Pelvic floor disorders are more common than you think . So is relief .
Perhaps it ’ s happened to you . Someone says something hilarious . Laughter ensues . So does a drop or more of urine . You dash to the restroom , mortified . That could be a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction . Other signs of pelvic floor dysfunction are constipation , pelvic pain , pain during sex , recurrent urinary tract infections , postpartum and menopausal changes , to name a few . It happens to more women than you think .
“ Pelvic floor disorders are incredibly common among women of all ages ,” said AHN ’ s Dr . Lindsay Turner . “ Unfortunately , too many women think they ’ re a normal part of aging or postpartum healing , or they ’ re embarrassed to talk about it , so they ignore the symptoms and don ’ t seek treatment .” While pelvic dysfunction isn ’ t life threatening , it can severely impact your quality of life . The good news is there are many effective treatments . “ When a patient comes to our office with symptoms , we do a very detailed history and physical exam ,” said Dr . Turner . Most of these symptoms can be treated both surgically and nonsurgically , which means patients have options . “ But we want to make sure we ’ re recommending the right type of procedure or treatment based on the different factors of each woman ’ s life . Each procedure has a different impact .”
DEPENDING ON THE CONDITION , TREATMENTS INCLUDE :
“ I have patients who come see me after a procedure or treatment and say , ‘ I should have done this years ago . I ’ ve gotten my life back .”
— DR . LINDSAY TURNER
• Behavioral therapy , including muscle training , dietary changes and relaxation techniques
• Pessaries , or removable vaginal inserts that support the bladder , uterus and vagina
• Mesh augmented repairs and native tissue suspensions , which rely on your own natural ligaments
• Medications
• Surgery , including minimally invasive and laparoscopic procedures and reconstructive surgery
“ We also offer a pain clinic , led by Dr . Radhika Patnam , specifically for women who suffer with pelvic pain ,” said Dr . Turner . Pelvic pain is any pain localized to the vaginal , bladder or lower pelvic area . “ Patients are given options for behavioral changes , behavioral therapy , medication , or office-based procedures .” The bottom line : women don ’ t have to suffer in silence . “ There are a range of surgical and nonsurgical options you can explore that can get you back to your normal activities ,” said Dr . Turner . “ I have patients who come see me after a procedure or treatment and say , I should have done this years ago . I ’ ve gotten my life back .”
1 IN 7 WOMEN
ARE AFFECTED BY CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN .
Source : Dydyk AM , Gupta N . Chronic Pelvic Pain . [ Updated 2021 Nov 11 ]. In : StatPearls . Treasure Island ( FL ): StatPearls Publishing ; 2022 Jan- . Available from : ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / books / NBK554585