvic floor muscles, proper bladder habits, exercises specific for the pelvic floor, and through biofeedback and electrical stimulation.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Functions
The pelvic floor has three functions. The pelvic floors main function is to support the surrounding structures and help keep organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum inside the body. The second function of the pelvic floor is sphincteric. This helps the tube from which you urinate to open and close when urinating and your rectum to open and close having a bowel movement. The third function of the pelvic floor is sexual. This provides sensation for sexual intercourse.
Proper Bladder Habits
Proper bladder habits include the following: Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day (80 oz.) , Urinate 6-8 times in a 24 hour period, only urinate every 2-5 hours, there should be no nighttime urinating (pay attention to whether or not the urge work you up or something else woke you up and you realized you needed to urinate), each stream should last 8-10 seconds, avoid bladder irritants such as caffeine, alcohol, orange juice, soft drinks, and nicotine.
Exercise
-exercise the muscles supporting your pelvis by performing Kegel exercises 3 times per day with 3 sets of 20 repetitions each time (if this is difficult at first you can build up to it)
-Stretch tight muscles surrounding the area because they can compensate and contribute to even further weakening of the pelvic floor muscles
Biofeedback and Electrical Stimulation
-Biofeedback is a type of treatment that provides visual feedback on how well you are able to contract your pelvic floor muscles
-Electrical stimulation is a means of using a mild electric current to increase the strength of your pelvic floor muscles that is enhanced when you perform the Kegels during treatment
Dry needling is a treatment that involves a very thin needle being pushed through the skin to stimulate a trigger point. Dry needling releases the tight muscle bands associated with trigger points and leads to decreased pain, improved function, and speeds up the recovery process.
Trigger points are irritable, hard “knots” within a muscle that may cause pain over a large area, leading to difficulty performing everyday tasks. When a person has painful muscles and trigger points, it is sometimes called myofascial pain syndrome.
Myofacial Trigger points are a common type of pain. The word myofascial means muscle tissue and the connective tissue in and around it. These trigger points are usually the result of a muscle injury, resulting from repetitive strain. They are painful when pressed on and can create pain in another area as well, which is called referred pain.
Dry Needling is becoming a popular modality in medical practices, as musculoskeletal complaints are one of the most reported reasons to seek medical attention. Because contractures and trigger points are invisible to X-rays, MRI, CT’s, a Dry Needling Therapist can “feel” with the needle and utilize it as a diagnostic instrument. Contractures deep in the muscles can be felt with the needle via feedback on the quality of the tissues that it is penetrating.
For more information, please call our office to set up a consultation on the phone or set up an initial evaluation in our office. Call His Therapy at 864-534-1780 today!
Have a Blessed Day!
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
The diaphragm, a dome like muscle that forms the floor of the rib cage, is the most efficient muscle for breathing and relaxation. The correct use of diaphragmatic breathing can help to quiet brain activity resulting in the relaxation of all the muscles and organs of the body. This is accomplished by slow rhythmic breathing concentrated in the diaphragm rather than the chest.
Learning Diaphragmatic Breathing
Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen.
Exhale completely, breathing out through your mouth. Allowing your abdomen and chest to fall.
Inhale deeply. Breathe in through your nose and mouth while contracting the diaphragm. It will move downward causing your abdomen to rise. Keep your shoulders and chest relaxed during this exercise.
Remember to breathe slowly. Do not force your breathing.
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.
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