Top tips to help improve pelvic floor issues & little leaks13 July 2020 | Admin Pelvic floor issues often occur when the pelvic floor muscles become stretched or weakened. It can happen at any stage of life, but for many women it becomes more of an issue during pregnancy, post-birth or approaching / during menopause. "10% to 50% of women report urinary leakage, and 50% of women who have had children develop prolapse. On top of that, 20% of women will undergo surgery for pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence in their lifetime." Both menopause and it's annoying little sister perimenopause can bring problems associated with pelvic floor dysfunction. Menopausal years usually runs at any point between 45-55 years. Perimenopause however can occur for many years before this while women are still having monthly cycles / periods. It's also possible for some women to go through an early menopause which means that they could experience symptoms from a much younger age. Damn hormones! .png)
Our Cheeky Incontinence Guide written in conjunction with Emma James Physio has answers and advice for you! 
Think of your pelvic floor muscles as a broad sling of abdominal muscles in your pelvic region like a trampoline which stretch from the pubic bone at the front of your pelvis right the way to your coccyx (tail bone) at the back. These muscles form the floor of your pelvic area and are responsible for : - Cushioning and supporting your pelvic organs - bladder, bowel and womb
- Controlling your bladder and bowel, protecting from fecal incontinence
- Allowing you to enjoy sexual intercourse and better orgasms, rather than pain during sex
As we approach menopause, we begin to have reduced levels of oestrogen which can cause thinning of the lining of the urethra. The urethra is the short tube which passes urine from the bladder out of the body. Moreover, the surrounding pelvic muscles can also weaken as we age in a process known as "pelvic relaxation." As a result of these two factors, women from mid 40's onwards are at increased risk of pelvic floor disorders, or worsening of pre-existing, stress and urge incontinence. Women's problems and health 'down below' are often a taboo subject. Lots of women are too embarrassed to seek help or advice. Others just don't know where to turn in order to find that advice. Pelvic floor stress incontinence is by far most common form of incontinence. It happens when your pelvic floor muscles have weakened which means you leak a bit of wee when pressure is increased on the bladder such as when coughing and sneezing or during exercise. However other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction are pelvic pain, inability to control bowel movements, pain during sex and an inability to orgasm. Because this is caused by weakness, treatments options absolutely include treating pelvic floor stress incontinence simply with pelvic floor muscle exercises and pelvic floor training. A cracking 60% of cases can be cured or dramatically improved by exercise alone! Here's how to strengthen and tone pelvic floor muscles and train your pelvic floor: - Imagine you are having a wee and trying to stop mid-flow
- Once you are feel confident that you're using the right muscles you should aim to hold for 5 seconds, relax and repeat x 10 times. These are called 'slow Kegels'.
- After that, using the same principle, engage your pelvic floor muscles and hold for just 2 seconds, relaxing and repeating 10 times. These are called 'fast Kegels'.
- Aim to repeat this process of fast and slow Kegels for 5 minutes or 10 sets and do this a minimum of three times per day. As you become stronger you can increase the hold of the 'slow Kegels' to 10 seconds.
Through the use of kegel weights and tools such as Pelviva, Secret Whispers and PelviPower, menopausal incontinence can become a thing of the past and need not be in your life any longer. You have the power to do something about this! Bearing this in mind there are products, such as those from the Cheeky Pants pee and period protection range of pads, liners and pants which can help your menopause incontinence be plastic free, eco-friendly and cheaper! Buying plastic pads or pants should become a thing of the pas Pelvic floor issues are not uniquely female however, with 1 in every 4 men over 40 years old also dealing with urine leakage, which is also known as incontinence? For men, poor pelvic health tends to be related to prostate issues; particularly post-prostatectomy. Men often require both physiotherapy and pelvic floor training in order to prevent incontinence and erectile dysfunction. We'll have more on male incontinence specifically in our next blog post #3. - Investing in a combination of vaginal weight trainers such as Pelviva or Secret Whispers
- Using a specific, graded pelvic floor and strength conditioning regime means positive effects, quickly
- For women, you should be doing Kegel exercises at least THREE times a day
- Its also worth increasing your overall cardiovascular fitness and strength around your Gluteal region or butt
- At the gym, extra reps / sessions on your hamstrings, adductors and abdominal region
- It has also been proven that massage and acupuncture, such as the treatments offered at Emma James Physiotherapy, can have positive effects on pelvic floor health
- Pelvic floor issues have also been linked with changes to your diet and level of activeness, including stopping smoking and being sexually inactive. Use it or lose it Ladies!
Pelvic floor issues are not uniquely female however, with 1 in every 4 men over 40 years old also dealing with urine leakage, which is also known as incontinence? For men, poor pelvic health tends to be related to prostate issues; particularly post-prostatectomy. Men often require both physiotherapy and pelvic floor training in order to prevent incontinence and erectile dysfunction. We'll have more on male incontinence specifically in our next blog post #3. Just because pelvic health issues are common, doesn't mean that they're necessary or that you should just put up with them. If you're suffering with pelvic floor or health issues, the first step is to contact a Dr for a referral to a physiotherapist so that they can help you create a bespoke pelvic floor training regime for you. If using pads or pants to avoid moments like this when out and about, it's worth opting for an eco-friendly, planet-conscious alternative to plasticky disposable products, such as Cheeky Pants and even explore their best-selling, 'game-changing' (Cheeky fans words, not ours!) Reusable Incontinence Pants range which have been designed with exactly these symptoms in mind.
You can improve your pelvic floor health!It is important to remember that there are options out there available to you, and that you are not alone. A physiotherapist, such as Emma James, will be happy to assist you in choosing the right course of treatment for you. Emma is a pelvic floor specialist, so contact on 01442 870686 or emma.james@ejphysio.co.uk to discuss in more detail. They are available for both virtual and physical assessments whichever your preference is. Easing symptoms + discovering long-term solutions = Success. For more information on why and how we are partnering with Emma going forwards, please find all the background on our website.
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