Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when a person has difficulty controlling the muscles within their pelvic floor. A person with pelvic floor dysfunction will experience problems with urination, bowel movements, and sexual intercourse.
Where is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a set of muscles and ligaments that support many of our organs. These muscles support the bladder, urethra, prostate (men), vagina and uterus (women), anus, and rectum. The pelvic floor also offers general support to the intra-abdominal contents.
Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
There are many symptoms associated with pelvic floor dysfunction. They include:
- Difficult urination: pain or delay in urinary stream
- Urinary incontinence: uncontrolled urine leakage
- Fecal incontinence: uncontrolled bowel movements
- Long term constipation
- Lower back pain: unexplained chronic pain not caused by injury or illness
- Pelvic pain or chronic pain lasting more than 3-6 months
What Causes Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?
The exact causes of pelvic floor dysfunction continue to be researched. Though not well understood by the medical community, there are known conditions and events that weaken the pelvic muscles and/or tear connective tissue. These events include:
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Traumatic injury to the pelvic region
- Overusing pelvic muscles
- Pelvic surgery
- Nerve damage
- Aging
- Diagnosing pelvic floor dysfunction
Your medical provider will review your medical history, observe your symptoms, and perform a physical exam. Doctors may perform an internal exam, or use electrodes on your perineum, to check for pelvic muscle control and pelvic muscle contractions.
Treatments for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
There are many ways to help treat pelvic floor dysfunction. Some people find relief with relaxation techniques like meditation, warm baths, and yoga. Physical therapy, medication, and trigger point injections are also great treatment options to relax pelvic floor muscles. Another common treatment is biofeedback therapy.
What is Biofeedback Therapy?
Biofeedback therapy is the most common treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction, usually used in tandem with physical therapy. During biofeedback therapy, special sensors monitor and track muscle activity. A trained nurse or physical therapist inserts a probe into the patient’s anal sphincter and places sticky pads on the abdomen. They will ask the patient to contract and relax the pelvic floor muscles. The physical therapist will also lead the patient through breathing and muscle-strengthening exercises, as well as relaxation techniques.
The muscle movements are converted into visual and auditory signals, and displayed on a screen in real-time. The nurse or physiotherapist is able to clearly demonstrate how well the patient is performing each exercise. With the feedback, the healthcare provider will be able to create a customized program based on the muscle strength of the patient.
The goal of biofeedback therapy is to provide the patient with the skills to improve and retrain pelvic floor muscle coordination and control. The physical therapist may also discuss changes to the diet including increasing water and fiber intake, positioning techniques like using a squatty potty, or massaging the abdomen to stimulate the gut.
Biofeedback therapy is painless, but it is important to be consistent with frequent sessions and practice your pelvic floor exercises at home.
Biofeedback Therapy at the Incontinence Institute
If you experience incontinence and are interested in biofeedback treatment, contact our team today. We are committed to finding a long-term solution to treat your incontinence symptoms.