You’re probably expecting your body to change as you age. The wrinkles feel inevitable, you might be slower moving, you could possibly even have different taste! That’s all to be expected. What’s not normal with getting older? Feeling like you can no longer hold it until you get to the bathroom
While it might feel like everyone goes through this burden, especially after having kids, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are providers specifically trained to get you back to your normal life and not dread every sneeze.
The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is an anatomical location in the human body, which has an important role in urinary and anal continence, sexual function, and support of the pelvic organs.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can treat various conditions, including pain during pregnancy, incontinence, prolapse, pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, back pain, constipation, and diastasis recti (or a gap in the rectus muscle). Other diagnoses include managing symptoms of interstitial cystitis and endometriosis. Treatment focuses on your personal goals and returning you back to your everyday life.
Pelvic floor therapy is important and applies to anyone who has a pelvis, so everyone! Women are more likely to experience pelvic floor dysfunction due to their anatomy and for those who give birth. Mayo Clinic shares that up to 1 in 3 women over the age of 20 report some form of pelvic floor dysfunction. But all genders can experience pelvic floor dysfunction, even if they may feel embarrassed to talk about it.
Before you can be diagnosed with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, an evaluation by a licensed physical therapist needs to take place. An evaluation includes a full screen of functional movements, strength, mobility, breathing, and a pelvic floor assessment. During an evaluation, your provider may complete an internal pelvic floor muscular assessment that provides information regarding muscular length-tension relationships, strength, and coordination. Individuals can have both muscular tension and/or weakness that contributes to a wide variety of symptoms.
Many individuals will not address incontinence with their provider as they assume this is normal following a birth, common with aging, or they may be embarrassed about the subject matter. Just because urinary leakage may seem common, it is not normal to have leakage. Another common diagnosis seen in clinics is pain with intercourse, which can come from tension in pelvic floor muscles.
Sometimes intervention beyond physical therapy is needed. When pelvic floor concerns cannot be addressed, it often indicates that the issue is more complex than what can be addressed with exercises alone. Conditions such as severe pelvic organ prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, incontinence, or nerve damage may require a multi-disciplinary approach that includes medical interventions, such as medications, injections, or even surgery. In these cases, a physical therapist can still play a role, but additional support from urologists, gynecologists, or colorectal specialists may be necessary to provide a comprehensive treatment plan. Psychological factors, such as anxiety or trauma, might also contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction, requiring counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to fully address the issue. When physical therapy is no longer enough, a team approach involving various healthcare providers ensures a more holistic and effective management of pelvic floor health.
