What is the pelvic floor?
Your pelvic floor is the “hammock” of muscles situated in your pelvis. It is this group of muscles that support your pelvic organs, help with your bladder and bowel control and can have an impact on your sexual function and satisfaction.
What are the symptoms of pelvic floor problems?
Problems with your pelvic floor can manifest in many different ways, from not being able to laugh for fear of literally “wetting yourself”, to not enjoying or getting satisfaction from sexual intercourse (male and female). You may think that your level of pelvic floor dysfunction is minor and can be ignored, but how many times do you not have another cup of coffee because you will need to go to the loo again, or do you avoid running or jumping in case you have an accident?
It is (in most instances) a taboo subject. No one wants to admit to having any problems in that area. We all put it down to a specific cause and then just deal with it. This is a huge problem the world over. However it is becoming more recognised and discussed and there are specialists who deal solely with pelvic floor dysfunction and its treatment.
What can I do?
In most instances a few simple exercises can help with your problem. It may take you up to 6 months to feel a significant difference, but it is well worth persevering.
1) Imagine you have a full bladder and are trying to do up a tight pair of jeans. You will feel as though you are lifting and squeezing your inside. Men may be aware of a slight lifting of the scrotum.
2) Breathing normally hold this squeeze for 10 seconds.
3) Move on to 10 rapid squeezes with a 10 second hold for the last squeeze.
As with all exercise they are easier to stick to if you include them in your day, so whenever you see the colour red (traffic lights, fire extinguishers) practice this exercise. Make sure that you keep the exercises up as you may find that when you stop all your problems return.
Resources
There are a some extremely useful websites I have used for information:
This article has been compiled as a guideline only. If you think you have a pelvic floor problem or you are concerned make sure you consult your Doctor. If doing these exercises gives you any pain or discomfort stop doing them and consult your Doctor.
Causes of weak pelvic floor muscles:
The UK Chartered Society of Physiotherapy lists several possible causes of weakness in the pelvic floor:
01: pregnancy and childbirth
02: prostate/pelvic surgery
03: long term conditions or health problems such as a persistent cough or multiple sclerosis
04: obesity
05: constipation or persistent straining to empty the bowel
06: menopause/hormonal changes
07: ageing
08: high impact sports
09: repeated heavy lifting