Pelvic Floor Testing

What is pelvic floor testing?

Pelvic floor testing can identify many pelvic floor disorders that cause pain, incontinence, and other symptoms that interfere with your quality of life. 

You might need pelvic floor testing if you have issues like:

• Constipation
• Chronic diarrhea
• Pelvic pain
• Tailbone pain
• Fecal or urinary incontinence 

Southwest Surgical Associates provides advanced testing services on-site to identify what’s causing your symptoms. The surgeons can also use your test results to determine how to treat your condition. 

What pelvic floor testing services are available?

The surgeons at Southwest Surgical Associates offer comprehensive, in-office pelvic floor testing services, including:

Electromyography (EMG) and pudendal nerve motor latency testing

An EMG uses small doses of electricity delivered through a needle to evaluate the function of several nerves in the anal sphincter and pelvic floor.

Pudendal nerve testing focuses on assessing the function of the pudendal nerve, a major nerve in your pelvic region that provides sensations to your genitals.

How are pelvic floor disorders treated?

If testing reveals a pelvic floor disorder, Southwest Surgical Associates customizes a care plan to treat it. 

Initially, your treatment may involve dietary changes to increase your intake of fluids and fiber to make bowel movements easier. Your provider may also inject anti-inflammatory medications or an anesthetic into your pelvic floor muscles to relieve symptoms.

Rarely is surgery necessary for pelvic floor disorders unless you have pelvic prolapse, a condition where your pelvic organs fall out of position because of weakness in your pelvic muscles. You may need surgery to improve the strength of your pelvic muscles to support your pelvic floor organs. 

Surgery is also available to treat large rectoceles in women, a condition where the tissues between the rectum and vagina weaken and allow the rectum to protrude through the vagina.

To learn more about the benefits of pelvic floor testing, call the Southwest Surgical Associates office near you or book an appointment online today.

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