Over the past decade, public awareness about pelvic floor health has increased significantly. Whereas the majority of patients might not have been familiar with pelvic floor health ten or twenty years ago, many patients today are actively seeking treatment for and education about pelvic floor issues.
At Fit4Life Physiotherapy in Winnipeg, pelvic floor physiotherapy is one of our areas of expertise. We understand all too well the pain and frustrations that can impact your quality of life when you have pelvic floor concerns. We use a range of innovative treatment approaches and techniques to help our patients resolve them. Our focus is on education, hands-on care, and exercise prescription.
Often, pelvic floor disorders result from pelvic floor muscles that have become weak or tight over time or due to a specific injury or event (childbirth being a common trigger).
All muscles in the body tense in response to protect an area from threat or increased strain. In the specific case of pelvic floor muscles, this threat or increased strain could be a low back injury, pregnancy, sexual abuse, postpartum recovery, abdominal surgery, too challenging of a workout, menopause, and so on.
A tight muscle is a weak muscle. This is due to the “length-tension relationship”; the microfibres of the muscle cannot pull on each other properly as they are all squished together. The soft tissue release of the muscles and passive stretching by your pelvic floor therapist can help your strength immediately. We then coach you with exercises and education on how to maintain these results.
Common Types of Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunctions:
Pelvic floor dysfunction is an umbrella term that refers generally to the dysfunction of the pelvic floor musculature.
Incontinence is the loss of bowel or bladder control.
Types of urinary incontinence include:
Stress incontinence: Loss of urine by coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or lifting something heavy.
Urge incontinence: You have a sudden, intense urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine.
Mixed incontinence: This is a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse is a type of pelvic floor dysfunction.
The bladder, uterus, and rectum are the pelvic floor organs. Prolapse typically happens as a result of 1 but more commonly 2+ vaginal deliveries due to the strain on the ligaments that support the pelvic organs and the increased workload the pelvic floor muscles have to do to accommodate. Not to mention, the muscles can have even a harder time compensating when tearing has occurred.
Pelvic Pain is another type of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Pelvic pain or discomfort can range from mild to severe and may be particularly noticeable in certain positions or during specific physical activities, including sexual intercourse.
You may experience difficulty or discomfort when voiding your bowels or bladder. Common issues may include constipation, feeling the frequent urge to urinate, and/or pain when urinating.
Other Factors Contributing to Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction:
- Nerve damage in the pelvic region disrupts muscle signals and causes spasming.
- Pelvic floor muscle irritation can come from an inflammatory reaction or infection, such as a urinary tract infection or interstitial cystitis (bladder pain).
- Emotional stress that is stored in the pelvic floor muscles causes tightening and spasms.
- Pelvic floor muscles that are overworked due to pelvic organ prolapse (bladder, uterus, and/or bowels).
- Underlying conditions include endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome and more.
At Fit4Life Physiotherapy, our qualified and compassionate physiotherapists will get to the source of the problem with their thorough assessment. We will educate, treat, and supply you with exercises and techniques to gain and maintain your pelvic floor health.
Your Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Session and What To Expect:
Your treatment will consist of
- Manual therapy (hands-on muscle release and passive stretching)
- Education on proper kegel contraction and relaxation
- Education on lifestyle modifications and tips to manage your symptoms
- Exercise prescription
- And more!
“You can’t strengthen a muscle when it is tight, so to just do your Kegels/pelvic floor muscle contractions if this is the case will not help and may hinder” – T. Sloane (Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist)At Fit4Life Physiotherapy, our highly trained and experienced team of physiotherapists is proud to offer Winnipeggers pelvic floor physiotherapy services that truly resolve pelvic floor issues from the core. To heal pelvic floor dysfunction and improve your quality of life, book an appointment today!