3 Habits that Cause Pelvic Floor Dysfunction - Changing Bad Habits

There are many habits that we all carry in our daily lives that contribute to pelvic pain and dysfunction. These habits may just be a part of our posture, our walk or we may have picked it up somewhere along in our lives. Here we go Top 3 and we can make a change Today.

1. Standing on one leg

This one is very common for people complaining of pelvic pain or dysfunction its the daily habit of leaning on one leg or favoring a particular leg when standing up. Instead of distributing your weight over both legs evenly one leg takes the brunt of the weight.

This habit is very common when standing for long periods of time you may find it more comfortable to shift your weight to your preferred leg and rest on it like a kick stand.

This habit can cause major dysfunctions in the pelvic floor in the long run and if the habit is not changed it will often lead to muscle tightness and loss of the full range of motion of your leg muscles.

The main issue here is that the hip flexors and extensors muscles become overly tight and bound up which can be a very serious issue as the psoas (hip flexor muscle) which is attached to the lower spine and pelvis can become chronically tight to the point were it will start to lift one side of your pelvis higher than the other. When your pelvis is out of alignment this can cause muscle spams and pain over time.

If there was one habit you can stop today , its this one and I urge you to consciously make an effort to distribute the weight evenly to keep your pelvic happy and healthy. Will post an article on correction exercises shortly:). The main corrections for this will include psoas stretches (warrior pose, pigeon pose, fire hydrant exercises but I will cover them in more detail in a future post)

2. Sitting down for long periods of time

This is the number one habit that can sometimes be impossible to avoid especially when your work requires sitting down infront of a computer screen for long periods of time.

Much like favoring one leg, sitting down for long periods of time will cause muscles imbalances and will therefore eventually effect pelvic floor stability.  A few things you can do to help prevent posture issues will then lead to pelvic floor issues are

- Stand up and take a walk every hour
- Perform Psoas stretch (warrior pose image below) throughout the day
- Breathing exercises for the back and neck to avoid forward head posture

I will cover specifics in upcoming posts but the other option would be to see if your workplace would be able to offer a standing work desk solution. I am currently experimenting with a standing desk and it can take a while to get used to, it also brings on a whole lot of different concerns when it comes to standing for long periods of time.

3. Stress and the pelvic floor

Stress and the pelvic floor, definitely a topic that deserves its own post but in short the pelvic floor takes a beating from our emotions and in times of stress or anxiety we often rely on our pelvic floors to store all our tension and pain.

The pelvic floor is often used as a defense mechanism , say we are startled by a loud noise or angry about something we may find ourselves unconsciously contracting the muscles of the pelvic floor and holding them inwards. This chronic behaviour of tensing the pelvic floor muscles creates an environment inhospitable for nutrients and proper blood flow which then leads to more pain and dysfunction. This is often referred to as the stress, pain , anxiety cycle where we are feeding our dysfunction and it takes on a life of its own.

I will definitely be doing another post dedicated stress, anxiety and the pelvic floor and hope to release it soon but for now when you feel stressed take a look at your pelvic muscles , take a deep belly breath and release the muscles. It can go a long way to relaxing your body and calming your mind.

as always I hope that helped and wish everyone the very best with their pelvic floors :) treat them nicely

Best Stretch for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction - Ease Pelvic Tension

Jean Claude Van Damme Pelvic Floor Specialist :)

I thought I was going to save this post for later on but I just received an email from a fellow pelvic floor pain sufferer requesting stretches and exercises for pelvic floor pain and tension and it motivated me to post this one.

This is by far my favourite stretch for pelvic floor and if you really relax into it can bring amazing results. After doing this stretch for a while I would finally feel my natural ability to relax the pelvic floor and dare I say it I may have broke wind due to my relaxation. Sorry for that image back to it, here we go!

The Splits

That's right its the splits, I can see the dread on your faces but this is not just an exercise for little gymnasts and ballet dancers. Can you remember the last time you stretched in any way that resembled a split stretch. Most likely not and its an amazing stretch that can target

-> Tight hamstrings and Calves

-> Posterior or Anterior tilted Pelvis

-> Abductors

-> IT band

Steps

So we are not going to go all out and perform your regular splits stretch we are going to be doing a Static Wall Stretch (Always Warm up before a stretch, never stretch cold)

1. Find a wall large enough for you to spread your legs against. Move yourself up close to the wall so that you are sitting side on to the wall with your right or left hip touch the wall.

