Whats the purpose of your Pelvic Floor Muscles?
Your pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in stabilizing your core and supporting vital bodily functions such as defecation, urination, and sexual activity. These muscles can gradually weaken as a result of injuries and the natural aging process, potentially leading to conditions like incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. Engaging in pelvic floor muscle exercises can counteract the adverse consequences of weakened pelvic floor muscles.
How do you know if you have a weak Pelvic Floor Muscle?
- Involuntary urine leakage during activities like exercise, laughter, coughing, or sneezing
- Urgent need to reach the toilet or not making it in time
- Frequent and persistent urgency to urinate
- Difficulty in fully emptying the bladder or bowel
- Accidental loss of control over bladder or bowel
- Accidental release of gas (passing wind)
- Experiencing a prolapse
- In women, this might manifest as a vaginal bulge or sensations of heaviness, discomfort, pulling, dragging, or dropping in the pelvic region
- In men, it can feel like a rectal bulge or the urge to use the bowels without the actual need to do so
- Pelvic pain
- Pain during sexual intercourse
How did I weaken my Pelvic Floor Muscle?
- Failing to keep them engaged or overexerting them
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- A background of back pain
- Persistent constipation and straining during bowel movements
- Excess weight or obesity
- Frequent heavy lifting (e.g., at work or in the gym)
- Chronic coughing or sneezing (e.g., associated with asthma, smoking, or hay fever)
- Prior pelvic region injury (e.g., a fall, surgical procedures, or pelvic radiotherapy)
- Aging
Exercised you can do to strengthen your Pelvic Floor Muscle
- Kegel Exercises: Kegel exercises are effective for targeting and fortifying the pelvic floor muscles. These exercises can be discreetly performed by women at any location and time. To execute Kegel exercises, women should engage and then release their pelvic floor muscles, sustaining the contraction for several seconds before releasing them.
- Pelvic Floor Therapy: Another valuable method for enhancing the strength of the pelvic floor following childbirth is pelvic floor physical therapy. A skilled physical therapist can evaluate the condition of the pelvic floor muscles and design a personalized rehabilitation plan to reinforce them.
- Strengthen your Core: Enhancing the core muscles, which encompass the pelvic floor, can significantly enhance overall support for the pelvic organs and alleviate stress on the pelvic floor muscles.
- Yoga and Pilates: Specific yoga and Pilates movements can prove highly beneficial for fortifying the pelvic floor. Numerous yoga postures and Pilates routines focus on the core and pelvic floor muscles, contributing to their increased strength and stability. Women can collaborate with a certified instructor to guarantee the proper and secure execution of these exercises.
- Make an Appointment to See Dr. Wendy! When specifically trained in women’s health, your chiropractor can adjust and align your body to foster pelvic floor restoration and health!
How Can We Help You?
- Align Your Pelvis: An improperly aligned pelvis can exert pressure on the pelvic floor muscles, leading to discomfort and diminishing their effectiveness. Chiropractors have the expertise to employ manual adjustments in order to realign the pelvis, thereby alleviating stress on the pelvic floor muscles.
- Release built up Tension: Tense muscles in the pelvic area, including the pelvic floor muscles, can result in discomfort and impair their proper function. Chiropractors employ a range of methods to relieve tension in these muscles, such as manual adjustments, massage, and stretching.
- Improve Your Posture: Improper posture can subject the pelvic floor muscles to added strain, causing discomfort and hindering their functionality. Chiropractors are capable of evaluating posture and offering guidance to enhance it, thus diminishing the burden on the pelvic floor muscles.
- Enhance Nerve Function: The nerves responsible for controlling the pelvic floor muscles pass through the pelvis and can be influenced by spinal subluxations (misalignments). Chiropractors can employ manual adjustments to enhance nerve function, potentially leading to improved performance of the pelvic floor muscles.
If you’re experiencing tension buildup, issues with your posture, or misalignment of your pelvis, consider scheduling an evaluation with Dr. Wendy Brackeen. With over two decades of experience as a Chiropractic Doctor, Sports Medicine specialist, and Athletic Trainer, she can provide expert guidance. Whether you require an adjustment or advice on enhancing your daily posture, we’re here to alleviate your stress. Let Attuned Vitality Chiropractic and Wellness assist you, so you can return to your favorite activities. Contact us at 503-640-2800.