Pelvic floor weakness: development, cause and treatment
Many women struggle with pelvic floor weakness after childbirth. However, it is unpleasant for many to talk about it, as the consequences of such connective tissue weakness can also include incontinence. Which causes are responsible for this, which symptoms occur and with which treatment can be counteracted, we explain in this article.
Pelvic floor weakness is not a rare problem, although it is not addressed too often. About a third of all women suffer from it, especially after the birth of a baby. We will first explain what lies behind this weakness.
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ToggleWhat is pelvic floor weakness?
As the name suggests, this refers to the weakening of the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a layer of muscle and connective tissue about three centimeters thick that sits between the hipbone, pubic bone and sacrum. The muscle layer holds the organs together in this area, making it possible, for example, to lift and carry objects without us urinating or defecating during this effort.
Even in everyday situations such as jumping, coughing or sneezing, the pelvic floor muscles help to retain excretions. In these moments, the pelvic floor tenses reflexively. The muscles are completely relaxed, at least in a healthy state, only when urinating, bowel movements or vaginal intercourse. Pelvic floor weakness therefore means that these pelvic floor muscles are no longer fully functional.
Causes of pelvic floor weakness
On the one hand, hereditary prerequisites are responsible for a weakening of the pelvic floor: some women have a genetically weak connective tissue. However, every pelvic floor muscle loses additional stability with age.
However, women who have just given birth to a child or even several children within a short period of time are particularly often affected. This can lead to overstretching of the muscles. Complications during childbirth, such as a perineal rupture, can also weaken the pelvic floor muscles.
In addition to the delivery factors, other causes are possible. For example, chronic coughing or permanent, heavy physical strain can lead to pelvic floor weakness. In addition, the lifestyle of the affected woman is relevant: obesity, lack of sports or smoking can also cause a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.
Symptoms of pelvic floor weakness
If the muscles weaken, the pelvic floor can no longer fulfill its task of holding the organs in the abdomen together. That’s why many women complain about severe abdominal pain, cramps and a kind of constant “downward pressure” feeling. On the other hand, it often comes to the already mentioned, mild to moderate urinary and fecal incontinence.
As a particularly unpleasant symptom, women describe this urinary incontinence during coughing, laughing or exercise, that is, when uncontrolled urine loss occurs during a tremor. This loss of urine should definitely be taken seriously, as it can lead to psychological problems due to shame and perceived helplessness.
In some cases, there may also be a lowering of the uterus or vagina. In the case of extremely weak muscles, the organs could thus exit the body through the vagina, so that nearby organs such as the bladder or intestine are additionally impaired. This often affects overweight patients. Before such an extreme case occurs, however, you as an affected woman should go directly to the doctor if you notice that you suffer from pelvic floor weakness.
Treatment of pelvic floor weakness
There are several ways to treat pelvic floor weakness. On the one hand, regular pelvic floor training should be completed; especially after childbirth. This training is often offered in courses, but you should repeat the exercises learned there again and again at home. Here you will find instructions for pelvic floor exercises.
In addition to pelvic floor exercises, there are so-called biofeedback devices that stimulate the muscles to tense up through an external stimulus and thus help you learn to tense them specifically. In addition, weight loss and giving up cigarettes can help the pelvic floor muscles to become stronger again.
Love balls are also a popular remedy for pelvic floor weakness. Easy and effective in use, they bring our central power center back into balance. How to use love balls against pelvic floor weakness and which products we recommend to train your pelvic floor optimally, we show you here.
If the weakening of the pelvic floor is caused by menopause due to hormone deficiency, this can be treated by hormone therapy. However, if these approaches do not bring about any improvement, an operation, such as lowering the bladder, would have to be performed in extreme cases.
Going to the doctor in time
But the most important thing is to go to the doctor in time and ask for professional advice. Especially to counteract a chronic weakening of the pelvic floor. There is absolutely no shame or shame when a woman suffers from incontinence due to her pelvic floor weakness, even months after the baby is born. Rather, women should deal openly with this topic in order to draw attention to this difficulty and to support other affected women in dealing with this weakness.