It is estimated that 40% of women suffer from urinary incontinence. Despite this high and worrying figure, most women are unaware that this and other important dysfunctions are related to the health of the pelvic floor. This group of muscles and ligaments is more important than you can imagine. Located in the lower abdomen, they serve to support the pelvic organs, control the bladder and bowel, or influence the intensity of orgasms.
Having a strong pelvic floor is very important, as it helps prevent problems such as urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction and improve posture. On the occasion of Urinary Incontinence Day, the experts from INTIMINA, a company that offers the first range dedicated to taking care of all aspects of female intimate health, help to make visible the importance of the pelvic floor in different aspects of the health and well-being of women. women.
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1. It is not normal to leak urine when laughing
No, it is not normal to leak urine when laughing, coughing, exercising, during menopause, pregnancy or postpartum. Most of the time, these problems are related to a dysfunctional pelvic floor. “Despite not being normal, it is much more common than we think: 40% of Spanish women leak urine; 1 in 3 in the case of women from the age of 50″, says María Pérez, an expert physical therapist in pelvic floor, women’s health and therapeutic exercise, creator of La Pelvis Revolution and collaborator of INTIMINA.
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2. A dysfunctional pelvic floor can cause constipation
If this muscle is weak, it can interfere when evacuating, forcing us to push in the bathroom, which should not happen. This weakness is also related to vaginal prolapses, when the bladder, uterus, or rectum fall through the vagina, or anal hernias, which happen when the rectum comes out through the anuswhich can be avoided or corrected by changing the way you push in the bathroom and with a good exercise plan for your pelvic floor.
On the contrary, if the muscles are very tense, it can interfere with the relaxation of the sphincters and cause problems such as anal fissures or hemorrhoids.
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3. It can also happen the other way around
Some women have trouble keeping gas and stool down due to a weakened pelvic floor. The incontinence of stool or gas It is less common than urine, but it can affect a woman’s life. Luckily, in most cases it has a solution and an assessment with an expert pelvic floor physiotherapist will help you.
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4. Orgasms will be more powerful
There is a great relationship between the pelvic floor and the sensitivity of our sexual organs. The intensity of orgasms, arousal, vaginal lubrication and clitoral erection will be more powerful if we have a functional pelvic floor. This may also be related to pain in penetrative intercourse (dyspareunia) or during/after orgasm.
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5. Supports internal organs such as bladder, rectum, and uterus
The pelvic floor is also responsible, along with other structures, for holding some internal organs of women, such as the bladder, rectum, and uterus. If we combine a weak pelvic floor with poor management of the pressures we generate in the abdomen, prolapses can occur, causing one or more pelvic organs from falling into the vagina, even coming out To the exterior.
For this reason, it is important that we become aware of whether we push towards our vagina on a daily basis (in the bathroom, when we exercise, when we carry our little ones, when we cough, etc.) and, where appropriate, correct it with the help of an expert physical therapist.
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6. Exercises for the pelvic floor muscles
The pelvic floor muscles can be “trained” and in fact must be exercised to strengthen it. You can strengthen your pelvic floor with Kegel exercises: a series of voluntary contractions of the pelvic floor. In addition, you can use Kegel exercisers, such as KegelSmart or Laselle from INTIMINA, or intimate massagers. See: How to keep the pelvic floor in shape from home
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Stress, enemy of your pelvic floor
Stress can negatively impact (also) the health of your pelvic floor. As he physical and mental stress They can affect directly, causing pain in the area or dysfunctions such as dyspareunia or constipation. In addition, lifestyle habits such as a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight or poor digestion can negatively influence our pelvic floor.
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