Do you know where your pelvic floor is?
Large numbers of men and women risk unnecessary incontinence and sexual dysfunction due to their ignorance and neglect of their pelvic floor muscles.
A survey carried out by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) reveals over 67 per cent of people in Wales do not know where their pelvic floor muscles are, with more than half (57.4 per cent) incorrectly thinking they are in the lower stomach or abdomen.
This is can be replicated in every country with similar figures.
In the United Kingdom, women who give birth are told they should do their pelvic floor exercises or Kegal exercises but very few are actually taught how. Many women lie on the floor with their knees bent and clench their buttocks and raise their eyebrows and think they are achieving a Kegal movement.
Pelvic Floor Muscles span the area between the legs, support the bladder, uterus and bowel, are vital in preventing bladder and bowel incontinence. Strong muscles keep the uterus in a good position during pregnancy and women with strong muscles usually have an easier birth that women who don’t. These muscles play an important role in sexual function and satisfaction. Men who have good pelvic control are able to achieve and maintain an erection.
Whatever your age or gender, everyone needs strong pelvic floor muscles and everyone can achieve this no matter what the age is.
It is important to gently exercise the pelvic area correctly and not to over work the muscles.
A strong PF can help prevent incontinence and boost your sex life but you can’t achieve this if you don’t know where your pelvic floor muscles are and have never exercised them.
Physiotherapists and continence nurses are proficient at teaching the correct exercises and showing you how to identify these muscles. There are products available to help women identify with the correct muscles and be able to exercise properly.
Incostress is a medical device successfully clinically trial led in the UK. It is easy to use and is reusable. Inserted the same way as a tampon it supports the urethra and bladder neck and controls the involuntary loss of urine. At the same time it allows the user to identify the correct muscles and creates a resistance, allowing the user to train and strengthen the muscles.
Almost half of all women will experience incontinence at some stage in their lives. Women who have a strong pelvic floor usually are able to reach an orgasm easily during intercourse.
Women who experience difficult delivery are childbirth are prone to pelvic organ prolapse (POP). A couple of excellent books which are worth reading are:
Hold It Sister by Australian physiotherapist Mary O’Dwyer
Pelvic Organ Prolapse by Sherrie Palm
Inside Out by Michelle Kenway with Dr Judith Goh
Weak muscles not only lead to incontinence but can leave families torn apart due to the problems that surround pelvic floor dysfunction. This can lead to incontinence, depression, sexual dysfunction and even pelvic organ prolapse.
Gaynor works closely with physiotherapists and urogynaecologists world wide, expanding her knowledge and raising awareness about this problem.
For French speakers an excellent site http://www.urinaire.com
The CSP in the UK offers a free fact-sheet Personal Training for Your Pelvic Floor Muscles (visit http://www.csp.org.uk/pelvicfloor ) with straightforward advice to help men and women of all ages to get pelvic floor fit.
Gaynor Morgan designed Incostress a medical device to control female incontinence and strengthen pelvic floor muscles. She strives to improve the quality of life for women everywhere as is a strong believer that women should not suffer in silence. Her website http://www.incostress.com is full of information and guidance on how to improve your quality of life.
Good Health 