What to do if you're suffering with Pelvic floor issues

Emma James Blog #2 : What to do if you're suffering with pelvic health issues

The first thing to know is you are not alone.

Secondly, there are options available to you, and the issue is temporary.

Pelvic floor issues happen when the pelvic floor muscles have become stretched or weakened; this can happen at any stage of life, but for women often becomes more of an issue during pregnancy, post-birth or during menopause.

"10 to 50% of women report urinary leakage, and 50% of women who have had children develop prolapse. On top of that, 20% of women will undergo surgery for pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence in their lifetime."

However, pelvic floor issues are not uniquely female.

Did you know 1 in every 4 men over 40 years old deals with urine leakage, also known as incontinence?

For men, poor pelvic health is often related to prostate issues; particularly post-prostatectomy, men often require physiotherapy and pelvic floor training to prohibit incontinence and erectile dysfunction (and we have more on male incontinence specifically in our next blog post #3).

They're common issues but what can I do about it? 

Although pelvic health issues are common, it does not mean that they are necessary or should become part of your normal.

One of the first things to do when you start to experience pelvic floor / health issues is to contact your physiotherapist for them to help you create a tailored pelvic floor training regime for you.

At Emma James Physiotherapy we have a number of paths that you can take in order to help you get your pelvic floor back to optimal health, and you feeling like the old you. 
We would advise to : 

1. Invest in a combination of vaginal weight trainers such as Pelviva and Secret Whispers Pelvic Floor Toner (use discount code EMMAJAMES for both brands of weights at checkout)
2. Use a specific graded pelvic floor and strength conditioning regime as it can have a positive effect 
3. For women, do Kegel exercises at least THREE times a day
4. Increase your overall cardiovascular fitness and strengthening around your Gluteal region
5. At the gym, work extra hard on your hamstrings, adductors and abdominal region
6. Receiving massage and acupuncture, such as the treatments offered at Emma James Physiotherapy, have also been shown to have positive effects on pelvic floor health
7. Changes to your diet and activeness, stopping smoking and being sexually inactive have also all been linked to pelvic floor issues

However, if one is leaking as a result of ill pelvic floor health, we understand that it can be an embarrassing, demoralising and lonely time and place for any individual.

The situation, though it is common, can make the individual not feel like their normal, confident self. 
When experiencing leakages and using pads to avoid moments like this when out and about, opt for an eco-friendly, planet-conscious company, such as Cheeky Wipes and even explore their best-selling, 'game-changing' (as described by Cheeky fans who have trialled these so far) Pants range which have been designed with exactly these symptoms in mind.

You have options and you're not alone

It is important to remember that there are options out there available to you, and that you are not alone.

A physiotherapist, such as Emma James, would be happy to assist you in choosing the right course of treatment for you.

Please contact us on 01442 870686 or emma.james@ejphysio.co.uk to discuss in more detail. They are available for both virtual and physical assessments so don't let Covid stop you doing this for you.

If you want to read our other blogs, you can find those clearly labelled back on our main blog page : https://www.cheekywipes.com/blog/ and for more information on why and how we are partnering with Emma going forwards, please find all the background here https://www.cheekywipes.com/blog/no-more-oops-moments-with-cheeky-wipes-and-emma-james-physio-and-wellbeing.html

Easing symptoms + discovering long-term solutions = Success.