All About Pelvic Floor Therapy

At The Breast Place, we offer several oncoplastic surgical procedures, such as natural reconstruction, nipple-sparing mastectomy, Hidden Scar™, implant reconstruction, and breast lift with or without reduction. Oncoplastic surgery is distinct from both breast cancer surgery and plastic surgery–though you initially assume oncoplastic surgery to be a mixture of both. Rather, the aim of oncoplastic breast surgery is “to achieve good aesthetic outcomes for women with breast cancers who would have unacceptable outcomes with other BCS techniques, and in addition, enable breast-conserving surgery for larger breast cancers.” While breast cancer surgery prioritizes the eradication of cancerous tissue and plastic surgery prioritizes the cosmetic appearance of the breasts, oncoplastic surgery takes both of these aspects into account when planning for the final outcome. You can find out more information about what to look for in an Oncoplastic surgeon in one of our blogs. 

Before we continue with today’s topic, we’d like to make you aware of what we have to offer at The Breast Place this month. It’s February– The month of love! We’re encouraging you to show yourself some love this month with our specials. This month only, buy one Secret RF package and get 2 laser genesis treatments for free! Secret RF is a microneedling treatment that promotes anti-aging, and laser genesis is a laser treatment that can diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Additionally, we are offering 20% off Hydracool Serum! This serum is great for blemish-prone or irritated skin, and helps lock moisture in! Reach out to us if you have any questions or would like more information!

Today, we’ll be discussing pelvic floor therapy. Pelvic floor therapy refers to a type of physical therapy that focuses on the rehabilitation of muscles in the pelvic floor after dysfunction or injury. This type of therapy can help relieve symptoms such as pain and discomfort that are caused when the muscles of the pelvic floor aren’t working together the way that they should. If you are interested in learning more about pelvic floor therapy, you’re in the right place! Let’s get started.

What is the pelvic floor?

In order to understand pelvic floor therapy, we must first understand the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is made up of muscles that support the urinary and reproductive tracts. Everyone has a pelvic floor, and these muscles also control the bladder and bowels. In women, the pelvic floor keeps the bladder in place in the front and the vagina and rectum in the back. The uterus, an organ in the pelvis, is held in place at the top of the pelvic floor. In men, the pelvic floor helps keep the bladder, bowels, urethra, and rectum in place. The group of muscles in the pelvic floor create a sort of “hammock” across the floor of the pelvis and attach to both the tailbone and pubic bone. 

What is pelvic floor dysfunction?

Pelvic floor dysfunction refers to the inability to relax or coordinate your pelvic floor muscles. When these muscles are unable to relax and can only tighten, it can cause a variety of symptoms, including:

• Constipation
• Frequent urination
• Trouble controlling your bowels or urine, leading to leaks known as incontinence

Causes of pelvic floor dysfunction can vary, and some are unknown. However, some causes may include:

• Traumatic injuries to the pelvic area
• Pregnancy
• Aging
• Overuse of pelvic muscles (such as going to the bathroom too often)
• Pelvic surgery
• Being overweight

Pelvic floor dysfunction and incontinence can also be linked to menopause. Although menopause is a normal part of aging for women, sometimes cancer treatment can put a person into early menopause, which then leads to incontinence. Incontinence affects over 19 million women in the United States– Yet, more than half of these women do not seek help or discuss their concerns with anyone.

How does pelvic floor therapy work?

Traditionally, pelvic floor therapy is performed with a physical therapist. A physical therapist will conduct an assessment, checking your core muscles and asking you to try certain activities and positions to evaluate the coordination of your pelvic floor muscles. Once the severity of your condition is determined, a physical therapy plan that meets your unique needs will be created. Some techniques and exercises incorporated into pelvic floor therapy include trigger point therapy, biofeedback, and kegel exercises. Kegels, in particular, are one of the most common and effective exercises. Kegels involve repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor. By doing this, the muscles become strengthened. 

As technology in our world today continues to advance, new treatments are also popping up. One of these new and innovative technologies is EMSELLA, a chair that utilizes a high-intensity focused electromagnetic wave to create supramaximal contractions within the pelvic floor muscles. EMSELLA effectively treats incontinence and addresses sexual health and wellness concerns. One painless treatment takes as little as 30 minutes and can be done fully clothed! Additionally, a single treatment is the equivalent of doing 12,000 Kegels! Generally, 4 to 6 treatments are recommended, up to 2 times per week. Here at The Breast Place, we are proud to offer EMSELLA as a non-invasive treatment for incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction. If you think you could benefit from pelvic floor therapy, reach out to us today for a consultation! 

As you can see, pelvic floor therapy is an effective way to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, and breakthrough treatments such as EMSELLA are effective and non-invasive ways to take back control of your pelvic floor muscles.

In our last blog, we continued our discussion about common lactation issues. Many women face a variety of challenges when it comes to breastfeeding. For some women, these issues continue even after they stop breastfeeding. In part one of our discussion, we talked about issues such as clogged ducts, mastitis, and soreness. In part two, we engorgement, fungal infections, and low milk supply. If you are interested in learning more about these issues, we encourage you to check out our last two blogs. We also encourage you to check out our aesthetics and wellness clinic, Empower, which is dedicated to helping you feel more confident in your skin. Empower offers injectable treatments such as Botox, and other facial rejuvenation services such as laser treatment and more! Additionally, we strongly encourage you to reach out to us for a consultation if you have any questions or concerns pertaining to our service areas– We are committed to empowering women, and we are proud to offer treatments and products to help you look and feel your best. Thank you for taking the time to read today’s article and we hope you’ll check back in for future posts about treatments, wellness, and more!