Acupuncture and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic Pain Disorders consist of a wide range of problems that affect multiple facets of a person's quality of life. Since acupuncture works on many level simultaneously, many of the problems that comprise this disorder can be address in a single session.
Acupuncture can affect Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in three separate ways, all of which can be components in a single treatment session.
From a symptomatic point of view, many of the problems that manifest as part of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction are common ailments that are regularly treated by acupuncture. Problems such as incontinence, pelvic pain, IBS, vulvodynia, cystitis, genital pain, urinary or bowel burning, frequency or retention, constipation, and diarrhea are routine ailments treated by acupuncturists.
Pelvic Floor dysfunction has an integral relationship with the structure of the musculoskeletal system. In some patients, problems in the musculoskeletal system can be the underlying origin of their complaint. Tight or weak muscles and/or structural misalignments create imbalances in muscle tone which then lead to further postural asymmetries. Trigger points in the Abdominal, Iliopsoas and External Oblique muscles cause vaginal, labial and groin pain as well as constipation; in Quadratus Lumborum, can cause internal pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, pain in the perenium, testicular and genital pain and well as cause constipation or diarrhea; tight Hamstrings are associated with pain in the Obturator Internus; the Adductors refer pain to the groin; the Piriformis and Gluteal muscles when tight can compress the Pudendal Nerve. When the trigger point is "dry needled" by acupuncture, this mechanically disrupts the integrity of the dysfunctional endplates within the trigger area, and results in mechanical and physiological resolution of the trigger points.
Lastly, in Traditional Chinese Meridian theory, the external and internal genitals are traversed by a number of channels: the Liver or Foot Jueyin channel, the Spleen or Foot Taiyin channel, and the Kidney or Foot Shaoyin channel. Thus genital pain, both internal and external can be accessed from reflex points along these channels. Points along the shin, at the ankle and on the medial knee can be used to affect and decrease both genital pain and pain in the perineum.
A treatment regime consisting of regular Acupuncture Treatments in combination with Physical Therapy is the ideal approach for chronic Pelvic Floor Problems.
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