Pelvic Floor Exercises

 

The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscle that stretches between the tailbone of the spine (on your back) and the pubic bone in front. It supports the bladder and bowel (and uterus in women). Pelvic floor exercises increase the strength of your pelvic floor. Having a strong pelvic floor improves bladder and bowel control.

 

Weak pelvic floor muscles can affect control of urine. This may mean anything from a little bit of urine dribbling out when you cough or sneeze, through to not being able to hold urine in at all. There are exercises that will help strengthen these muscles and give better control.

 

 

Signs and symptons of weak pelvic muscles

 

• Wetting yourself when you cough, sneeze, strain, jog, lift or laugh.
• Difficulty holding on when you need to go to the toilet.
• An urgent need to empty your bladder or bowel, or loss of bladder or bowel control
• Poor control of anal wind when bending or lifting.

 

for women

 

• Difficulty keeping tampons in place.
• Passing air from the vagina.
• The uterus or rectum prolapses (moves down out of its normal position in the body).
• Vaginal bulging, dragging or a heavy feeling.
• Reduced vaginal sensation.

 

Self Care

 

• Do pelvic floor exercises each day. You can do them anywhere without anvone noticing (e.g. when driving, doing. the dishes, waiting for a bus, or reading). Do not become constipated and avoid straining to pass a motion
• Eat a balanced diet and keep a healthy weight
• Exercise regularly
• Continue to drink water.

 

Women

 

• Ask a doctor to check the strength of your pelvic floor muscles when having your Pap test.
• Prepare your pelvic floor muscles for childbirth and recondition them as soon as possible afterwards. If you have an episiotomy, exercising the pelvic floor muscles will speed the healing process.

 

 

Source: Pharmaceutical Society

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