If you’re not exactly sure what your pelvic floor is, you’re not alone. “It was never talked about during my generation,” said Robyn Faye, MD, an OB-GYN and member of HealthyWomen’s Women’s Health Advisory Council. “That’s why women my age come in and have problems and all they know is Kegel exercises; they don’t know anything else.”
This is a problem for several reasons. Think of your pelvic floor as a superhero cape inside your pelvis. It extends from the front pubic bone to the tailbone and to both sides of the pelvis. Protects organs such as the bladder. And every time you hold your pee long enough to get to the bathroom, your pelvic floor flexes for you.
But if you don’t know much about your pelvic floor, where to start? “It needs to be presented to you as if it were a normal part of your body,” Faye said. “Everyone needs to know about the pelvis and everyone needs to be interested in taking care of it.”
Here’s what you need to know and how to keep your pelvic floor strong and healthy while age.
What are the pelvic floor muscles?
The pelvic floor is a hammock-shaped set of muscles that support the pelvic organs, including the urethra, bladder, small intestine, and intestines. These muscles also support the vagina and uterus.
You’ve probably heard of the core muscles, and the pelvic floor forms the basis of this muscle group that attaches to the spine and pelvis and gives stability to the body.
What does your pelvic floor do?
In addition to supporting and protecting the pelvic organs, the pelvic floor is responsible for key bodily functions, including controlling when to urinate, defecate, and fart.
Muscles also tense and relax during sexual intercourse, when you have an orgasm, and during childbirth.
The pelvic floor muscles can weaken over time due to age, health conditions, or injuries, which can lead to problems such as bladder leaks and prolapse. Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) occurs when the pelvic organs droop and can bulge into the vagina due to a weak pelvic floor.
Read: Prolapse changed my life for the better >>
To further complicate matters, your pelvic floor muscles may be weak because they are too loose or too tight. TO hypertonic pelvic floor It is when your muscles are in a constant state of contraction and cannot relax. This can cause frequent urination, pain during sex, pain when using a tampon, and POP, among other problems. If a prolapse occurs, you may need pelvic floor therapy, an insertable device called a pessary, and/or surgery, and/or depending on your symptoms.
For people going through menopause, a lack of estrogen can cause the vagina to dry out, which can lead to painful intercourse and affect the pelvic floor. Faye said topical estrogen creams can help and there are also new innovations people can try. Research has found that red light therapy can stimulate blood flow in the vagina and help create a stronger pelvic floor.
Read: Menopause can be a real pain in the vagina >>
How can you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles?
Many different factors can affect your pelvic floor. These may include:
- The pregnancy
- Have a vaginal birth
- Aging
- Straining when pooping
- Living overweight or obese
- Trauma and/or stress
You may need to train your pelvic floor if you notice changes in what’s going on down there. Symptoms may include:
- Leaking urine when laughing, coughing or sneezing
- Have a strong need to urinate
- dripping poop
The good news is that you can strengthen your pelvic floor with Kegel exercises, a simple squeeze-and-release muscle training technique.
First, to feel your pelvic floor muscles, avoid urinating while you’re mid-urinate (do this only once or twice to help identify the muscles; it’s not good for your bladder to do this regularly). You may feel your pelvic floor muscles tighten during this time. Once you’ve identified the muscles, try this pelvic floor exercise:
- Start with an empty bladder
- Contract your pelvic floor muscles and count to 10
- Relax for 10
- Do 10 sets, 3 to 5 times a day.
People often perform these exercises incorrectly, so you may want to consider seeing a pelvic floor therapist for training to make sure you are performing the exercises correctly. If you do them incorrectly, they can actually do more harm than good.
There are also ways to strengthen beyond Kegel exercises. You can also simply focus on strengthening your core with exercises and breathing techniques.
Faye recommended talking to your OB-GYN about methods that can help, including vaginal rods to help relax your pelvic floor muscles or vaginal suppositories, and working with a pelvic physical therapist to find what works best for your pelvic floor. She also noted that working with a therapist before and after pregnancy can help people maintain a healthy pelvic floor and possibly avoid complications that can occur during childbirth.
What is pelvic floor therapy?
Pelvic floor therapy involves seeing a pelvic physical therapist to help strengthen, rehabilitate and/or relax the muscles depending on the condition. Therapy may include the use of weighted belts and breathing exercises.
Faye said many women don’t even know pelvic floor therapy is an option, but it is becoming more popular. If she thinks she may have pelvic floor dysfunction, talk to her OB-GYN to help you find a therapist. But keep in mind that her insurance may not cover it. “Insurance companies will cover physical therapy if you break a bone, but I have found that pelvic floor therapy is rarely covered,” Faye said. “Many women can benefit from pelvic floor therapy.”
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