Many women deal with urinary incontinence, pelvic pain and bowel problems. Women experience many types of issues in their life that may cause pelvic floor muscle tension, incoordination and weakness such as childbirth, chronic constipation, pregnancy, surgery, chronic coughing, trauma and aging. There are also many myths out there about women’s health and we are going to bust and address two of those below.
Myth 1: Urinary Incontinence is just a part of getting older
Truth: Urinary Incontinence can be a symptom of a larger issue.
Have you ever coughed, sneezed or laughed and a small quality of urine leaks out? This is called stress incontinence and many joke around and call them “squirts”. However according to the experts this is not at all normal, even after having kids.
Urinary Incontinence can be one of many symptoms that can lead to other issues that worsen as women get older. Pain in the lower back and elsewhere along with urinary incontinence can signal an alarm that the abdomen and the pelvic floor, which holds your uterus and bladder in place above your vagina, have been compromised. At Oklahoma Physical Therapy, our specialized women’s health physical therapist can help treat these symptoms through treatment plans that focus on the abdomen, pelvic floor, lower back, diaphragm as well as other areas.
Myth 2: Kegel exercises improve intercourse.
Truth: If done incorrectly Kegels can actually make things worse
Many women to not understand their pelvic floor. Did you know the pelvic floor is comprised of 14 muscles and they each have different tightness and weakness? Kegel exercises contract and relax the muscles of the pelvic floor.
The important thing to remember with Kegel’s is to identify the right muscles to contract and relax. By tightening all of your muscles can lead to further problems. However too much weakness that is commonly encountered after C-Sections and vaginal births can create a different problem. The pelvic floor of the woman has a mix of weakness and tightness. There are several problems that can be caused by pelvic floor dysfunction such as GI, back pain, vaginal pain, hip, urethra pain, constipation, urinary frequency and incontinence. At Oklahoma Physical Therapy, our specialized women’s health physical therapist will address the problems by properly diagnosing which muscles are compromised and create a customized treatment plan.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction is not a laughing matter and you are never too old to address these issues and correct them before other health issues arise. Contact Oklahoma Physical Therapy at www.oklahomapyshicaltherapy.com today to set up an appointment to meet with our trained women’s health physical therapist and create the best treatment plan for you.