2. Swing your legs up so they are vertical against the wall.

3. Waddle your bum back slowly so you are able to maintain a neutral curve in your spine

4. Rotate your feet outwards so your pinky toe is closest the wall 

5. Try and relax and let gravity bring your legs down

6. Sit out here for 2-5 minutes, take it easy it can be quite a shock at first and you made find it hard to relax especially with tight hamstrings and tendons.

7. When you are relaxed you can also use your hands on your pelvic floor to find any trigger points and slowly knead them out. Remember to relax as much as possible.

8. When your finished slowly bring your legs closer together and gently bend your knees to your chest. You may feel some pain in your legs which is very normal after never having stretched like before.

 Similar to this one but feet more outwards and pinky toe close to the wall, obviously this lady has done the split stretch before and you shouldn't expect to go so low with your feet.

Need Some Assistance

You may find that the wall split stretch is not working for you or you just don't have a wall big enough for your luscious legs. Well never fear you can either do a traditional split on the carpet or try a Leg stretcher device to perform the stretch.

I use a simple leg stretcher which is made up of 3 metal rods and handles to help achieve a stronger stretch without the need for a wall. The simple metal pole leg stretchers are quite cheap but there are also more advanced versions with pulleys and winding mechanisms. (device I use below)

That's all folks, I really do hope it helps you out as it has honestly helped me greatly in regaining my flexibility and letting my pelvic floor feel relaxed.

External Massage for Pelvic Floor Pain - Trigger Point Myofascial Release

Massage and myofascial release can be one of the most useful tools for fighting chronically tight and painful pelvic floor muscles. When the muscles of the pelvis are chronically tight or spasm'ing non stop throughout the day this can leave the muscles tightly bound and full of painful trigger points.

External massage can be especially useful for people who are a bit squeamish about doing an internal massage on themselves. Its a great place to start exploring your pelvic floor , finding your trigger points and bringing you some relief. Finally time to start healing the pelvic floor.

When performing a external massage to pelvic floor I concentrate on the Glutes Piriformis, Pubococcygeus and Levator Ani muscles which make up the bulk of the pelvic floor muscles. The levator Ani muscle is especially prone to holding painful trigger points as this is the muscle responsible for the upwards pelvic floor contraction, and is responsible for holding painful tension in your pelvic floor muscles.

 Method

Before you being make sure to find a quiet place where you will have 10-15 minutes free without being disturbed. So you can fully relax and get the most out of the massage session. I find it best to do 5-10 minutes before a morning or evening shower.

1. You will be massaging your pelvic floor with your hands so it is important to maintain proper hygiene practices. You can get some examination gloves from your local chemist or online , I usually go for the vinyl powder free examination gloves as they are fairly cheap and have close no chance of causing skin irritations or allergic reactions.

2.  Put on the examination gloves, and either lie on your back or stand up with one foot propped up on a low stool. The standing position may be the best for easy access as you will be going for some hard to reach places :).

3. You can begin the massage by exploring the muscles the wind around your anus, and searching with your fingers for any painful area's or parts that may feel gristly. Take it gently, relax and listen to your body. There is no right way to massage at this point its really going to be about finding trigger points. A trigger point will be any area that responds with pain to the touch, A happy supple muscles will not be painful when manipulated.

4. When you find a painful area , you can push the pads of your fingers into that area with a circular pushing motion or by simply holding constant pressure until the pain lessens.You will eventually increase blood flow to these muscles and breath new life into them and it can be quite a pleasant experience.

5. Go around every nook and cranny and find trigger points, knead them out and continue. Remember to take it easy as these muscles will take some time to get used to being massaged. After a massage give body time to heal and process the new oxygenated blood coming through.

6. Repeat the massage 3-4 times a week or as often as required.

Theracane

I recently purchased a theracane to knead out some trigger points in my hips and lower back and found it very useful for performing discrete pelvic floor massages as well. You use the handles on the theracane to get a nice Glutes Piriformis release.

It is great for targeting larger groups of muscles and definitely has its place in my arsenal of massage equipment but will never be quite as precise as using a gloved hand to find trigger points which can sometimes be like searching for a needle in hay stack.

Internal Massage

After all that here I am talking about internal massage again, I wish I could just ignore it but to be honest internal massage can be extremely valuable and its probably the most common procedure that a pelvic floor specialist will perform on you to examine your pelvic floor health.

