Do I Have Pelvic Floor Disorder?

Many women suffer from symptoms that they believe to be “normal” after a certain age. However, we now understand that isn’t necessarily the case, and pelvic floor dysfunction can be diagnosed and treated.

Common pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms include:

• Urinary issues, such as the urge to urinate or painful urination.
• Constipation or bowel strains.
• Lower back pain.
• Pain in the pelvic region, genitals, or rectum.
• Discomfort during sexual intercourse for women.
• Pressure in the pelvic region or rectum.
• Muscle spasms in the pelvis.

What causes pelvic floor disorder?
Although we don’t really understand causes, we can link pelvic floor dysfunction to many factors which include:

• Pregnancy and Childbirth
• Pelvic surgery 
• Obesity or high body weight 
• Excessive high impact sports
• Sedentary lifestyle or  poor nutrition 
• Improper bathroom technique 
• Incorrectly performed kegel exercise
• Childhood trauma
• Stress

How is pelvic floor disorder diagnosed?
A common diagnosis for pelvic floor dysfunction that we often treat, before or after surgery, is pelvic floor prolapse. A prolapse occurs when the pelvic muscles and other supporting tissues become weak, which causes the organs in the pelvis to drop or fall out of place.

We also see patients who do not have prolapse but complain of some of the above dysfunctional symptoms.   We recommend these patients see a specific internal pelvic floor physical therapist in addition to us working on the imbalances externally in their hip and pelvic musculature.

How is pelvic floor disorder treated?
At Pilates Sante, we will begin with an initial evaluation, to assess your trunk, abdominal and hip muscles mobility and strength. At your first appointment, we will create a home exercise program for you. You will be given exercises to do at home in between sessions that directly address your imbalances. 
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Within your second or third session, you will begin working on the various pilates equipment machines to address the same imbalances. Pelvic floor disorders or conditions can be treated from 2-20 visits depending on the condition and the client. We find pilates mat and equipment based exercises extremely transformative for pelvic floor conditions.