'Say no to power peeing' and other good tips from a pelvic floor physical therapist

"Just opportunity nary to powerfulness peeing," says pelvic level beingness therapist Sara Reardon. "You want to sit, relax and fto it flow." Tense pelvic level muscles tin origin constipation. Antonio Hugo Photo/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Antonio Hugo Photo/Getty Images

Painful sex. Urinary leakage. Constipation. Weak orgasms. What do these unpleasant experiences person successful common?

They tin each beryllium symptoms of a pelvic level dysfunction successful women, says Sara Reardon, a pelvic level beingness therapist who has been successful nan section for astir 2 decades. She is nan writer of Floored: A Woman's Guide to Pelvic Floor Health astatine Every Age and Stage, published successful June.

The pelvic floor is simply a handbasket of muscles that sits astatine nan bottommost of your pelvis and has an important role, Reardon says. It supports organs for illustration your bladder, bowels and reproductive system. It besides useful pinch your abdominal muscles to support your spine.

But for arsenic overmuch arsenic we usage our pelvic floor, "many of america don't cognize these muscles exist," she says. "Therefore, if a problem arises, [we don't know] really to measure it and get curen for it."

One successful 3 women will acquisition a pelvic level upset successful her lifetime, according to research, including young women and postmenopausal women who person ne'er fixed birth, Reardon says.

Pelvic level beingness therapy, specified arsenic definite exercises and stretches, tin beryllium an effective measurement to reside immoderate of these issues, she says. Studies person shown it tin improve bowel and bladder control, make activity much enjoyable, alteration little backmost pain and improve postpartum recovery.

Reardon talked to Life Kit astir what group pinch vaginas should cognize astir their pelvic level and what to do if you person pelvic level pain. This question and reply has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

Sara Reardon is simply a pelvic level beingness therapist and nan writer of Floored: A Woman's Guide to Pelvic Floor Health astatine Every Age and Stage. Left: Photograph by Sarah Becker; Right: Park Row hide caption

toggle caption

Left: Photograph by Sarah Becker; Right: Park Row

Here are immoderate facts from nan book that I deliberation group mightiness find surprising: Orgasms are pelvic level muscle contractions.

Yes, those muscles are nan ones that statement and relax during an orgasm, and truthful if you person a pelvic level musculus issue, it could origin nan inability to orgasm, symptom pinch orgasms and anemic orgasms.

Pushing retired your pee is not awesome for you.  

Yeah. Just opportunity nary to power peeing. You want to sit, relax and fto it flow. Relaxing your pelvic level allows your bladder, which is simply a muscle, to push nan urine out, and that's really really you're expected to pee. Sit alternatively of hovering, respire and chill, and past your bladder musculus contracts.

Tense pelvic level muscles tin origin constipation.

Correct.

Let's talk astir immoderate of nan symptoms that tin bespeak pelvic level dysfunction. What are communal signs you mightiness person pelvic level hostility aliases tightness?

Your muscles person to relax afloat to quiet your bowels. If they're not relaxing because they're overly tight aliases tense, you tin person straining pinch bowel movements, hemorrhoids, fissures, incomplete emptying and moreover emotion for illustration your stools are really thin.

Tightness tin besides lead to having a difficult clip starting your urine stream. You whitethorn consciousness for illustration your bladder isn't emptying completely.

Another communal denotation is achy intercourse. It tin consciousness for illustration thing can't participate nan vagina. You whitethorn besides consciousness that pinch inserting tampons aliases during pelvic examinations.

What tin you do to forestall aliases reside pelvic level tension?

Watch your posture. A batch of america beryllium excessively overmuch passim nan day. Vary your movements. If you are sitting, support your feet level aliases transverse astatine nan ankles. Also, unclench your butt.

Take immoderate big, heavy breaths passim nan time to soften your pelvic level muscles; past activity connected stretching pinch a heavy squat aliases yoga poses for illustration child's airs aliases happy babe pose.

There are besides devices you tin usage astatine location for soul massage to nan muscles, specified arsenic a therapy wand aliases vaginal dilators to thief relax nan muscles internally.

The different motion of pelvic level dysfunction is weakness. What does that look for illustration successful nan body?  

Some of nan things we commonly spot are urinary leakage erstwhile coughing, sneezing, moving and jumping.

Another is pelvic organ prolapse, wherever nan pelvic organs aren't arsenic supported by that hammock of muscles arsenic we'd for illustration them to be, truthful they commencement to driblet aliases push into nan vaginal canal.

If you consciousness little sensation pinch intercourse aliases urinate during intercourse aliases orgasms, those tin beryllium different signs of anemic pelvic level muscles.

How tin we fortify our pelvic level muscles? 

Work connected pelvic level strengthening exercises. Do speedy Kegel contractions and longer-hold five- aliases 10-second Kegel contractions successful different positions and during exercises for illustration lunges and squats.

Tighten those muscles earlier activities that origin leakage. I ever say, "Kegel earlier you cough," aliases "Squeeze earlier you sneeze."

The biggest point is to extremity straining [when you spell to nan bathroom], because that tin weaken your pelvic level complete time. For bowel movements, I urge utilizing a stool nether your feet to put you successful nan squatting position [and make it easier to go].

If you are having these symptoms, what should you do? 

In each authorities successful nan United States, you tin entree a pelvic level therapist for an information without a referral from a physician.

Your security whitethorn require [a referral], but you tin astatine slightest person an evaluation, and they tin show you whether you person a pelvic level musculus rumor and link you pinch a aesculapian supplier who tin spot you and/or constitute a medicine to proceed treatment.

If you person communal signs of infection of nan urinary tract aliases nan vagina, your first extremity should beryllium checking pinch a aesculapian supplier and getting things [like a urinary tract infection aliases a yeast infection] ruled out.

What should you look for successful a pelvic level beingness therapist?

They should beryllium trained and qualified to do a pelvic level musculus soul appraisal to measure nan pelvic level muscles. They should not conscionable hook you up to devices for illustration Kegel aliases electrical stimulation machines.

The curen should beryllium a operation of exercise, manual therapy and education. They should besides springiness you things astatine location to activity connected truthful you tin do immoderate self-treatment.

You want to look for personification pinch training and compassion who is simply a really bully listener. We're talking astir susceptible and friendly issues, and if you don't consciousness comfortable having these conversations and talking astir your symptoms pinch your therapist, I would find a caller therapist.

This communicative was edited by Malaka Gharib. The ocular editor is Beck Harlan. We'd emotion to perceive from you. Leave america a voicemail astatine 202-216-9823, aliases email america astatine LifeKit@npr.org.

Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and motion up for our newsletter. Follow america connected Instagram: @nprlifekit.