V. Ways to manage Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (say what?).

Wait. Let’s first define the pelvic floor. Your pelvic floor is comprised of muscles and connective tissues that are attached to your pelvis, as well as the bones at the bottom of your pelvis. Pelvic organs include the urethra, bladder, intestines, and rectum. The female pelvic anatomy includes the uterus, cervix, and vagina. When you have weak pelvic muscles or pelvic floor dysfunction it can negatively impact bowel movements, urination and for women in particular, sexual intercourse. Phew.

Now, for the tough stuff. There are several causes for a weak pelvic floor in women including pregnancy and childbirth, a decrease in estrogen due to age, excessive straining and being overweight. All that said, there is some good stuff. You actually can treat and/or manage pelvic floor dysfunction/weak pelvic muscles in a variety of ways. Here’s how:

KEGEL EXERCISES are the most common way to bolster pelvic floor muscles to either prevent or improve urinary incontinence (involuntary leakage of urine) as well as strengthen the vaginal muscles which can improve sexual function. After 4-6 weeks of daily pelvic strengthening, you should see an improvement. 

Here are five (V.) tips to maximize your KEGEL results:

i. Find the right muscles to engage.

The muscle group that you want to target are the muscles used to stop the urine flow midstream. You don’t however want to do this exercise while urinating because that could increase the risk of a urinary tract infection and other bladder issues. Once you have identified these muscles, you can engage them anytime, anywhere and no-one will know, sitting, standing or lying down.

 ii. Think of Kegel as a form of isometric exercise.

Isometric exercises are moves where you contract a muscle or muscle group and hold it in the same position for the duration of the exercise, like a plank. When doing Kegels, think of isolating your pelvic floor muscles, hold or squeeze, and breathe through the exercise.

iii. Commit to a regular/consistent Kegel routine.

Hold the muscle contraction for 5-10 seconds and then quickly re-engage. Consider doing 10 sets, 3-5x per day. 

iv. Make sure you are doing them correctly.

Ask your doctor to guide you so that you can be sure you are isolating the right muscle group. You can also ask your partner to feel/test the contraction by inserting a finger (or penis) inside your vagina.

v. Incorporate external support or apparatus into your routine.

In some instances, the pelvic floor muscles need something like a personal trainer. Special weighted cones are inserted into the vagina forcing the muscles to contract so the cone doesn’t fall out. Biofeedback and pelvic floor physical therapy can also be beneficial in engaging these muscles.

If Kegel exercises don’t do the trick, here are V. additional ways to manage your weak pelvic muscles:

i. Bladder Control Training + Lifestyle Changes

Timed voiding i.e. urinating/peeing, can also help control bladder leaks as can certain lifestyle adjustments. Lose weight if necessary, avoid alcohol + caffeine and minimize heavy lifting or sudden movements to help reduce involuntary urinary loss.

ii. Medications + Injections

Some medications can help the bladder empty more completely and other medications can help tighten the muscles of the bladder. Local estrogen therapy, around the vagina and urethral tissues, can help in some menopausal women. There are also a variety of different medications that can be injected around the urethra -- the tube that drains the bladder to outside the body-- to tighten it and reduce unwanted leaks.

iii. Vaginal inserts

If a woman has a dropped or prolapsed bladder, then sometimes a pessary, a rigid intravaginal ring device, that is temporarily inserted can restore the normal position of the bladder and reduce leaks.

iv. Electrical Stimulation

There are a variety of nerve stimulation devices that send mild electric currents to the bladder to help with urinary control issues. Electrical stimulation sends a mild current to nerves in the lower back or the pelvic muscles that are involved in urination.

 v. Surgery

In some instances, surgery can improve or remedy bladder control problems.

If you are experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction or bladder issues contact your personal doctor. 

Verbena does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and is not a medical provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.