Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction is a common condition in which you are unable to properly relax and coordinate the muscles of your pelvic floor when urinating or defecating. If you are a woman, you may also have pain during sex, and if you are a man, you may have trouble getting or keeping an erection (erectile dysfunction or ED).
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvis houses organs such as the bladder, uterus and vagina (in women), prostate (in men), and rectum, and the pelvic floor muscles serve as a support structure that holds everything in your body in place.
Causes of pelvic floor dysfunction
The full causes of pelvic floor dysfunction are still unknown. But a few of the known factors include:
- Traumatic injuries to the pelvic area (like a car accident)
- Pregnancy
- Overusing the pelvic muscles (like going to the bathroom too often or pushing too hard), eventually leading to poor muscle coordination
- Pelvic surgery
- Obesity
- Advancing age
Pregnancy and pelvic floor dysfunction
Pregnancy is a common cause of pelvic floor dysfunction. Often, women suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction after giving birth. Their pelvic floor muscles and tissues can become overworked during pregnancy, especially if labor was long or difficult.
Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction
Any person with pelvic floor dysfunction may experience a combination of symptoms in varying degrees of severity. Symptoms include:
- You need to go to the bathroom frequently. You may also feel that you have to ‘force’ yourself to go, or you may have to stop and start again several times.
- Constipation or a distressing pain during bowel movements.
- Leaking stool or urine (urinary or fecal incontinence).
- Painful urination.
- Lower back pain that has no other cause.
- Persistent pain in the pelvic area, genitals, or rectum – with or without a bowel movement.
Treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction
Fortunately, pelvic floor dysfunction can be treated relatively easily in many cases. Pelvic floor dysfunction is usually treated without surgery. Treatments include:
- Pelvic floor physical therapy – Physiotherapy is usually performed at the same time as biofeedback therapy. The therapist determines which muscles in your lower back, pelvis and pelvic floor are really tight and teaches you exercises to stretch those muscles to improve their coordination.
- Relaxation techniques –Your physiotherapist might also recommend you try relaxation techniques such as meditation, warm baths, yoga and exercises, or acupuncture.
- Biofeedback – This treatment uses special sensors and video to monitor your pelvic floor muscles as you try to relax or tighten them.
- Medications: Daily medications that help to keep your bowel movements soft and regular are a very important part of treating pelvic floor dysfunction.
Treatment at A7 Health for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction:
Get Physiotherapy – Book an appointment with a Physiotherapist at A7 Health who will assess you in a 45 minute consultation and provide treatment alongside a treatment plan to reduce and manage your pain, and correct the dysfunction. Some of the treatments include:
- Lower back mobility exercises.
- Massage for pain relief.
- Mobilisations on any stiff joints such as your hips, lumbar spine joints or the sacroiliac joint (SIJ).
- Pelvic floor strengthening exercises.
- Strengthening exercises for your abdominal muscles.
Join an exercise class (with a Biokineticist) – Moderate exercise, such as walking, has been shown to help relieve back and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Stretching can help relieve sore muscles. Join an exercise class led by an A7 Health Biokineticist who will teach you exercises that will strengthen and relax muscles and help you to reduce the likelihood of pain during your pregnancy. These exercises will also help you with delivery and recovery after you give birth.