Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and Women's Health

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and Women’s Health

by lakecountrypt, January 20, 2015

Pelvic what? Thats right ladies, I’m talking about our Pelvic floor. What is our pelvic floor? Our pelvic floor is consisted of muscle fibers, that span underneath the pelvis. The two muscle fibers are called the levantor ani and the coccygeus muscle. The purpose of the pelvic floor is administering support for the pelvic area; such as the bladder, uterus, intestines, and rectum.

Studies have shown that about one quarter of women are diagnosed with pelvic floor disorder. A pelvic floor disorder is when the muscles of the pelvic floor are weak, compacted, or there is damage to the lower back or joints. When this happens this can be persistently painful, including while having intercourse, pain in the glutes, hips, lower abdomen and lower back, and even pain while sitting. Pelvic floor disorder is usually caused by pregnancy or childbirth, menopause, or obesity.

There are three major different types of pelvic floor disorders, but not limited too: Urinary Incontinence, bowel incontinence, and sexual complications. Urinary Incontinence is when, there is any leakage of urine/ lack of bladder control. Bowel incontinence is when you can’t control your bowel movements, and sexual complications entail pain while having intercourse, and vestibular pain.

The best way to treat Pelvic floor dysfunction is through physical therapy. There are many rehabilitation processes that can be done. We treat patients by manual therapies, postural and therapeutic exercises and electrical stimulation to help relieve the pain that you are feeling. We also have many different techniques to enhance our pelvic floor relaxation training, to help strengthen the muscles. Lastly, another treatment we offer is biofeedback. Biofeedback helps measure the electrical activity of the muscle and gives us data to help determine the guidance you need from your physical therapist.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Canandaigua. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

Relieve Foot Pain without Surgery with Insoles

It’s no surprise that many people suffer through foot pain daily. People are constantly on their feet and running around. Some of the shoes that are sold today provide little to no support which in turn creates foot pain, if not more than you already are experiencing. In order to effectively try and target that pain, doctors recommend being casted for insoles. Whether you’re a very active person or you’re not as much; insoles have different styles for everyone. Not many people know that these insoles are a non-surgical way to relieve some of the pain, if not all of it overtime. These insoles are custom made and mold right to every curve of your foot. Insoles are not to be confused with “shoe inserts.” The difference is that shoe inserts are bought over the counter and not perfectly molded for your feet, while the insoles are usually prescribed by a doctor and crafted specially for your feet. These insoles, also known as orthotics, provide the support that your feet needs.

Depending on the foot condition will affect how long after the patient will feel relief. The most common conditions of foot pain are caused by high arches of the foot, bunions, and arthritis. Even though foot pain is more common among older adults; children and young adults are also great candidates for orthotics to provide shock-absorption and support to cancel out any future problems. The pricing of custom made orthotics are a bit on the expensive side, but doctors highly recommend getting them as an alternative to surgery. Some insurances are also known for covering the full price of the orthotics depending on the diagnosis of the foot. Orthotics are portable and can be used in all different kinds of shoes so you will be getting the most out of your money by using them in a variety of shoes. Depending on how much you use the orthotics will alter how fast they get worn out, however, orthotics are known for lasting quite a while.

Tips on Keeping Warm this Winter

‘Tis the season for the burrs, shivers, and chills. As the temperatures drop, it’s very important that your layers increase and your body heat is maintained. Obviously, we all know you can’t go out in a tank top and flip flops but there are some crucial tips on keeping warm that many of us do not utilize.

We’ll start from head to toe on how to keep yourself in tiptop shape for whatever the weather throws at you.  Although a good winter hat is better than nothing, the myth of heat escaping quickest through your head is false. The amount of skin exposed directly relates to body heat loss, not what area of skin is exposed. A scarf to keep your neck and chest warm is important when breathing in cold air, along with a warm winter coat. Keeping our core warm is the most important part, if your core temperature dips below 98.6, then your body stops sending blood to extremities to preserve heat, causing frostbite. Therefore, make sure you invest in a good insulating coat this season. Next, hands. Did you know mittens actually keep your hands warmer than gloves? Because body heat is shared between all fingers and not divided by glove material, this actually keeps your hands warmer. Sometimes it is hard to keep legs warm. Yes, there are ski pants but they aren’t very functional running around doing daily activities. Instead, think about wearing long johns or leggings under jeans or pants. Tall thick socks will keep your feet warm, again, not the toe socks, regular socks where your toes can share the body heat. And last but not least, boots. Lined boots like Uggs give your feet that extra layer of warmth that sneakers just cannot provide.

        Other tips to keep in mind, stay dry and keep hydrated! If you’re wet, the water evaporates making you colder. If you’re sweaty from the gym or just getting out of the shower make sure you change and dry your hair as soon as possible. Also, water is very good at retaining body heat; make sure to have a tall glass of water before treading out in the cold this winter. Stay safe and stay warm!

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare provides the best physical therapy in Canandaigua.  We offer treat all your Physical Therapy and Sportscare needs.  Call today to schedule your evaluation.