4 surprising things that can happen when your pelviC FLOOR MUSCLE is weak
There are workouts for all the different body parts but how often do we talk about exercises for the pelvic muscles. The pelvic floor muscles are located between with the tailbone (coccyx) and the pubic bone within the pelvis. It provides support to other organs in the body. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that forms a kind of hammock across your pelvic opening.
The pelvic floor muscles can become weak due to various factors. The most common cause of weakened pelvic floor muscles are pregnancy, vaginal childbirth, prostate cancer treatment in males, obesity and the associated straining of chronic constipation.
How do you know your pelvic floor muscles are weak? Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor are
- Leaking urine when coughing, sneezing or laughing
- A general feeling and sensations of heaviness in the vagina
- Reduced sensation in the vagina
- Failing to reach the toilet in time when passing wind from the anus or vagina
- A distinct bulge in the vaginal opening.
Here are four things that can happen with a weak pelvic floor muscle
- Your vagina can fall off
Yes, your vagina can fall off. A weakened pelvic floor muscles can lead to vaginal prolapse. This weakening allows the uterus, urethra, bladder or rectum to droop down into the vagina. Depending on the extent of weakness, these organs can protrude out of the vagina.
There are a few different types of drooping in the vagina that can occur.
- Drooping of the bladder into the vagina
- Rectum bulging into the vagina. This is as a result of the weakening of the wall separating the rectum
- Your uterus drooping into the vagina
- The cervix or upper part of the vagina falls down into the vagina.
The symptoms can include a feeling of fullness in the vagina, a lump at the opening of the vagina, achy pain in your lower back that gets better when you lie down, frequent bladder infections and pain during sex.
READ- YOUR GUIDE TO PELVIC EXERCISES
2. Loss of bladder control
Weakness of the pelvic floor muscle can lead to incontinence. People with incontinence experience difficulty in controlling their bowel or bladder movement. Hence they find themselves passing urine without adequate form of control. Loss of bladder control is a common symptom of a weakened pelvic floor.
3. Pelvic organ prolapse
If you think your vagina is the only thing that can fall off when your pelvic floor is weakened then think again. A weakened pelvic floor muscle can lead to complete prolapse of all pelvic organs. Pelvic prolapse refers to the drooping of any of the pelvic floor organs. The organs in the pelvis include the following; Bladder, Uterus, Vagina, Small bowel and Rectum.
You wouldn’t want to walk around with your uterus hanging out of your legs.
4. Pain and sexual discomfort
The feeling of ‘’tightness’’ during sex is primarily determined by the pelvic floor muscles around the vagina. Weak pelvic floor muscles can also lead to reduced vaginal sensations. This is because the pelvic muscles also increase sexual pleasure and can affect arousal levels.
Treatment
If your pelvic wall muscles are weak, performing simple kegel exercises can improve your muscle tone and prevent the need for corrective surgery. Other than kegels, vagina weightlifting can be employed through the use of yoni balls to keep muscles properly toned.
