Society might call it a “normal” sign of aging, but just because pelvic floor dysfunctions are common does not mean they are something that women should be forced to live with. Matthew A. Barker, MD, FACOG with Avera Urogynecology shares reasons why women develop this problem and what can be done to help restore your pelvic floor.
What is pelvic floor dysfunction and what are some of the most common causes of it?
Pelvic floor dysfunction, or what we call as PFDs, are a group of disorders that affect the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that help support the areas of the pelvis. And this includes the bladder, the urethra, the vagina, the uterus, or the reproductive organs, as well as the rectum and lower intestinal contents. And when things go wrong with the pelvic floor, this could either be a muscle dysfunction or an inherent problem in some of those organs. People develop urinary incontinence or trouble emptying their bladder. They can develop pain with intercourse or pelvic organ prolapse, as well as pelvic pain or bowel dysfunction, either constipation or even accidents of stool. And these conditions are extremely common in the United States. One in five women will end up having surgery for these types of conditions.
Is surgery the only corrective option?
There are numerous options to treat these disorders and it depends on the specific condition that they face. But there are a lot of conservative therapies that involve medicines and pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation. There are certain devices that can be used that are non-surgical. And there are numerous minimally invasive surgical corrections for this, including both vaginal approaches, as well as robotic and minimally invasive procedures that can lead to great improvements in these conditions.
How do I live with a pelvic floor issue or what can I do to help limit issues?
Pelvic floor dysfunction includes about a third of the women in the United States. And so many people you see throughout the day are living with these conditions. And I appreciate moments like this where I can raise awareness because there are ways to correct this. People hold this fallacy that these issues just happen because they're aging or this is a normal part of the aging process. And that is not true. There are numerous modalities to really improve these conditions, whether they're urinary, bowel or prolapse issues in women, where we can make a huge difference even with really simple solutions.
Can you restore your pelvic floor?
You can restore your pelvic floor! And I really encourage people to put in the effort, it's just like any other muscle, you have to keep in shape and exercise. And there are certain pelvic floor exercises that can help that we can teach you here in our clinic. You can seek therapy online with education, as well as I really recommend a pelvic floor physical therapist that specializes in pelvic floor disorders.
I think the big take home message is: people need to seek help. There's so much available to them to help them no matter what their condition is. And I think getting past that aspect of don't be embarrassed. This is extremely common and you are not alone and I'm proud to work for Avera Urogynecology and provide these types of services for women. The team here can provide a lot of great resources for them to seek help.
