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Pelvic Floor Issues During and After Pregnancy

To all expectant or postpartum mommies. 

Take care of your pelvic floor! Women who have had multiple births, instrumental births, severe perineal tearing or large babies are often at a greater risk for pelvic floor muscle damage. The pelvic floor muscles can sometimes become too loose and weak.  This is a common problem for women because of pregnancy and childbirth. Pelvic floor dysfunction due to pregnancy and delivery can cause stress incontinence, urge incontinence and/or lower back pain. Extra pressure on the pelvic floor muscles can effect proper function, elasticity and strength of these bands of muscle tissue. Pelvic floor muscles work to support your womb, bladder and bowel. Strain on these muscles can result in pelvic floor dysfunction, bladder leakage, constipation, and sexual dysfunction. However, they can be successfully restrengthened with pelvic floor muscle training. Julie Janes, a pelvic floor physical therapist in Arlington, Va, says, “In France, women receive ten sessions [with a physical therapist] starting in the hospital after every vaginal delivery.” Many women seek pelvic floor physical therapy throughout the duration of their pregnancy and many achieve easier deliveries, faster recovery, and less pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms. Check out the article linked below in the Washington Post. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/a-hidden-epidemic-millions-of-women-suffer-pelvic-floor-disorders-silently/2015/12/22/f5997966-a6d5-11e5-b53d-972e2751f433_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1ff44a6209c9

Fibromyalgia and Physical Therapy

Not long ago Fibromyalgia was little understood or recognized as a medical condition. Today, this condition is now recognized as the second most common arthritis-related disease. The term Fibromyalgia literally means: Fibro – fibrous tissue; my – in muscles; algia – pain. Common symptoms are muscle pain, stiffness, and fatigue. While no cure is known, research has helped piece together methods to manage this disease. 

One of the first recommendations in treatment involves improving the quality of sleep. Helping to relax muscles and remove painful trigger points can help restore normal sleep patterns. Improved sleep increases overall stamina and decreases anxiety levels. 

The second recommendation is low impact exercise. Sufferers can benefit from activities such as walking or swimming. Physically the benefits include increased muscular strength and decreases in muscle micro-trauma. Psychologically, exercise can provide an important sense that the pain can be overcome, and it need not interfere with leading a normal, active life. 

The final recommendation in treating Fibromyalgia is massage. Massage is known to be very important and  assists in the removal of waste from muscles. Massage increases blood flow and nutrient flow through the body resulting in greater availability of oxygen to cells. Massage is known to impact major systems. The circulatory, respiratory, lymphatic, digestive, the immune, and endocrine systems all respond favorably to massage, helping the body to heal faster. Physical Therapists trained in Myofascial trigger point therapy can help greatly reduce pain and tenderness as well as remove trigger points.

Cash Based PT Cost vs Traditional PT

The question is not ‘Will my insurance cover this?’ but ‘Whom can I trust to give me the best care for my money?’ This is the pressing question many are asking themselves more and more as healthcare becomes difficult to afford. Insurance may pay only after deductibles have been met and even then may only pay a percentage of your bill.   

At His Therapy, we are a cash based practice. We believe we can give you more care for less. To understand our value we have put together a chart to demonstrate the affordability of a cash based practice.  

Imagine a practice that doesn’t demand your insurance card and ID before they say hello. Imagine a practice where money doesn’t get in the way of patients getting to know their therapist. 

Remove! Repair! Restore! Replace!

Spring cleaning is important for our homes and families. It can greatly reduce stress, anxiety and even be relaxing to enjoy a clean home. The effort is always worth the end result!

It may also be a good time to think about your gut health. Cleansing your gut can greatly reduce your risks for indigestion, inflammation, discomfort,  pelvic pain, and disease. 

A good diet, Pelvic Floor therapy along with a skilled colonic massage will increase blood flow to organs, muscles and tissues within the body. Research indicates a healthy colon can have major positive effects on your mood, memory, and your immune system. 

Is it time for you to remove, repair, restore and replace not only what is around your home but also what is in your gut? Ask about our gut  cleansing therapy!

