For years, the significance of a pelvic floor in your overall health and wellbeing went unnoticed. However, there has been an open discussion about pelvic health in recent times. Celebrities like Ferne McCann, Joanne McNally, and Gweneth Paltrow are talking about it.
And it is about time people do! After all, as per Memorial Hermann, every one in five people tend to experience some form of pelvic floor disorder during their lifetime. And this includes one-third of women!
A good solution to ensuring pelvic floor health is physiotherapy. However, there are various myths that people believe stop many from opting from them. We are here to burst those bubbles.
- Physiotherapy causes you to leak urine
There is no form of workout that should cause you to leak urine. In fact, it doesn’t matter how old you are or how rigorous your workout is; leaking urine is always a sign of another ailment and must be dealt with immediately.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy does cause stress to the pelvic area of the body. However, it does the opposite rather than causing it to relax and cause leakage. It stretches your muscles to reduce the onset of the problem. Hence, pelvic floor physiotherapy is a treatment for urinary leakage!
You can try to coordinate your breathing with your workout movements. By synchronizing the two, you can inhibit leakages. On the other hand, if you breathe against the workout, you might trigger your bladder.
Seek the best physiotherapist in your area. For starters, quality pelvic floor physiotherapy in Edmonton will have qualified experts to help you manage your condition and still improve your pelvic health via exercises.
- The exercises are only for the old
Another common misconception people have regarding pelvic floor workouts is that they are only meant for sedentary or aged.
However, if you ask most athletes, they will tell you that they have been getting pelvic floor physiotherapy from an age as early as 20! In fact, research conducted revealed that one-third of athletes suffered from some degree of urinary incontinence, whose remedy is these workouts.
So, if young athletes can reap their benefits, you shouldn’t let this myth stop you either. While aged and sedentary individuals have a lot of comforts to gain from such exercises, the same is true for young adults.
The sooner you begin pelvic floor physiotherapy, the more time you give your muscles to get trained and strong. This is especially true for women. You should incorporate these workouts in your life before your childbearing years to avoid issues later on.
- Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a piece of cake
How hard can it be, right? Well, it turns out that pelvic floor physiotherapy can be very tricky, especially in the beginning. Don’t let the seemingly simple workout moves to fool you into thinking that this will be a path of roses.
We don’t wish to scare you off, but it is important to anticipate the difficulty early on so that you are mentally prepared for it. You must learn how to correctly do the exercises. And since pelvic muscles are inside your pelvis, you don’t really have any visual cues to go by.
So, it will take time to get the hang of it. The best way to approach this physiotherapy is by seeking help from an expert who can tell you whether you are on the right track or not. And trust us, when your muscles get used to the workout, it will get easier with time – something common in all workouts.
- Pelvic floor exercises are the same as Pilates
Yes, Pilates is immensely helpful – especially if you are a woman! However, just because you are a pro at them doesn’t mean you understand the nuances of pelvic floor physiotherapy. Neither does it mean that you are ready to do it solo without the help of a physiotherapist!
This is because the right way to do Pilates is no way near the effective way to train your pelvic muscles. On the other hand, confusing the two can worsen your pelvic floor symptoms. So, rather than making assumptions of what you think is the right way, take help from the experts around you.
This way, you can learn the correct positions and pressure points and then continue doing it independently.
- Kegels will solve all problems
Just like it is wrong to assume that pelvic floor exercises don’t have any benefits, it is just as dangerous to think that they are the answer to all your pelvic-related issues.
Kegels or pelvic floor exercises, when done correctly, can help improve your health immensely as well as reduce symptoms pertaining to incontinence. However, to say that they are the sure-short way of improving pelvic floor disorders is a bit of a stretch.
Sometimes, your given issue might arise because of an underlying cause that cannot be corrected via pelvic floor physiotherapy, although the exercise might help alleviate discomfort. In such instances, pelvic floor devices, therapy, or surgery can also be the answer.
Therefore, you need to understand your body and be honest with your healthcare providers. Let them know about your lifestyle, dietary habits, current ailments, etc. With the right knowledge, they will guide you better about whether Kegels are the answer for you or just a complementary addition to your overall treatment.
It’s time to take charge!
All in all, maintaining pelvic floor health is a long-term commitment that you make with your body. Whether you are looking to make sex less painful or reduce discomfort during childbirth, being attuned with your pelvic floor health is important for it all.
Work those muscles. But be sure to do it in the correct way and at the optimal frequency! See how the quality of your life improves because of it.
Are there any other myths you think to stop people from opting for pelvic floor physiotherapy? Let us all know by commenting below!