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symptoms of a weak pelvic floor
Image by Trevor Raab
As they mention on their website, Runner’s World provides inspirational tales from the trail, race advice, and more. When Laura Williams Bustos, M.S. wanted to learn more about the connection between running and a healthy pelvic floor, I was glad to offer my insights as a licensed Physical Therapist. Here are some excerpts from the article interspersed with my own commentary, along with a link to the full article at their website.

Heather Jeffcoat, DPT

3 Surprising Symptoms of a Weak Pelvic Floor

Experts explain why a strong pelvic floor is so important for runners, plus what to look for to make sure your muscles can withstand mileage.

Few things demand as much of your pelvic floor as running, and whether you run competitively or just to stay in shape, having a strong and healthy pelvic floor will make your running routine both more beneficial and more enjoyable.

As Laura states:

Having a weak pelvic floor can negatively affect your life—and the enjoyment of your sport. It’s important to know what symptoms to look out for so you can identify any pelvic floor problems and then take steps to correct them.

Urinary incontinence is the most common symptom that has been well documented, but there are others too, and that is the focus of this article as it looks at three lesser known symptoms.

So just what are these three symptoms? Read on!

1. Injuries

Pelvic floor injuries can arise from a number of causes, from childbirth complications to sports mishaps and even during sex! And as the article states:

If your pelvic muscles are weak, and your trunk is less stable, you’re going to be more likely to have inefficiencies in your biomechanics or muscular compensations that negatively affect the way you move. One bad or awkward movement, or chronic muscle or joint compensations that place increased stress on areas that aren’t intended to support such movements could be the reason you end up injured.

If you've experienced a pelvic floor injury, perhaps it's time to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed physical therapists who specializes in the pelvic floor.

2. Pain

As I mentioned in the aritcle, pelvic floor muscle weakness can contribute to orthopedic conditions. Most people aren’t aware of this very important connection. When your pelvic floor is weak, it can contribute to low back pain, hip pain, and pelvic girdle pain.

It’s important to reflect on how your activities impact these symptoms, especially if you notice they get worse. It’s a red flag for pelvic floor dysfunction, and a work-up with a urogynecologist and pelvic floor physical therapist are your next steps to developing a solid treatment.

3. Gastrointestinal Problems

If you’re constantly dealing with constipation, or you can’t keep yourself from passing gas, these may also be symptoms of pelvic floor weakness.

We've got lots of great articles that cover constipation on our site. Long story short, any type of gastrointestinal problem has the potential to cause pelvic floor issues if not addressed effectively. It's always wise to consult with your doctor and/or nutritionist to get these issues corrected in order to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

Now that you know the three symptoms outlined above, perhaps you'll want to continue to the full article at Runner's World where they cover the topic more in depth, including:

  • Why Runners Should Take Note of Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles
  • Populations Most at Risk of Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles
  • What Should You Do About a Weak Pelvic Floor

So head on over to the full article at Runner's World to get the full story on symptoms of a weak pelvic floor, and if you're suffering from pelvic floor weakness, we can create a specially tailored plan that will help you get back on track (pun intended ;-)

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What Our Patients Have to Say

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Testimonial by M.N., age 28

A personal journey and testimonial from one of my patients:

I was diagnosed with vaginismus 4 years ago. I never heard of such medical condition until after I got married. At first my husband and I didn't know what to do, we didn't know what the issues were or how to overcome it. Being born and raised in Armenia and being Christian I wasn't that open about talking to sex with others and so it wasn't easy to seek help. But eventually I went to an Ob-Gyn and luckily she knew about the medical condition (not many doctors know). She referred me to a physical therapist and I couldn't believe it and thought it's something I can handle myself. I ordered a kit from vaginismus.com and started practicing with dilators. There was some small progress but wasn't much helpful.

Read more: Testimonial by M.N., age 28

Testimonial by R.M., Age 40

I can’t speak highly enough of the theapists at Femina Physical Therapy and how much they have helped me grow, discover, and love my body. I had had painful sex for my entire life, and didn’t know that there was anything that could be done about it. It was at the point where my husband and I were not having sex for MONTHs, because it was just too frustrating, and I hated feeling like I was the ONLY woman out there who had this problem, especially at my age. I finally brought it up to my doctor because I was turning 40 and my husband and I were barely having enough sex to conceive. And she brought up pelvic floor, PT. I didn’t even know this was a “thing”.

Read more: Testimonial by R.M., Age 40

Testimonial by Fritzette H.

I went to Heather after the birth of my third child. It was lucky, really, that I was referred to her, because my doctor had referred me to a surgeon for a possible hysterectomy or pelvic wall rebuild. Thankfully, I went to Heather before undergoing either surgery, she was able to fix the problem. She has studied extensively in women's health--even written a book about it--and was able to diagnose my problem, suggest a course of treatment (6 weeks), and then follow through with said treatment. By the end, as she said, I was as good as gold. Boy, was it worth it! Though uncomfortable to talk about, much less write about, it is worth getting the word out there. If you have painful intercourse, especially after birth or other trauma, the treatment may be as simple as Physical Therapy (with Heather, of course). I highly recommend her.

-- Fritzette H., 3/24/16 via Yelp!

Testimonial by Julie T.

Femina PT (née Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy) has honestly changed my life. Before receiving treatment at Femina, I was going doctor to doctor to try and find the answer to my pelvic pain. It has taken me YEARS to find someone that can help fix this. It wasn't until my gynecologist recommended your clinic that I finally felt relief. My pelvic pain is almost gone, and granted I still have a lot more to work on with Laureen (my PT), my original problem is nearly cured. I am so grateful to her.

What is even better is she gave me practical exercises to do at home that were not tedious and provided instant (and lasting) relief. Although I mainly work with Laureen, my interaction with the owner (Heather) has been great. She is very generous, kind, and committed to her business.

It hurts to know there are women out there suffering who will never know or have the opportunity to work with women like Laureen and Heather because this issue is hardly talked about and this field is so rare. I hope more doctors and physical therapists see the value in this work and can relieve more woman of their pain.

-- Julie T., 12/4/16 via Yelp!

Testimonial by Jackie W.

I was in multiple car accidents a decade ago, and I have been to many physical therapists through the years without success. They found the root of my lower back pain problems and after nearly a decade of barely being able to walk I finally can again without pain. They are also the best pelvic floor pts and the only ones who found the connection between my pelvic floor and lower back problems. If you need help with physical pain, they are your answer.

-- Jackie W., 1/19/17 via Yelp!

Testimonial by Julie T.

Femina PT (née Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy) has honestly changed my life. Before receiving treatment at Femina, I was going doctor to doctor to try and find the answer to my pelvic pain. It has taken me YEARS to find someone that can help fix this. It wasn't until my gynecologist recommended your clinic that I finally felt relief. My pelvic pain is almost gone, and granted I still have a lot more to work on with Laureen (my PT), my original problem is nearly cured. I am so grateful to her.

What is even better is she gave me practical exercises to do at home that were not tedious and provided instant (and lasting) relief. Although I mainly work with Laureen, my interaction with the owner (Heather) has been great. She is very generous, kind, and committed to her business.

It hurts to know there are women out there suffering who will never know or have the opportunity to work with women like Laureen and Heather because this issue is hardly talked about and this field is so rare. I hope more doctors and physical therapists see the value in this work and can relieve more woman of their pain.

-- Julie T., 12/4/16 via Yelp!

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