Pelvic Floor Muscles
Are you pregnant or had a baby and want to learn more about your pelvic floor muscles?
Do you have bladder leakage or a heavy feeling in your vagina?
Are you confident that you know how to contract your pelvic floor muscles correctly?
Pregnancy and childbirth are known to significantly “challenge” our pelvic floor muscles! To prevent concerns in the future, such as bladder leakage or pelvic organ prolapse, it is essential that these muscles (like any other muscle in our body!) are looked after early on.
Research shows that pelvic floor muscle exercises during pregnancy and post birth help prevent bladder leakage. The concern is that research also shows that 50% of women cannot contract their pelvic floor muscles correctly after receiving only written or verbal information. It also shows that 25% of women use a technique that could potentially weaken their pelvic floor muscles. It is therefore an essential life long skill to understand how to contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles.
Unfortunately 1 in 3 women who have ever had a baby leak urine – so you are not alone and research shows we can help!
Common symptoms:
-
Leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise or on your way to the toilet
-
Having to rush to the toilet to pass urine or empty your bowels
-
Having to pass urine frequently
-
Having to wake up several times at night to pass urine
-
A feeling of vaginal laxity, heaviness or bulge
-
Difficulty controlling wind or experiencing vaginal flatus
-
Difficulty controlling your bowel
-
Painful sex
-
Ongoing pelvic, vulval, coccyx, bladder or bowel pain
Possible causes:
-
Pregnancy or childbirth
-
Weak pelvic floor muscles or over-tight pelvic floor muscles
-
Chronic constipation
-
Chronic cough
-
Obesity
-
Strenuous sports or repetitive heavy lifting at work or gym
-
Ageing and menopause
-
Genetic factors
-
Overtraining of core / abdominal muscles
-
Holding tension in the pelvic floor muscles due to stress
What can be done?
-
Research shows that a pelvic floor exercise program is most effective when prescribed under the guidance of a specifically trained physiotherapist rather than following information from a brochure or online.
-
We specialise in pelvic floor muscles so will provide you with a thorough assessment and design a personalised program that will meet your individual needs. We will then guide you along the way whilst remaining discreet at all times.
-
Learn where the pelvic floor muscles are and how to use / relax them
-
Specific exercises will help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
-
Education on how to use these muscles in your daily activities including exercise or at work
-
Advice on preventing further weakness or over-tightness of these muscles