For many new and expectant mothers, sudden changes to their normal bodily functions and capabilities can come as an unwelcome surprise. Between falling victim to incontinence and pelvic/lower back pain and experiencing excruciating pain during sexual intercourse, many women notice a significant degradation in their pelvic floor health either during pregnancy or after birth. Because of these painful and uncomfortable symptoms, many women who are diagnosed with pelvic floor dysfunction are constantly seeking ways to treat and enhance the health of their pelvic floor.
At Premier Care Physiotherapy, our team of licensed therapists understand that pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms can take a serious toll on patients’ lives. That’s why our clinic in Richmond Hill offers customized pelvic floor physiotherapy services to help patients improve their quality of life. Beyond helping newly diagnosed women understand their condition, our team of physiotherapists also strive to provide patients with in-depth treatment options and pain management solutions.
Interested to learn how you can stay on top of your pelvic health? Keep reading to discover 3 tips we shared:
Understand Your Condition
If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with pelvic floor dysfunction, it’s important to first gain a comprehensive understanding of the condition itself. From becoming aware of what the condition entails to the symptoms, causes and treatment options available to you, understanding the basis of your condition will work to your benefit when you begin your self-care regime and treatment plan with a licensed pelvic floor physiotherapist.
Over time, you may take notice to new symptoms, triggers, bad habits, and more. With this newfound information, you can then work closely with a specialist from a pelvic floor physiotherapy clinic to create a treatment plan that strives to enhance, improve, and maintain the health of your pelvic floor.
Develop and Maintain Good Bowel and Bladder Habits
Do your part to help naturally enhance the health of your pelvic floor by developing good bowel and bladder habits.While many patients with pelvic floor dysfunction often jump directly to pelvic floor exercises after their diagnosis, our pelvic floor physiotherapists recommend bladder and bowel training first. This is because constipation and poor bladder control are major contributing factors to pelvic floor dysfunction.
For those experiencing incontinence, we recommend monitoring your daily fluid intake and output. On average, adults should be drinking 1.5-2 liters of water a day and their bladder should be emptied approximately 4-6 times a day and 0-1 times during the night. With adequate hydration, adults should also be passing soft, well-formed bowel movements regularly.
Not only does successful training of your bladder/bowel help reduce the amount of stress your pelvic floor experience, but it also assists adults with pelvic floor dysfunction gain better control of their bodily functions.
Visit A Physiotherapy Clinic
Following a diagnosis, your health care professional will likely refer you to a reputable pelvic floor physiotherapy clinic like ours in Richmond Hill. While many women go straight to kegels for improving the performance of their pelvic floor muscles, it’s important to know that kegels are not for everyone. As a result, we recommend speaking to a licensed physiotherapist at a clinic to establish an exercise and pain management plan designed to enhance the strength and overall health of your pelvic floor.
During your first visit at our physiotherapy clinic, you can expect your pelvic floor therapist to review your medical history and symptoms before performing an external and internal assessment. Your external examination will include a thorough assessment that checks the spine, sacroiliac joints, hip and pelvis mobility, muscles of lower back, abdominal and glutes. Meanwhile, the internal examination will assess the function of your pelvic floor muscles, possible muscle tightness and adhesion.
Following the examination, your physiotherapist will discuss their findings and develop a customized treatment plan specific to your needs and condition. Depending on the extent of your pelvic floor dysfunction, treatment plans will vary. However, treatments can include: soft tissue release, strengthening exercises, hands on mobilization, pelvic hygiene education, and exercises.
