Pelvic floor dysfunction and a Self Check Test
Do you struggle with a pelvic floor dysfunction and don’t know how to perform a self check test?
Symptoms of a dysfunction of pelvic floor:
- leaking urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing or running
- failing to reach the toilet in time
- passing wind from either the anus or vagina when bending over or lifting
- reduced sensation in the vagina
- tampons that dislodge or fall out
- a distinct bulge at the vaginal opening
- a sensation of heaviness in the vagina.
Causes of a dysfunction of pelvic floor
The pelvic floor can be weakened by:
- supporting the weight of the uterus during pregnancy
- vaginal childbirth, which may overstretch the muscles
- the pressure of obesity
- chronic constipation and straining to poo
- constant coughing
- some forms of surgery that require cutting the muscles (including prostate cancer treatment in males)
- lower levels of estrogen after menopause.
How to perform a Self check Test?
Before you start pelvic floor physical therapy, perform a self check test to evaluate whether your pelvic floor muscles are weak:
- Engage your pelvic floor as you were wrapping around a tampon simultaneously squeezing your perineum muscles. Hold this engagement and record how many seconds you can hold it for.
- Secondly, engage your pelvic floor muscles, like suggested in the previous test and hold the engagement for 5 sec, repeat 10 times. Using a 5 second rest interval, how many “reps” can you achieve before there is a significant diminishment of strength?
Healthy Pelvic Floor Experience :
1. Can contract (elevate), relax and bulge
2. Symmetry is present (anterior-posterior, and left-right)
3. Can sense superficial and deep layer contraction
4. Can feel sensation intact on both sides (bilaterally activation)
5. Both tonic 10 second hold, and phasic 1-2 second rapid contractions
6. Both motor control and automatic activations
For best results, you should consider hiring a postnatal exercise specialist and/or a physical therapist. Femfit Body Lab specialists will help you with a pelvic floor dysfunction and a self check test. Click here: https://femfitbodylab.com/postnatal-fitness-assessment/
