Targeted physical therapy treats pelvic muscles, alleviates symptoms.
CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio, April 30, 2013 - Pelvic floor conditions such as pain or incontinence can limit physical and social activities and have a negative impact on intimacy, relationships and overall quality of life. In the past, patients who wanted relief only had surgical or pharmaceutical options. Now, Lake Health's Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Program is offering specialized physical therapy for pelvic conditions to alleviate symptoms and improve function.
Pelvic floor rehabilitation is designed to restore proper function to the pelvic floor, which is comprised of a group of muscles, ligaments and nerves that form a sling across the opening of a women's pelvis. These muscles help support the bladder and rectum, help control urine and stool and maintain sexual function.
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 24 percent of women are affected by pelvic floor disorders. Muscles in the pelvic floor naturally grow weaker as women age, with pregnancy and obesity speeding the process. Childbirth may also stretch or damage the muscles. The result can be pain, incontinence-leakage of urine or stool-or pelvic organ prolapse in which pelvic organs descend into the vagina.
Specialized team focuses on improving quality of life for patients facing serious, progressive illnesses.
CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio, April 25, 2013 - Seriously ill patients and their families face a myriad of challenges including managing pain, understanding complex disease processes and coping with the associated fear and anxiety. Now Lake Health is offering a Palliative Care program to provide comprehensive care for the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of patients and families at any stage of a serious or life-threatening illness.
"The goal is to optimize quality of life for our patients," said Thomas Eiswerth, M.D., board certified in hospice and palliative medicine and medical director of the Palliative Care Program at Lake Health. "We focus on caring for the whole person-body, mind, and spirit-to prevent or ease pain, manage symptoms and stresses and facilitate understanding of treatment choices, all while providing patients and families with guidance and support."
Palliative care - from the Latin "palliare," meaning "to cloak" - grew out of the hospice movement that began in the 1970s. While hospice care is reserved for patients with fewer than six months to live, palliative care can be offered to patients as soon as they are diagnosed with a chronic or life-threatening illness or undergoing curative treatments, such as chemotherapy.
"Palliative care is about living and staying active," explained Dr. Eiswerth. "We combine the most progressive pharmacological therapies with integrative medicine, such as massage and music therapy, to help patients maintain the most comfortable, independent life possible."
