author: Ivana Juchelková
Painful menstruation, incontinence, migraine. A quarter of women suffer from a pelvic floor disorder, but we cannot always associate its symptoms with this area. Together with a gynaecologist and a physiotherapist, we looked at what pelvic floor dysfunction looks like, how it arises, and effective ways to prevent problems or treat them non-invasively.
Manifestations of pelvic floor dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction is accompanied by a whole range of symptoms, such as back pain, painful menstruation, bloating, constipation and some types of migraines. Very often, women suffer from incontinence, when urine leaks when coughing, sneezing or running. Our sexual health is also affected. Dysfunction can lead to pain and discomfort during sex, and can even be an obstacle to trying to conceive.
Instead of normalizing these issues, let's try to normalize the conversation about pelvic floor complexity, prevention, and education.
Let's not be afraid to talk about problems
Although every fourth woman suffers from a pelvic floor disorder, identifying it can sometimes be difficult. Many of us have learned to live with the various difficulties associated with dysfunction. Talking openly about them is still taboo for some. Asking for help and finding the origin, which is often rooted in the area of the pelvic floor, is not always easy or pleasant for a woman.
Causes of pelvic floor dysfunction
The pelvic floor area is closely connected to the rest of the body. Any load, trauma, but also lifestyle affect its proper function and balance.
- Pregnancy and childbirth represent an intense hormonal and mechanical load for the pelvic floor, which can cause both muscle weakness and overload. After giving birth, women often come to specialists with incontinence and prolapse (descent) of the vaginal walls and organs of the small pelvis, which also bother women after menopause.
- Injuries, especially falls on the coccyx and from a great height, remain painful for a very long time and the muscles of the pelvic floor react to them with increased tension. Active scars after operations in the abdomen and pelvis can also cause problems. Pressure on the pelvic floor area is also exerted by, for example, chronic coughing and lifting heavy loads.
- Imbalance are created by movement stereotypes, such as one-sided load, long-term sitting with one leg crossed, too little or, conversely, too much physical activity. Correct function is also closely related to posture and breathing.
- Bad habits: Harms interrupting the flow of urine or pushing excessively on the toilet. Ideally, we should have our feet supported by a stool to allow for proper relaxation.
- Mental state: The pelvic floor is a stress muscle. Our worries, anxieties and traumas are stored in it.
The best therapy is prevention
Let's take care of our body with love, let's give it regular exercise and fresh air. Let's not forget to rest - the art of stopping and just being is beneficial not only for our pelvic floor. A one tip straight from a sexologist: a natural way to blood and strengthen the pelvic floor area is regular sex - together or alone.
Correct posture is the basis
As a basis for prevention and care of your pelvic floor, try an exercise that helps you with correct posture and breath. It was prepared for you by a physiotherapist focusing on the area of the pelvic floor and urogynecological physiotherapy.
- Stand with your feet on the mat facing the mirror.
- Place your feet about one foot apart.
- Press the heel into the mat, the joint behind the big toe and behind the little finger.
- Lift your toes and place them loosely on the mat.
- Bend your knees slightly, do not buckle them.
- Imagine a small weight on your coccyx that tilts your pelvis flat without contracting your buttocks.
- Feel your lower ribs to the pelvic bones without hunched.
- Shoulder down and head in line with the pelvis.
- Breathe into the lower ribs towards the back and to the sides.
It’s better in twos
Into your care routine, try to include Venus can help balls, an effective and gentle aid for strengthening the pelvic floor. However, muscle activation is not complete without conscious relaxation, which we will cover in more depth in the next article. Together, they help prevent musculoskeletal pain in everyday life, during pregnancy, during and after childbirth.
Be kind to yourself. Engage in activities that make you happy and avoid those that are not pleasant for you.
Professional care tailored to you
If you already know that you suffer from dysfunction, it is advisable to consult a gynaecologist and visit a specialized physiotherapist. To improve the difficulties, only two visits are often enough, where the specialist will put together an individual therapy for you.
The article was created in collaboration with the gynaecologist and sexologist Dr Petra Vrzáčková, Ph.D. and a physiotherapist specializing in the area of the pelvic floor, Mgr. Jana Hubáčková from KINISI.