An Internal massage gives you the ability to manipulate muscles from a totally different angle and also allows for a great number of stretching exercises. I know many people turn there nose up to get anywhere near their rear ends but that's exactly the problem right there, We are so disconnected its like we ignore that poor little peep hole because of its dirty history. He/She is part of us and deserves to be treated as such and only then will it heal.

Well enough of my blabbing , I shall publish a post on internal massage shortly or perhaps a different topic first. Stay Tuned if anyone is reading :P

Biofeedback Devices for Pelvic Floor Pain - Using Electromyography and Biofeedback for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Biofeedback devices are very popular for retraining the pelvic floor for suffers of pelvic floor pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. There are a few types of Biofeedback machines these are

-> Pressure Based Biofeedback Machines - These work by inserting a balloon type probe into the anus and measuring the built up air pressure around the probe. Usually a lot cheaper then the next type of device.

-> EMG biofeedback device -> An EMG or Electromyography biofeedback device is more high tech than a simple pressure biofeedback device as it will pick up electrical signals from your muscle contractions to determine your pelvic floor tension or relaxation.

-> Pressure or EMG device with inbuilt electrical stimulation - mostly used for training the pelvic floor much like a kegel without any effort but can be useful in some cases , explanation below. (note * kegels are never recommended for people suffering pelvic floor dysfunction.)

There are basically two main ways in which a biofeedback device will help bring relief to your pelvic floor.

1. Retrain the Pelvic Floor

The first is to retrain the pelvic floor so that you can develop a stronger body mind connection. The aim is to be able to determine exactly from the biofeedback device when you are contracting your pelvic floor and when you are relaxing.

This is particularly useful for people who find that when they are in the bathroom and trying to defecate that not matter how hard they push nothing comes out. Pelvic floor dysfunction often causes constipation as people unconsciously tighten and contract their pelvic floor instead of relaxing it which makes it almost impossible to have a happy bowel movement.

In my experience a biofeedback device is somewhat useful in helping you consciously feel a relaxed pelvic floor, and the difference between a contracted pelvic floor and a neutral/relaxed one.

Important:  Some people with pelvic floor dysfunction can experience excruciating pain when anything is entered inside the anal canal. I too have felt this before and I would describe it as a strong kind of ballooning pain where the pain slowly increases and then dissipates in a matter of about 15 seconds. For those people it is highly recommended to avoid the use of biofeedback devices. Experiment with a gloved finger first to determine your level of sensitivity.

I know this is not always possible but it is highly recommended you use a pelvic floor biofeedback device with the assistance of a trained pelvic floor specialist.

The Method

The method for using a biofeedback is quite simple. First of all make sure that your hands are clean and you have used a water syringe in your anus for hygiene purposes.  This is not strictly neccessary but can make the experience much cleaner and less off putting.

Once you are all cleaned up and ready to go , Lubricate the anal probe and while lying on your back with your knees bend and feet flat on the floor, gently insert the probe in your anus. Once the probe is inserted as comfortably as possible you can pick up the biofeedback device and establish a baseline level for your resting pelvic floor tension.

Once you have established your baseline, you then bring the machine back to zero and perform kegel contractions to determine the strength of your pelvic floor or maintain a relaxed state to see if you are able to relax the pelvic floor consciously. This can also be useful for finding trigger points for example you could massage your upper thighs or legs and see if this is causing you to perform involuntary kegels.

The EMG device will have much the same procedure but will give you more accurate/complicated readings.

2. Break the Muscle Spasm Cycle

Normally an electrical stimulation that forces you to contract your pelvic floor is not a good thing but it can sometimes be used to break a muscle spasm cycle. Say for example you find you have very twitchy pelvic floor muscles which spasm painfully you can use an electrical stimulation device to force contractions for desired duration or intervals in order to break a pattern.

Conclusion

Many of you with pelvic floor dysfunction may be interested in buying a biofeedback device and to some extent I believe they can be helpful especially to monitor involuntary muscle contractions and bring them under control.

The only issue is that when establishing baseline pelvic floor tension you may find that your relaxed state is not in fact a relaxed state so its not really an appropriate place to begin from. For people who have been holding tension for months or years even a relaxed pelvis can feel tight and painful.

I have tried all 3 types of devices Pressure, EMG and Electrical stimulation at great expense and could only really recommend the cheapest pressure biofeedback device to satisfy any curiosity you have in the effectiveness of these types of devices.

Not sure how interested people are but I will review the specific devices I have used , the PFX pressure biofeedback device, and the Neen Peritone electrical and biofeedback devices.

That's all folk's , hang in there and all the best :)