Pelvic Health and Alignment

I realise that I've been going on and on about shortened pelvic floor muscles, but what are they really?  Muscles have a very specific length that allows them to function optimally according to a length-tension (strength) relationship.  Length-Tension Relationship* This demonstrates that a muscle that is too short or too long has a decreased ability to contract compared to when it is within it's ideal range. A tight muscle is not necessarily a strong muscle, instead it is unable to function and respond appropriately to required demands because it is never able to contract through its full range.  Shortened pelvic floor muscles can manifest in many different ways: Stress urinary incontinence - leaking with cough/sneezing, laughing, running and jumping Pelvic pain - tailbone , pubic bone, SIJ or lower back pain Pain with sex Decreased sensation or difficulty achieving orgasm with sex Constipation Higher risk of perineal tearing with a vagina...

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary leaking of urine and one of the most common and easily cured reasons for urinary leaking.  What is it? In essence, it is due to physical stress or external pressure on the bladder with increased pressure in the abdomen. For example, laughing, coughing, sneezing and lifting all involve strong abdominal contractions that place significant pressure on the bladder. Running, changing directions quickly and jumping all involve higher impact and displacement of the bladder with similar results. Leaking occurs when the muscles of the pelvic floor are not able to react appropriately to close off the urethra and thus allows urine to escape.  What are the causes? Most often it is caused by dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles which can be from any of the risk factors discussed in this post "Everyday things that can put your pelvic floor at risk" :  Most notably:  Excessive straining with bowel movements or on...

Now that we've had a look at some easy changes you can make to protect your pelvic health, lets look at some of the conditions you will be preventing. For those who are experiencing some of these conditions, I will provide some reliable information on what it actually is, reasons why these problems may be occurring, as well as options for treatment. I'm starting with urinary incontinence because it is very, very common. Increasingly so in a younger population, often after childbirth but not necessarily. It is one of the leading causes for admission of older people (not just women) into nursing homes and can cost a small fortune to manage using pads. And while I am glad that awareness of adult incontinence is increasing thanks to television advertisements for adult diapers, I do not agree with their message that leaking is just something to put up with.  If you only take away one message from this post, let it be this: Urinary incontinence, regardless of whether ...