Your pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in bladder and bowel control. When they weaken, various issues can develop, including incontinence (urinary and fecal), painful sex, and prolapse.
A proactive pelvic health approach offers many advantages. It focuses on physical function, mindset, nutrition, and sleep.
Prevention
One of the most important things to remember about proactive pelvic health is that prevention is critical. It’s the best way to lower your risk of suffering from pain and symptoms in the future.
It’s also a great way to reduce your chances of getting a disease or condition in the first place. It’s what many health professionals call preventive medicine.
The research term’ prevention’ describes a range of strategies that aim to decrease the likelihood of an individual experiencing a health problem or illness and to support people who already have those problems to manage them effectively so they don’t get worse.
Prevention can mean avoiding developing these conditions in women with pelvic floor disorders or seeking medical intervention sooner when they become present. This is especially true in the case of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, where these disorders can lead to severe and life-threatening consequences if not treated.
Early Detection
Proactive pelvic health is taking action before you experience a problem. Then, just like spotting cancer early, it can save lives.
The benefits of proactive care include the following:
- Improving strength and function.
- Reducing the risk of future complications.
- Helping you better understand your body and what it needs.
It also lets you know how your diet, sleep, and lifestyle impact your pelvic health.
As a pelvic floor physiotherapist, I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen clients with incontinence and pain only to have the symptoms disappear after treatment. I believe this is because it takes time to develop the muscle and tendons in your pelvic floor.
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, having a practical physical function and being more educated about your body are the best ways to prevent pelvic health problems. Physiotherapy is a great way to do this, especially when combined with the Four Corners of Health approach.
Prevention of Incontinence
When the bladder, urethra, and pelvic floor work properly, you have time to go to the bathroom before urinating. You also don’t leak urine when you do.
The good news is that incontinence can be prevented, and it doesn’t have to be a life-changing problem. Several ways to reduce risk include avoiding drinking too much fluid and reducing caffeine and alcohol.
You can also learn to empty your bladder regularly (called timed voiding). It would help if you practiced this habit at home, and it can help prevent leaks during activities.
Changing your diet may also help with incontinence. For example, cut down on foods high in sugar and eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
It’s also important to keep an honest journal of how often you need to urinate and when your leaks occur. This can help your doctor figure out the root of the problem and what type of incontinence you have.
Talking to your doctor about the best way to reduce your risk of urinary or fecal incontinence is essential. Treatment options include medication, lifestyle changes, and surgery.
Preventing Prolapse
Prolapse is the sagging or drooping of one or more pelvic organs (uterus, bladder, and bowel). It can be caused by many factors, including:
Weight: Women who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of prolapse. This is because excess body fat puts more pressure on the vaginal walls.
Smoking: Chronic smoking increases the risk of prolapse by increasing strain and stress on the vaginal wall and pelvic floor.
Physical activity: Regular physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight, reduces straining, and encourages regular bowel movements.
Pelvic muscle exercises: Kegels strengthen or retrain the pelvic floor muscles.
Taking hormones: Hormones can help to support your pelvic floor.
Surgery: People with a hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus) or a difficult birth are at an increased risk of prolapse.
Preventing prolapse involves a combination of lifestyle and medical interventions. These include:
Preventing Pain
A healthy pelvic floor is one in which the muscles, organs, and ligaments in the pelvis are working together correctly. When a woman has these muscles in excellent condition, she isn’t experiencing pain or discomfort and doesn’t have other symptoms like incontinence or prolapse.
There isn’t a single cause of pelvic dysfunction, but many factors contribute to its development. These include pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and aging.
However, these factors can be reduced or eliminated if proactive steps are taken. This means being more aware of your body, eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, and taking care of your overall health.
In addition, avoiding stressors that negatively impact your body is essential to preventing pain in the pelvic area. This includes minimizing time sitting and getting enough sleep.