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Understanding Pelvic Floor Difficulties
Difficulty controlling the bladder or bowel functions, a condition called incontinence, or pain in the pelvic area, is often the result of weak pelvic muscles. Weak pelvic muscles can lead to a loss of support for the abdominal organs and possible collapse of these organs through the pelvic floor.
If you experience bladder or bowel incontinence or pelvic floor weakness you
are not alone. More than 12 million people – 80% of them women – suffer the embarrassment
and inconvenience of these conditions. Surprisingly the average person waits
eight years before seeking treatment.
Treatment is available close to home at St. Rita’s Medical Center. St. Rita’s
now provides the most advanced technologies and strategies for the treatment
of bowel and bladder incontinence and pelvic floor weakness. The Pelvic Floor
Clinic provides non-surgical treatment provided by a physical therapist.
Who can benefit from treatment?
Various events including childbirth, abdominal surgeries and aging can cause
problems with the pelvic floor muscles. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you may benefit from an evaluation in St. Rita’s
Pelvic Floor Clinic.
- Do you leak urine when sneezing, coughing or laughing?
- Do you leak urine when walking, lifting or exercising?
- Do you feel a sudden sense of extreme urgency on the way to the restroom?
- Does frequent urination or bowel movements interrupt your activities?
- Have you experienced persistent pelvic pain?
Types of Disorders
The pelvic floor muscles are a series of muscles that form a bridge across the opening of the pelvis. These muscles, together with surrounding tissue, are responsible for keeping all the pelvic organs in place and functioning properly. There are several different kinds of pelvic floor dysfunction, which include:
- Stress Incontinence — When
the pelvic floor muscles are weak and sagging they can no longer support
the bladder and leaking occurs. This can also be caused when muscular openings
to the bladder fail to close tightly during stresses like coughing or sneezing.
- Urge Incontinence – Involuntary
contraction of the bladder wall when you do not want or expect it to contract
is urge incontinence. It may also be described as urgency or the feeling
that you must rush to the restroom.
- Mixed Incontinence – Includes
symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence.
- Pelvic Floor Weakness – Weakness
in the muscles of the pelvic floor can lead to poor bladder support, incontinence
and abdominal organs slipping out the vaginal opening. This occurs when the
pelvic floor muscles become so weak they can no longer support the abdominal
organs.
- Pelvic Floor Pain – Pain
can be caused by tight tissue, scar tissue, muscle spasm, mal-alignment or
tissue failure. Pain can alter sexual function, muscle function, general
mobility and bladder function.
Evaluation & Treatment
Our physical therapist specializes in pelvic floor treatment and provides evaluation
and treatment in the Pelvic Floor Clinic at St. Rita’s. The therapist will work
with you to assist in returning you to your usual activities by using the following
treatments:
- Biofeedback – Biofeedback
helps you see and change how weak muscles work. You can monitor your success
through a computer screen that shows muscle activity. The screen also allows
you to see your improvement from session to session.
- Manual Therapy – This
is a hands-on technique that helps to heal scarred, shortened or out of place
pelvic muscles.
- Electrical Stimulation – Low
level electrical impulses sent directly to weak muscles help retrain and
strengthen pelvic muscles. This treatment can also be used to calm unintentional
bladder contractions.
- Exercise – An
individualized muscle conditioning program is designed for you to perform
in the clinic and at home. Completing these exercises will help prevent future
problems.
- Bladder Retraining – This
educational program teaches about normal bladder function and better habits
in response to bladder fullness.
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For More Information
(419) 226-4500 |
| Did You Know:
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Incontinence, the loss of bladder and/or bowel control, is a condition that affects 16 million men, women and children in the United States. Incontinence is not a disease but rather a symptom caused by one or more health related factors. Those factors can range from post partum (after giving birth) muscle weakening, to conditions such as stroke, paralysis or Alzheimer ’s disease.
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