Pelvic Health awareness, for women AND men!
We are all born with a pelvic floor.
A common misconception is that women are the only individuals that need to concern themselves with pelvic floor health. Regardless of gender, we are all born with a pelvic floor that needs to be cared for just like every other part of our body. The pelvic floor is the muscle and connective tissue from the back to the front of the pelvis. It is responsible for helping in core strength, supporting your urinary and reproductive organs and in sexual activity. Some people are genetically predisposed to developing pelvic floor issues. Other reasons you may experience pelvic dysfunction include traumatic injury, pregnancy, overuse, obesity, and simply ageing. It is important that we all pay attention to the possibility of pelvic floor dysfunction as it presents itself in various ways.
COMMON PELVIC FLOOR ISSUES FOR MEN AND WOMEN
Leaking urine
Chronic pelvic pain
Pain with sex
Overactive bladder
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Interstitial Cystitis (IC)
Painful Bladder Syndrome
Constipation
Fecal incontinence
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Endometriosis
Radical prostatectomy/Partial prostatectomy
Epididymitis
Bladder control could be seen as one of the most common signs of a pelvic floor issue. Many women leak urine after giving birth because of the trauma to the pelvic floor, however, it is not normal to leak urine after three months postpartum. It’s also common for urine leakage to happen with age, but it’s not normal and should be addressed by a health care professional.
Another common indication of a pelvic floor issue is pain during sex. At any age sex can be painful for a variety of reasons, but it doesn’t have to be. For women, most doctors recommend avoiding sexual activity for six weeks postpartum; be sure to ask your midwife or O.B. Correcting pelvic floor dysfunction can help both men and women experience less or even no pain during sexual intercourse.
Kegels are a great way to exercise pelvic floor tissue, but they can make your dysfunction worse. A lot of people already have an overactive pelvic floor that’s causing their dysfunction so adding Kegel exercises won’t repair that damage. In addition, most people aren’t doing Kegels correctly which, again, can do more harm than good.
A properly functioning pelvic floor can be ensured by:
Regular physicals with your family doctor
Assessing pain, there should be none
Urinating 8-10 times/day
Regular bowel movements
If you are experiencing any irregularities in your pelvic floor, there are several treatment options available. Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy is one that can be done internally or externally.
OTHER POSSIBLE TREATMENTS
Strengthening
Muscle co-ordination
Manual therapy
Biofeedback
Electronic muscular stimulation
Relaxation exercises/meditation/stress reduction
Lifestyle modifications
Stretches
Novel movements
Education
Depending on your condition, a specific treatment plan would be implemented after evaluation. It is important for both women and men to acknowledge their discomfort and understand that they don’t have to live with it, there are options for relief.