Problems in the Bathroom or Bedroom? It May Be Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.
If you have trouble urinating or having a bowel movement, or if you experience painful intercourse, it could be pelvic floor dysfunction. According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 24% of U.S. women are affected with one or more pelvic floor disorders. Fortunately, there are many ways to treat pelvic floor dysfunction without needing surgery.
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a layer of muscles and connective tissues that stretches from the pubic bone to the tail bone. The pelvic floor muscles help stabilize your core and assist with essential bodily functions.
What is pelvic floor dysfunction?
“Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when the muscles become weak or stretched out,” said Mark Hoffman, MPT, Service Line Director, Rehabilitation Services and Occupational Health at Penn Highlands Healthcare. “Pelvic floor muscles are like other muscles in the body — they can be weak or strong. When the pelvic floor is strong, it is able to tighten and relax the muscles as needed during urination, bowel movements and sex. But when the muscles become weak, the body has trouble relaxing them, which can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction.”
What are the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?
People with pelvic floor dysfunction often experience problems going to the bathroom, such as:
- Frequent visits to the bathroom
- Frequently starting and stopping while urinating
- Straining or pushing to pass a bowel movement
- Constipation
- Leaking stool
- Leaking urine
- Painful urination
- Unexplained low back pain
- Ongoing pain in your pelvic region, genitals or rectum
In addition to urinary and bowel issues, painful intercourse can be another symptom of pelvic floor dysfunction.
“It is important to note that symptoms can mimic other conditions, such as urinary tract infections, yeast and bladder infections as well as sexually transmitted diseases,” said Mark. “If you experience symptoms of these conditions but diagnostic tests are negative, it may be pelvic floor dysfunction.”
What causes pelvic floor dysfunction?
There are many things that can lead to the weakening of pelvic muscles:
- Weight gain during pregnancy
- Obesity
- Vaginal childbirth
- Chronic constipation
- Chronic coughing
- Weightlifting
- High impact exercise such as running or jumping
- Aging and menopause
- Overuse injuries
- Pelvic surgeries
How is pelvic floor dysfunction treated?
There are many non-surgical treatments that your healthcare provider might recommend. A common treatment is pelvic floor physical therapy, in which you perform exercises that can help relieve symptoms.
Another common treatment is biofeedback, which usually occurs in tandem with physical therapy. During a biofeedback therapy session, your physical therapist will use sensors and video to monitor your pelvic floor muscles as you relax or clench them. This will detect the movement of your anal sphincter and abdominal wall, and using this feedback your physical therapist will show you breathing and relaxation exercises, as well as muscle strengthening exercises, which often help you retrain the movement and coordination of the muscles in your pelvic floor.
Depending on your specific circumstances, your healthcare provider may also recommend medication to keep your bowel movements soft and regular. If physical therapy is not successful, they may also recommend trigger point injections, in which your healthcare provider identifies the specific muscles that are overly tense and injects numbing medications to relax them.
If you are experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction issues, The Rehabilitation Center of Penn Highlands Healthcare locations in DuBois and St. Marys provide pelvic floor dysfunction therapy. In addition the skilled therapists help patients recover from illness, injury and surgery as well as to regain independence after experiencing a disability. Both sites also offer hand therapy, lymphedema management, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, visit www.phhealthcare.org/pelvicfloor.