Do you leak urine just from a slight cough? There may be a problem with the "pelvic floor muscles"! Physiotherapist: Doing 1 exercise a day is expected to improve
Is the embarrassing situation of “urinary leakage” caused by just a slight cough a warning sign of a problem with the “pelvic floor muscles”? Physiotherapist Guo Minyu of Zhonglun International Clinic said that urinary leakage symptoms caused by pelvic floor muscle problems not only affect going to the toilet, but can even cause difficulties in intimate behavior and affect the fun between partners. Because the above-mentioned problems are too private, it is easy for patients to be ashamed to seek medical treatment and fail to treat and improve them in time.
The most important “foundation” of the human body! Do pelvic floor muscle problems affect excretion and sexual function?
Therapist Guo Minyu explained that if the human body is compared to a building, the pelvic floor muscles are the most important “foundation” in the human body; they carry the weight of the abdominal cavity and the organs in the pelvic cavity (such as the bladder, rectum, and uterus connected to the vagina). Like three buildings leaning on each other, they assist the human body’s necessary physiological operations.
If the structure of the building is too loose (for example, the pelvic floor muscles are loose and sagging after childbirth), or if organs have been surgically removed (such as uterus removal), or other pelvic surgeries (such as gynecological or colorectal surgery) have been performed, the rest of the body may be affected. The functions of organs that are not diseased or damaged become increasingly unstable. As time passes and structural deterioration becomes more severe, urinary symptoms caused by pelvic floor muscle problems will only increase.
There are many ligaments and mesentery that suspend organs in the pelvic cavity, supporting the entire soft tissue related to the pelvic floor muscles. However, ligaments and mesangium will also gradually relax with aging of the human body or improper force application habits. “This is why we continue to recommend that people take care of their pelvic floor muscles early to reduce the risk of soft tissue sagging and relaxation, so that people can have longer-term and stable pelvic organ function!”
Can coughing or sneezing affect the pelvic floor muscles? Physiotherapist: “6 Things” That May Worse Symptoms
Therapist Guo Minyu pointed out that the pelvic floor muscles have the characteristics of skeletal muscles, just like the muscles of the limbs that can be controlled by consciousness. However, the body still needs muscles to maintain basic control capabilities. If the muscles are too tight, it may make it difficult to open or close any tubes; if the muscles are too loose, the contents cannot be effectively controlled. Just like when farting, the anus can be controlled to allow gas to be discharged, and at the same time, the feces can be controlled to prevent it from spilling out of the body.
However, the pathogenesis of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction is still unclear. Women have more openings in the vagina and urethra than men in structure, and are usually more likely to develop pelvic floor muscle dysfunction than men, especially when facing pregnancy and childbirth. During different stages such as menopause and menopause, obvious pelvic floor muscle symptoms are prone to occur.
However, both men and women have digestive and urinary systems and may face common problems such as difficulty urinating or over-sensitivity, anal prolapse or hemorrhoids. If you have experienced pelvic trauma in the past, including injuries to the pelvic area such as falls, surgery on the genitourinary tract, and even pelvic radiation therapy, these are all events that can easily cause damage to the function of the pelvic floor muscles.
Therapist Guo Minyu emphasized that the following conditions can easily increase the burden on the pelvic floor muscles, and over time may even form “pelvic floor dysfunction”, leading to worsening of pelvic function problems:
Continue to do actions that increase abdominal pressure, such as chronic coughing and frequent sneezing.
Constipation.
Lift heavy objects.
Engage in high-impact sports (such as trampoline, running, gymnastics) for a long time.
Obesity, especially those with a BMI over 25.
People with established pelvic floor muscle function weakness (such as hemorrhoids, multiple childbirth experiences).
Can doing Kegel exercises every day relieve symptoms? “3 steps” may be a waste of effort
Speaking of training exercises related to pelvic floor muscles, therapist Guo Minyu pointed out that in addition to helping to improve problems such as urinary leakage and constipation, “Kegel exercises” are also well-known for their ability to improve sexual performance. However, even though Kegel exercises have many benefits, not everyone can avoid the compensation of other muscles and achieve precise “perineal force”, resulting in a gap in exercise effectiveness.
Therefore, physical therapists often use two key points: “positioning” and “breathing” to help people exert perineal force correctly and eliminate common wrong movements. Therapist Guo Minyu said that when performing Kegel exercises, the following steps should be followed to achieve precise force exertion in the perineum and improve pelvic floor muscle symptoms:
Sit on a chair with your feet spread apart, leaning forward and letting your elbows rest on your knees.
Keep your back straight, place your perineum flat against the chair surface, and feel the action of your pelvic floor muscles.
In conjunction with breathing, first inhale to prepare and then slowly “breathe out”. At this time, the lower abdomen will be slightly inducted.
At the same time, you can feel the pelvic floor muscles of the perineum increase, and immediately tighten the perineum with the force of “holding back urine”.
Tighten the perineum for 3-10 seconds and then relax. Rest for 10 seconds and then repeat for 5-10 times.
In addition, the therapist Guo Minyu reminded that the following are common Kegel exercise mistakes that people should improve: first, do not hold your breath during the process and focus the force on the perineum; second, avoid compensating for hair loss through the abdomen or buttocks. Strength, so as not to cause the training to be ineffective due to lack of force in the perineum; third, avoid doing “big inhalation” movements, and do not push the breath down deliberately when exhaling.
The best solution to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles! Can learning Kegel exercises increase your fun?
Kegel exercises can not only be used as exercises, but can also be used as protective tips in life. For example, if you leak urine when coughing or sneezing, you can first use Kegel exercises to tighten the pelvic floor muscles, so that you can Close the urethral opening tightly to prevent urine leakage.
Therapist Guo Minyu said that human body muscles can relearn to contract through exercise. Therefore, even if you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, as long as you perform Kegel exercises correctly for at least 3 weeks, the pelvic floor muscles can receive sufficient training. Nerve stimulation, thereby increasing the muscle mass of the pelvic floor muscles, is expected to gradually get rid of the trouble of urinary leakage and welcome a happy sex life.
Finally, therapist Guo Minyu emphasized that Kegel exercises are only basic training to lay a solid foundation. If the symptoms are not improved after continuous training, you should immediately consult a doctor or physical therapist to provide personalized exercise methods or drugs to improve the pelvic floor muscles. Symptoms caused by dysfunction.
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