What we’re Still Getting Wrong with Women’s Pelvic Floor Dysfunction…

When you ask for help with your pelvic floor, are you still just being offered:

·      Pelvic floor exercises (kegels) or bladder training

·      Weight management

·      A vaginal support pessary

·      Medication and/or Surgery

If you have experienced this, then it is not enough, and none of these options are addressing the underlying cause of the dysfunction. These options may initially help a little, but may not last, and may even make matters worse.

If you have tried any of these options and are still struggling with prolapse, urine leaking, urgency, pain or pelvic congestion you are not alone and it is time to discover the root cause.

With every woman I work on 2 key areas:

1.        Breathing – the diaphragm is connected to the pelvic floor (PF). On the exhale the PF rises, on the inhale the PF relaxes and lowers. Breath holding, stress and upper chest breathing, postnatal rib flare, tummy gap (diastasis recti), tense shoulders and rib restrictions all affect this connection. Without the breath reaching down into the pelvis the PF becomes tight, fatigued and weakened.

2.        Alignment and posture – when the head juts forward during sitting, standing, walking or driving, the body’s centre of gravity moves forwards - off the strong bony structure of the spine, and into the soft structures of the thorax and pelvis. This pressure and weight is then directed down onto the bladder and PF.

Simply concentrating treatment to lifting the PF from below will be ineffective without managing the load from above.

The solution is threefold:

1.        Osteopathic Assessment and Treatment – identify alignment issues, improve body awareness, release the structures that are holding tension in the body, guide new breathing patterns and PF connection

2.        Full body exercise program – create an individualised program that not only helps with improving the tone of the PF from below, but also strengthening and mobilising the structures that help to lift and support the PF from above

3.        Identify and remove environmental triggers – the environment you spend most of your time in, such as home, work or car, and even levels of emotional stress will dictate how you move and the postures you adopt, this has a direct impact on the function of your PF

Pelvic floor dysfunction is so much more than a problem of the pelvic floor. Just focussing treatment to this area does women a huge disservice. Think of PF dysfunction as the tip of the iceberg and the body giving you a sign that there are issues that need addressing further upstream.

When this whole-body/whole-lifestyle approach (which can also include working alongside other women’s health specialists to provide hormone support, nutrition, medication and pain relief) comes together, PF dysfunction can be improved for good.

Here is a link to a sample of a full body workout designed specifically to help lift and tone the PF: www.the-sop.com/video-guides

For a more individualised assessment, treatment and exercise program do get in touch!

Emma Wightman
www.the-sop.com