Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Lisa Johnson, PT, DPT, OCS, WCS, CSCS
It’s not uncommon to experience occasional diarrhea or constipation, but what if your symptoms were lingering, or relatively regular occurrences? Over 20% of the population has IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), but that’s not accounting for the nearly 45 million Americans that silently suffer from similar symptoms without ever receiving a clinical diagnosis.
Do you suffer from any of the following symptoms?
• Changes in bowel habits
• Bloating
• Gassiness
• Abdominal Pain
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
If you have any of the above mentioned digestive issues intermittently or of a chronic nature, you may also be prone to develop commonly related conditions, including urinary and fecal incontinence, organ prolapse, and leaky gut, which leads to a plethora of illness throughout the body. The symptoms associated with digestive conditions can occur on a daily basis, and greatly affect a person’s quality of life and wellbeing.
Working towards attaining a healthy gut can help alleviate many of these symptoms, but can be a difficult goal to achieve. You’ve probably never heard of physical therapy for a healthy gut, but Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is a growing specialty that is helping numerous individuals feel better and live a fuller life!
How Physical Therapy Can Aid in Digestive Health Issues
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is a comprehensive approach to relax and/or strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to restore optimal function of the gastrointestinal tract, bladder and rectum, and is a beneficial therapy for both men and women. With digestive disorders, many times, there is muscle tension and/or adhesions within the pelvis and abdominal region. These restrictions, in addition to faulty postures , can affect the intestines, altering proper digestion, motility and defecation. Incorporating myofascial release techniques, visceral manipulation, abdominal massage, electrical stimulation and biofeedback techniques can facilitate improved gastrointestinal motility. These physical therapy interventions, when combined with patient education on self-abdominal massage, stretching and toileting techniques can help many digestive symptoms subside and aid patients in managing their digestive conditions. Incorporating these techniques into your daily routine will help to keep your digestion on track!
Digestive Conditions Commonly Treated at Total Body Physical Therapy
• Abdominal and Rectal Pain
• Constipation and Immotility
• Incomplete Evacuation
• Painful Bowel Movements
• Fecal and Urinary Incontinence
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is a Specialty That Requires Additional Training
Lisa Johnson, PT, DPT, OCS, WCS, CSCS
Dr. Lisa Johnson is a Board-Certified Women’s Health Specialist and Board-Certified Orthopedic Specialist, extensively trained in the management of pelvic floor health. Practicing for over 25 years, Lisa Johnson is an expert in the field of Pelvic Physical Therapy. She can identify the possible generators of pelvic pain, refer to medical specialists for diagnostic testing and treatment, and develop a treatment plan specific to the patient suffering from digestive disorders, which typically includes manual therapy treatment of the pelvis, appropriate exercise, visceral release and both external and internal trigger point release vaginally and/or rectally. Dr. Johnson can determine the specific area of weakness and utilize various methods to retrain these muscles including the use of biofeedback and other internal and external methods.
Total Body Physical Therapy
Total Body Physical Therapy is a center designed around one singular philosophy: Treat the whole person to yield superior results. With this as our guiding principle, we are able to bring balance to your body, to your mind, and to your spirit. The therapists at Total Body Physical Therapy specialize in dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system and pelvic region, including the digestive, urological, colorectal, and reproductive systems of both males and females alike.
Whether you seek our services for the treatment of an injury, general ongoing wellness, or for finely tuned training programs, our philosophy ensures that you will exceed your own expectations and ultimately find Total Body wellness.
To schedule your appointment, please call (941) 203-8705 today!
Total Body Physical Therapy
941-203-8705
www.lisajohnsonphysicaltherapy.com
