The pelvic floor is the group of muscles and ligaments that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel. Erica Cheshire, ANP-BC and Jennifer Sigler, WHNP-BC, PMHNP-BC at Beaumont WELLness for Women have experience assessing women’s pelvic floor health and offering management options. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, call the office in Beaumont, Texas, or book online today.
Pelvic floor health focuses on the group of muscles that support your pelvic organs and the problems that occur when the muscles weaken.
These muscles, the pelvic floor muscles, hold your uterus, vagina, bladder, and rectum in their proper position. Some pelvic floor muscles also control urination and bowel movements.
When the pelvic floor muscles weaken, they cause problems such as:
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when stretched and weakened muscles allow your uterus, vagina, bladder, or rectum to fall out of their normal position and cause bulging.
You may have a prolapse when the pelvic floor muscles weaken due to:
The pelvic floor muscles can also lose strength and tone through natural aging.
Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause urinary or fecal incontinence. There are several types of urinary incontinence, but stress incontinence most often occurs due to pelvic floor problems.
Incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse both can have a significant impact on your sex life. However, the pelvic floor muscles have another role in your sexual health. Weakened muscles can interfere with your ability to successfully have an orgasm.
You may also encounter the opposite problem. Some people have a difficult time relaxing their pelvic floor muscles, a condition that can develop if you frequently tense your core muscles or put off using the bathroom.
Tight pelvic floor muscles cause pelvic pain. They also make it hard to have sexual intercourse and/or cause pain during sex.
Your treatment depends on the problem with your pelvic floor health and the severity of your symptoms. Your care plan may include:
A severely prolapsed organ may require surgery.
Beaumont WELLness for Women offers individualized assessments for pelvic floor health. To schedule an appointment, call the office or book online today.