A Pelvic floor refers to a collection of muscles and ligaments in the pelvic region. It consists of the muscles that support the urinary and reproductive tracts. The pelvic floor acts as a sling to hold up various organs in the pelvis, such as the bladder, rectum, uterus, or prostate. Contracting and relaxing these muscles is essential. It permits you to regulate your bowel movement, urination, and sexual intercourse.

When pelvic floor muscles experience extreme tension, it leads to pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor dysfunction is a popular condition. It occurs due to the inability to control the pelvic floor’s muscles. The condition is more prevalent in females than in males.

A third of women experience an issue with their pelvic floor at some point during their life. If you are suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, your body tends to tighten the pelvic floor muscles instead of relaxing them. It can lead to discomfort, long-term colon damage, or infection if not diagnosed.

Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms can be different for males and females. However, most symptoms tend to be the same. So, how do you know you are suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction? Some of the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include:

• Urine incontinences
• Difficulty having bowel movements
• Discomfort during sex in women
• Pain in the lower back, pelvic region, genitals, or rectum
• Experiencing the need to force out urine or feces
• Stopping and starting in the middle of urinating
• Leakage of urine or feces
• Erectile dysfunction in males
• Feeling like your bowel movements are incomplete

Causes of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Although the research on the exact causes of pelvic floor dysfunction is still ongoing, various things trigger this condition. Some of them include:

• Distressing injury to the pelvic area
• Muscles strain during pregnancy, especially due to prolonged labor
• Overworking the pelvic muscles. For instance, frequent bathroom visits or pushing too hard. This can lead to compromised muscle coordination.
• Obesity
• Genetics
• Advancing age
• Pelvic surgery

What to Avoid

Sometimes, suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction can be distressing. This is because you are usually limited in what you can do. For instance, if you’ve previously suffered pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, or challenges with bowel control, it can be frustrating as you try to embark on your daily activities without aggravating your symptoms. Living a full, fulfilling life with PFD is crucial. But, getting involved in activities that exasperate your disorder can lead to more detrimental effects. Below are some things to avoid with pelvic floor dysfunction.

Avoid Straining Exercises

The ultimate goal for treating pelvic floor dysfunction is to relax the pelvic floor muscles. This is to enhance bowel movement and to offer more control.

Avoid selecting a workout that entails heavy-lifting, such as Crossfit. Also, avoid those which will strain your pelvic floors, such as repetitive jumping, running, or plyometrics. This is because activities involving such intense pressure can worsen your PFD.

While working out, you can select less strenuous exercises like restorative yoga, walking, and other less involving exercises. Such exercises will not increase the tension or exert pressure on your pelvic floor.

Avoid Overusing your Bladder

Train your bladder to hold the pee for a long time to avoid frequenting the bathroom several times. You can plan to have a bathroom trip after every three to four hours. As time progresses, you will realize that your bathroom trips have reduced. You can urinate even larger amounts. If you are not certain whether you are releasing a full bladder, count how long you urinate.

Avoid Food that will Cause Pain in the Pelvic Floor Region

Keep away from food that can cause the bladder and other pelvic floor organs to become irritated. Such food includes caffeinated beverages, alcohol, highly acidic fruits, veggies, spicy food, carbonated beverages, spicy food, unnatural sugars, and sweeteners. Instead, incorporate a well-balanced diet that will aid indigestion. For example, drink plenty of water and use herbal/caffeine-free teas, low-acidic fruits, veggies, and apricot. Also, use specific spices such as turmeric, garlic, ginger, and lemon zest.

Don’t Self Diagnose

If you suspect you are suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, it is imperative not to self-diagnose. This is because you might be suffering from more serious conditions.

Numerous treatment options will suit your lifestyle and diagnosis. First, you need to look for a urogynecologist to examine your need and recommend a viable treatment option. Some of the diagnosis options include physical therapy, pessaries, medicine, or surgery. A more common treatment for this condition is pelvic floor physical therapy.

This treatment approach uses the fundamentals of physical therapy. This helps to offer a well laid, productive, and safe reconditioning of pelvis floor muscles. When you embark on pelvic floor therapy, a physical therapist will inquire about symptoms and assess the muscles to find out how strong they are.

Your physical therapist will also make you get involved in particular activities. Also, certain positions to evaluate the coordination of your pelvic floor muscle.

Pelvic floor physical therapy targets the pelvic floor muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues. It helps restore sexual arousal and orgasm. It also helps in bladder and bowel control when done successfully.

The treatment aims at promoting the strength and function of pelvic floor muscles. This helps to get rid of pain, weakness, and dysfunction in the muscles.

Pelvic floor physical therapy helps solve various problems. For instance, urinary incontinence, painful urination, bladder, and bowel movements. Also, fecal incontinence, constipation, vaginismus, menopause symptoms.

An overwhelming majority of people are not able to follow instructions already put down. It is imperative to consult an expert or look for a physiotherapist to help you get the correct plan of action.

Summing Up

Pelvic floor dysfunction can affect anyone. However, some people are more susceptible than others. For instance, pregnant women are more vulnerable and should take high caution. The different types of pelvic floor dysfunction emanate from various causes. The doctor should examine the underlying problem before coming up with a treatment plan. There are several ways to diagnose the issue. Your doctor will advise depending on the cause and the magnitude of the disease.