Symptoms and Causes of Pelvic Floor Pain

In the US, approximately 15 percent of women report chronic pelvic pain. However, it is not a subject we feel comfortable talking about publicly, so often it can go undiagnosed and untreated. Chronic pelvic pain is pain in the area below your belly button and between your hips that lasts six months or longer. This can be severe and steady pain, intermittent pain, or pressure and cramping within your pelvis. Other symptoms may include pain during intercourse, pain while having a bowel movement or urinating, or pain when sitting for extended periods of time. Chronic pain can make it difficult to sleep, work, or enjoy life. It can also lead to depression and anxiety. Pelvic pain may stem from the musculoskeletal system, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, gynecological, or even psychological factors, so it is important to get evaluated to see what is causing your pain. Pelvic floor physical therapy is a huge component in the treatment of pelvic pain. During treatment, our specialized PT will address the muscular component of pain- teaching you to relax the muscles of the pelvic floor, may provide manual therapy of the pelvic floor muscles, as well perform myofascial release of painful trigger points of pelvic floor when necessary. There are several modalities that can assist in rehabilitation- biofeedback, electrical stimulation, and dilators, to name a few. Also during your visit, your PT will address the behavioral component of your pain- what you eat and drink, as well as bathroom and sleep habits. If you would also like emotional support, His Therapy offers a monthly women’s support group for chronic pelvic pain. Call our office today for more information and to reserve your spot. 864-534-1780.

Pain Cycle

Women, men and children suffer from chronic pelvic pain. It can become something that totally takes over someone’s life and sometimes can lead to further depression, isolation and dysfunction in everyday life.
Chronic pelvic pain is something that I have seen in most of my practice and it is hard breaking how it has affected my patient’s lives. Pelvic floor therapy is an option for treatment and should be considered. Learning how pain affects the muscles is so crucial in the entire rehabilitation process and therapy is a very important part of this education. 

Call today for more information 864-534-1780. 
www.histherapy.net

Maintain Good Bladder Health

Take care of your bladder daily. Eat and drink things  that make your bladder happy! if you are not sure of what those things are then it is time you find out! Call 864-534-1780 and let us help you!

Stop Stress Incontinence!

Stress incontinence (involuntary urinary leakage) is a condition, usually in women, in which you involuntarily urinate when pressure in the abdomen increases. This involuntary leakage may occur while coughing, sneezing, jumping or running as a result of weakened or damaged muscles in the pelvic floor. A statistic from Phoenix Physical Therapy states, “Stress urinary incontinence, the most prevalent form of incontinence among women, affects an estimated 15 million adult women in the U.S.” (“Urinary Incontinence in Women Statistics” n.d.). Many active runners, boot camp members and active women struggle with this condition. Unfortunately, many think a little leaking is normal. A statistic from Phoenix Physical Therapy states, “On average, women wait 6.5 years from the first time they experience symptoms until they obtain a diagnosis for their bladder control problem(s).” People tend to think it will just go away. The problem is that it isn’t like a cold. It won’t go away, it will just escalate.
 
To help prevent stress incontinence healthcare professionals recommend these three basic things, avoid constipation, be careful lifting heavy objects, and exercise with care. These small changes can make a big difference for your pelvic muscles and bladder leakage. It is very important that those who suffer with stress incontinence see a physical therapist trained in pelvic floor therapy. A pelvic floor PT is trained to identify and treat musculoskeletal conditions such as stress incontinence.
 
Office treatments may include learning proper exercise techniques, biofeedback, and more to help prevent stress incontinence. Exercises and muscle training has been proven to work best with patients in order to prevent stress incontinence in place of estrogen therapy, drug therapy, or electrostimulations. Biofeedback machines are used to identify and control the pelvic muscles so people know how to control those muscles. All of these treatments help women learn to control their pelvic muscles and prevent stress incontinence. The American Physical Therapy Association states from a study that, “pelvic floor muscles training and bladder training resolved urinary incontinence in women, as compared to drug therapy, electrostimulation, medical devices, injectable bulking agents, and local estrogen therapy.” Kegel exercises and other exercises that include contracting, holding, and releasing the pelvic floor muscles are the most effective in preventing and treating stress incontinence. Don’t believe that as we get older or because of different conditions, we should learn to live with leakage and stress incontinence.