Pelvic floor disorder (PFD) refers to conditions that affect the pelvic floor system, including the bladder, bowel, uterus, rectum, and vagina. PFD occurs due to weakened pelvic muscles due to childbirth, obesity, pelvic surgery, nerve damage, and traumatic injury to the pelvic floor.
Most PFDs are treated by women’s health specialists in Oak Lawn, IL, with injections, muscle training, and surgeries such as prolapse to prevent discomfort, long-term colony damage, and severe infections.
Table of Contents
Causes of PFD
It is caused by the following health conditions and injuries that affect the nerve weakening pelvic muscles:
Pregnancy, labor, and childbirth put a strain on the pelvic floor.
Aging and menopause deteriorate the pelvic floor and because of pelvic organ prolapse (POP).
Women born with weak pelvic muscles are at greater risk of PFD
Obesity and tobacco use pose a high risk of women developing POP and urinary incontinence (UI).
Constipation and lung conditions increase the risk of vaginal prolapse and POP.
Health conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, spinal stenosis, back surgery, emotional stress, and sexual dysfunction weakens the pelvic floor.
Types of PFDs
Bladder control problem, which is falling of bladder out of place causing urine to leak.
Fecal incontinence is a bowel control problem that causes stool leakage.
Stress incontinence causes urine leakage during laughing, coughing, and heavy lifting.
Dysuria causes pain during urinating.
Urge incontinence is loss of urine after a burning urge to urinate due to an overactive bladder.
Pelvic organ prolapse involves organs slipping down or forward into the vagina as follows:
Cystocele: Prolapse of the bladder.
Urethrocele: Prolapse of the urethra.
Vaginal vault prolapse: Prolapse of the vagina.
Enterocele: Prolapse of the small bowel.
Rectocele: Rectum prolapse.
Symptoms
While some women may not notice any signs, others experience the following signs:
- Painful intercourse
- Frequent and strong urge to urinate
- Loss of bladder and bowel control
- Frequent urinary tract infection
- Burning sensation during urination
- Low back pain
- Pelvic region and rectum pressure
- Pelvic muscle spasms
- Pelvic pain
Diagnosis
It is vital to contact your urogynecologist instead of self-diagnosing. The physician can perform a physical evaluation of medical history, symptoms, muscle weakness and check muscle spasms since symptoms may indicate severe conditions.
Tests such as CT scan, MRI, urinary tract x-ray, and ultrasound are performed to determine relaxation of pelvic muscles.
Treatment
Injections such as Botox and bulking agents help to control incontinence and bladder problems.
Nerve stimulant to treat overactive bladder.
The vaginal pessary, a soft and removable device, helps support areas affected by prolapse.
Pelvic floor muscle training to improve prolapse symptoms.
Muscle relaxant medication to prevent pelvic muscle from over contracting.
Self-care includes avoiding straining and smoking, taking warm baths, yoga, and stretching to improve blood circulation and relax your pelvic muscles.
Prolapse surgeries for bladder, rectum, uterus, bowel, and vagina repair prolapse and build pelvic floor support.
Incontinence surgeries help to treat overactive bladder and prevent difficult urination.
Talk to your urogynecologist today
PFDs can be embarrassing, demoralizing, painful, and make you not enjoy time with friends and families and perform your leisure and daily activities well. By booking an appointment with the Chicago Center for Women’s Health, you will get rid of the pain during sex, laugh and sneeze comfortably, and attend those parties without shame of frequent urination.