Treatment Options Available for Women’s Pelvic Health Concerns

	Tweet

Pelvic health concerns in women are common—yet how the issues impact sexuality and childbearing is not often discussed, according to Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource.

The February issue features an overview of pelvic health problems, risk factors, causes and treatment options. The key recommendation is that women should talk to their doctors about pelvic health concerns because several treatment options, including physical therapy, can help.

The pelvic floor holds in place the uterus, bladder and rectum. Over time, the pelvic floor may stretch, weaken or become excessively tense. The tension or loss of support can lead to pain, bladder and bowel problems, pain during sexual intercourse and other symptoms. 

Factors that may contribute to pelvic floor concerns include childbirth, obesity, menopause, stress, straining during bowel movements and older age. Half of women over age 50 experience pelvic floor weakening.

Several types of treatment can provide relief for pelvic floor disorders.

Physical therapy: Most women can benefit from physical therapy that’s designed to relax or train pelvic floor muscles. When pelvic floor muscles are tight and painful (pelvic floor tension myalgia), exercise to improve the strength and stability of the spine can be helpful. In addition, massage techniques to release tight muscles can ease pain.

To treat urinary incontinence, Kegel exercises—contractions of the muscles used to stop the flow of urine—combined with bladder training can help resolve incontinence.

Biofeedback: A biofeedback specialist uses monitoring equipment that provides feedback—visual cues, sound or verbal guidance—to the patient about body functions that usually aren’t under conscious control. Biofeedback can help improve pelvic floor muscle coordination and rectal and bladder sensation.

Medical treatment: Various medical therapies may be helpful for pelvic floor tension myalgia, including estrogen, pain relievers, nerve pain medications, antidepressants, numbing agents or Botox injections.

Surgery: Many different surgical procedures, including minimally invasive techniques, can be used.

Acupuncture: This may relieve muscle pain, but more research is needed to determine whether it specifically helps with pelvic flood problems.

Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 800-876-8633, extension 9751, (toll-free) or visit http://www.bookstore.mayoclinic.com.

Source:  Mayo Clinic

RELATED STORIES:
Pill Among Least Effective Birth Control Methods   70 percent of women use contraceptives during their first sexual encounter   Long-term contraception more effective than pills   Gay couples and women over 40 to get free IVF treatment on NHS   Health secretary urges contraception compromise   Contraceptive ring, patch carry blood clot risks   Reminder Stamp Boosts HPV Vaccination   Study adds to evidence on clot risks of non-oral contraceptives   HPV vaccine completion rate among girls is poor, getting worse   Some ob-gyns cite religious conflicts over care   After IVF, some couples get pregnant without help   Web Tool Offers Map to Menopause   Early Menopause Could Also Mean Early Death   Does soy help cool hot flashes after all?   Caffeine not tied to worsening urinary incontinence

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]