Happy Pelvic Floor

Hydrating appropriately helps keep your bladder from getting irritated (irritated bladders can lead to frequent peeing) but it also helps prevent constipation. Constipation can drive support issues through the pelvic floor. Start with small increases reaching for half of your body weight in ounces each day and decrease intake before bed time. Everyone's needs are different at different times in their lives.

Breathing intently with your diaphragm creates a rhythmic pattern throughout our trunk. This movement promotes pelvic floor relaxation and engagement as well as organ mobility and motility.

Check In with your body. Throughout the day, take a moment to assess whether you are clinching or holding these muscles tight for no reason. See if you can release them and relax. Clinching can lead to tightness and eventually possible pelvic pain and dysfunction.

Take Care during times of transition. Our pelvic floors respond to hormone changes. This occurs with menses (periods), times of infertility, during pregnancy, during and after delivery, and with menopause. Stress also weighs in throughout our lives. Some of these changes are natural but some of the experiences or symptoms during these times can be improved or even, in some cases, prevented with the right support from your health care team.

You may be asking, Why is this important?

An unhappy pelvic floor can create urine or even bowel incontinence. This can include peeing a little when you sneeze, laugh, or jump. It can also be increased urgency to pee like right when you get home or hear water running. An unhappy pelvic floor may not support your pelvic organs as well and you may experience a feeling of heaviness. Furthermore, an unhappy pelvic floor can cause pain with intimate activities or even decreased desire or satisfaction.

You may also wonder, Why Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

This is a lot of information. The functions of our pelvic floor are complicated. There are many functions happening in a small space simultaneously that are controlled and affected by different systems throughout our body and our environment. Do not simply do KEGEL exercises and think that this will cure all of your ailments. (A post for another day). Seek a professional with the proper training to support you. There are many names: Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, Women's Health Physical Therapist, or Abdominal-Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists. They are all simply, physical therapists who have received extra training in how our body systems work as a whole with the goal of improving complaints concerning the pelvic floor.

Here at the Healthy Conversations Blog we talk about many therapy services, symptom presentations, prevention, and varying treatment options. The goal is to arm you with some knowledge to start a conversation with your healthcare providers. This Blog is not meant to be personal medical advice. Discussions solely involve our educated opinions. Every person’s health journey is different, and a full assessment would be recommended before prescribing any form of treatment.

Reach out to Heather@MagnoliaMovementPT.com for questions.