Do you leak a little urine when you laugh, cough, or lift something heavy? Or do you feel some discomfort or pain when you defecate? You may be a little embarrassed to talk about these things with anyone. But these are actually common problems that many people have. All of these can be related, and today we are talking about a very important musculoskeletal system in our body that many people don't talk about much.
What exactly are the pelvic floor muscles?
Simply put, it's a system of muscles that hold your pelvic organs, the area between your legs and below your belly, in a basket or bowl. Think of it like a hammock made of sturdy fabric. This hammock holds your vital organs, including your bladder, bowel, and, in women, your uterus .
We often don't even think about these muscles because they do their job automatically. But it's only when we lose control of our bladder and bowels that we realize their value. But the good news is that if these muscles become weak, they can be strengthened again with special exercises and physical therapy.
What service do these muscles provide to our bodies?
This muscular system is like a silent worker in our body. Here are some of the functions it performs:
- Organ retention: Pelvic organs like the bladder and uterus are held exactly where they should be.
- Providing control: These muscles provide control so that you can urinate, defecate, and fart only when you need to.
- Maintaining posture: Your abdominal muscles, along with your diaphragm, help keep your spine straight and maintain proper posture.
- Withstands pressure: The pressure in the abdomen when coughing, laughing, or sneezing helps to prevent even a small amount of urine from leaking.
- Assisting in the sexual process: These muscles help in the contraction of the vagina during sexual intercourse and orgasm in women, and in erection and ejaculation in men.
- During pregnancy: These muscles provide great support to support the weight of the growing baby during pregnancy.
- During childbirth: It helps to provide space for the baby to come out through the vagina during childbirth.
Let's find out where these muscles are located.
This layer of muscles covers the lower part of your pelvic cavity. To be precise, they extend from the pubic bone, which is just below your navel, in front, to the tailbone in the back.
There are several ways to find out where these muscles are located for yourself.
1. Anus: Imagine you're trying to pass air, but you're trying to stop it. These are the muscles that tighten from the inside and feel like they're pulling up.
2. Urethra: How does it feel when you try to stop urinating halfway through? This is the muscle that tightens at that moment. ( Important: This is not a good thing to do all the time, just think about it to identify where the muscle is.)
3. Vaginal opening: A woman can insert a finger into the vagina and try to squeeze it. You will then feel the muscles tightening inside.
At each of these times, you should feel a little muscle pulling up and inward from inside your pelvis. That's your Pelvic Floor muscle.
What are the problems and conditions that affect these muscles?
The inability to relax and use these muscles properly is what we simply call pelvic floor dysfunction. This condition can occur in two main ways. Either the muscles become too weak (weak) , or they become unnecessarily tight (hypertonic) .
These muscles can become weak due to factors such as childbirth, surgery, frequent heavy lifting, chronic coughing, and extreme obesity.
| Problems that can occur due to weak muscles | |
|---|---|
| Medical condition | Simply explained |
| Urinary Incontinence | Involuntary leakage of urine when coughing, laughing, or lifting a heavy object. |
| Inability to control stool (Fecal Incontinence) | Involuntary passage of stool, even a small amount. |
| Pelvic Organ Prolapse | Due to muscle weakness, organs such as the uterus and bladder descend towards the vagina. |
| Sexual Dysfunction | Decreased sexual sensitivity or erection problems in men. |
| Problems that can occur due to tight muscles | |
|---|---|
| Symptom | Description |
| Pelvic Pain | Persistent pain in the pelvis, lower abdomen, and genital area. |
| Painful intercourse | Severe pain during sexual intercourse. |
| Constipation | Difficulty defecating due to muscle weakness. |
| Difficulty urinating | Difficulty starting to urinate or not urinating completely. |
| Back, hip, or leg pain | The tightness of these muscles causes pain in other parts of the body. |
How do I know if my pelvic floor muscles are strong?
If you have good bladder, bowel, and bladder control, your pelvic floor muscles are likely healthy and strong. However, things like pregnancy, childbirth, and prostate surgery in men can weaken even previously strong muscles.
Remember, balance is key here. These muscles need to be strong, but also flexible enough to relax when needed.
If you have any concerns or questions about this, the best thing to do is to talk to your doctor about it . These are common medical problems. So there is no reason to be embarrassed. Your doctor can tell you about things like Kegel exercises to strengthen these muscles. He or she may also refer you to a physical therapist who specializes in this.
Take-Home Message
- Your pelvic floor muscles are like a strong mesh that holds organs like your bladder, uterus, and bowels in place.
- These are essential for urinary and bowel control, healthy sexual function, and during pregnancy.
- Weakening of these muscles can lead to conditions such as urinary/fecal incontinence and prolapse.
- These can become unnecessarily tight and cause pain, constipation, and difficulty urinating.
- If you have any of these symptoms, don't be shy and talk to your doctor. Many of these conditions can be managed with the right exercises and treatment.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න