How to Detect Pelvic Floor Disorders in Women?
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So many women suffer from pelvic floor disorders and yet, their problems may continue for years because many don’t receive proper diagnosis and the required treatment. Our pelvic floor supports lower abdomen organs, such as the bladder, and controls bowel movements among its other functions. Bowel and bladder actions are regulated by the coordinated contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles! In the case of women, it is not just about the bowel motions and urination process, women’s sexual activity also depends on their pelvic floor's health.
Women’s pelvic floor dysfunction is characterized by either excessive or insufficient tension in the pelvic floor muscles, which can lead to constipation, lower back, pelvic, genital, or rectum discomfort, as well as urine incontinence and pain during sexual activity. Keep reading to find out the pelvic floor disorders in women and the treatment options available!
What is Pelvic Floor Disorder?
A rather common ailment known as pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when the muscles in your pelvic floor are unable to properly function during urination and bowel movement. The bladder, uterus, and rectum all reside in a woman’s pelvic floor which serves as the framework that holds all these organs and parts together.
When the pelvic floor muscles contract and release properly, you can use the toilet facilities without any problems, however, when you have pelvic floor disorders, your body continues to contract rather than release these muscles. Due to this stress, you could have difficulty releasing (evacuating) the bowel content, and could also experience leaking of feces or urine. For many women, pain and discomfort during sexual activity may also result from pelvic floor dysfunction.
Types of Pelvic Floor Disorder
Pelvic floor disorders, sometimes referred to as urogynecologic diseases, encompass any discomfort or malfunction experienced in the uterus, vagina, bladder, or rectum area. The most common pelvic floor disorders are listed below:
Urinary incontinence - Because of this condition, small urine leaks can happen during any stress activity such as sneezing, coughing, or laughing. Overactive bladder is another type of urinary incontinence when the affected person has no control of their bladder and involuntary urination happens.
Fecal incontinence - Fecal incontinence is the unintentional leakage of solid or liquid feces.
Fistulas - Urine leakage can occur from a vesicovaginal or rectovaginal part, which is a gap between the walls of the vagina and the bladder or rectum.
Pelvic organ prolapse - Pelvic organ prolapse is defined as the uterus or bladder moving downwards from its original position.
Pelvic Floor Disorder Diagnosis
To check for any pelvic floor dysfunction, your doctor will use their hands to feel for any weakness, knots, or spasms in the pelvic floor muscles, and examine your pelvis and rectal area. During the initial appointment, a pelvic exam and physical examination come first, and after the examination, the physician could advise further tests if necessary.
Anorectal manometry - Anorectal manometry test evaluates the function of your anal sphincters and gauges the force behind the contractions of your bowel movements. Electromyography (EMG) is frequently performed concurrently to assess pelvic floor muscle synchronization.
Urodynamics - If you have urinary incontinence or trouble urinating, your doctor could prescribe urodynamic testing that can demonstrate your ability to empty your bladder successfully with control. A pelvic floor dysfunction may be indicated by a weak urine flow and the need to start and stop when urinating.
Defecating proctogram - To determine how effectively you can start and complete a bowel movement, your doctor could prescribe this test that demonstrates how various organs function during your bowel movement. It is also used by healthcare professionals to look for pelvic floor organ anatomic anomalies, such as pelvic organ prolapse.
Treatment of Pelvic Floor Disorder
Pelvic floor disorders can be treated both surgically and non-surgically by healthcare professionals, but non-surgical procedures are the first choice for most patients.
Check out the non-surgical treatment options here:
Pelvic floor physical therapy - A physical therapist can assist you in determining which muscles of the pelvic floor are too tight, and can provide you with stretches to lengthen these muscles to enhance your muscle coordination.
Biofeedback - This process generally takes place in addition to physical treatment and your physical therapist will monitor your pelvic floor muscles by using video and sensors to track your contractions and relaxations. After that examination, they will provide you tips on how to get better at controlling your muscles.
Medications - To maintain soft, regular bowel motions, you might require daily medications which are usually available over-the-counter.
Trigger point injections - Your physician could recommend you an injection to reduce myofascial pain if physical therapy is ineffective. The injection is administered after identifying the precise muscles that are too tight, and after administering numbing drugs.
Relaxation methods - To release tension in your pelvic floor muscles, your physician or physical therapist may suggest relaxation methods like yoga, meditation, and exercises.
Surgical Procedures
Surgery options are often used after a serious pelvic organ prolapse that couldn't be treated with non-surgical procedures.
Pelvic reconstructive surgery - Vaginal surgery can be used to treat pelvic organ prolapse or urine incontinence without creating any abdominal wounds, but in cases of severe problems, abdominal surgery could be suggested.
Minimally invasive surgery - Minimally invasive surgery for stress incontinence includes collagen injections, fascial slings, and transvaginal slings. Sacral nerve stimulation involves electrically stimulating the sacral nerves, which regulate the pelvic floor, bladder, and urine sphincter. This is a two-stage outpatient surgery that is extremely safe and successful in most cases and is favored among doctors.
Laparoscopic surgery - A procedure that is performed using a laparoscope, or surgical telescope, and is carried out through tiny incisions with specially made surgical equipment. In most cases, a prolapsed uterus is treated with this operation.
Final Remarks
Although anybody can have pelvic floor disorder, pregnant women and older women are more susceptible to pelvic floor dysfunction. Different factors can lead to different forms of pelvic floor dysfunction, therefore before creating a treatment plan, a physician must determine the underlying problem of the patient. Don’t ignore physical discomfort, consult a physician if you suffer from unpleasant constipation, trouble urinating, pelvic discomfort, or pain during sex! For effective treatment of pelvic floor disorder, it is best to consult with gynecologists and urologists who can accurately identify the problem and suggest a treatment plan for you.
Contact Medanta for a consultation with specialists experienced in treating pelvic floor disorders!
