Pelvic floor disorders result when the muscles and connective tissue within the pelvic cavity weaken, tense, or are injured, and are often perpetuated due to our lack of brain body connection to our pelvic floor. But what are the benefits of seeing a pelvic floor PT, like the one found at Women's+ Health Collective? Here are just a few:
1. Enhanced bowel and bladder control. One of the vital roles of the pelvic floor is bowel and bladder control. A dysfunctional pelvic floor can lead to urinary retention, urgency, frequency, and leaking, as well as fecal incontinence, constipation, diarrhea and bloating. Exercises focused on improving strength and regulating muscle tone and coordination can restore bowel and bladder function.
2. Alleviation of pelvic pain. Pelvic pain can be a debilitating condition. Some of you may experience pain with GYN exams, or with tampon or menstrual cup insertion, or with intercourse. Evidence shows a combination of manual therapy, nervous system re-training, therapeutic exercise and relaxation training can help decrease pelvic discomfort and pain. You can take control of those muscles that are running rogue!
3. Improved pelvic organ support. One of the many functions of pelvic floor muscles is to support the organs of the pelvis such as the bladder, bowel and uterus. When pelvic floor muscles are functioning well, there is a reduced likelihood of pelvic organ prolapse.
4. Prenatal and postpartum support. Maintaining pelvic health throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the initial stages of the postpartum period is essential. Grab your megaphones with us and let's let the world know that every pregnant person can benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy!
5. Restoration of sexual functioning. Here's the thing, sex should never hurt! It shouldn't even just be "meh." Sex should feel good! If you're noticing anything otherwise, a specialty trained pelvic floor PT can help.
So, we know this may sound a little strange if you've not heard of it before. ("I'm going to have a PT working on where?") Yes, sometimes your pelvic floor PT will be doing internal work to get to the muscles that are in spasm. But also, all of those muscles are driven by our posture, breathing and our nervous systems—so it's not always just internal work.
Have you ever said: "I hold my stress in my shoulders"? If so, there's data to prove that you likely also hold stress in your pelvic floor. A trained pelvic floor therapist will help you develop a solid two-way line of communication between your brain and your pelvic floor, so you can take control of those muscles that are running rogue. It's not always about strength, it's often about coordination of the strength you already have. You can control these muscles!
Call Women's+ Health Collective at 616.600.4950 to schedule an appointment with Lily Dawson, DPT.
Courtesy of Women's+ Health Collective.
Photo courtesy of Emily Moelker Photography.
