There are many contributing
factors to the downfall of your pelvic floor, many of which I have
discussed in previous blog posts. Another reason your pelvic floor can be
weakened is the neurological factor. It is important to remember that
your pelvic floor contracts reflexively before you cough or sneeze.
For those of you who have
already given birth, you may or may not remember the soreness down below
post-birth. It may have been so sore that you simply ignored the
medical advice to pull up the area between your legs. Opening your
bowels was a nightmare, getting your stitches to heal nicely and
keeping your self dry and clean may have been your limit. Plus
looking after your newborn (and your husband and anyone else in the
house.) Squeeze tight, that male doctor who will never know what
child birth is like had to be kidding but this is called the reflex
inhibition.
Reflex inhibition is the
brain's way of protecting part of the body that is damaged. Unless
these reflexes are re-established, chronic (long term) injury can be a
result.You may be more familiar with an ankle sprain, you may be
aware that if the ankle is sprained badly there is a tendency for
that ankle to twist and give way again.
When treating sports
injuries the physio concentrates on retraining the protective reflex
action of the muscles around the ankle. There is no point in treating
the joint without retraining the reflex. So too with your
pelvic floor after childbirth. The protective reflex contraction of
the pelvic floor when you cough or sneeze is lost, however the
protective reflex can be re-learnt by teaching your self to actively
squeeze and lift before each cough and sneeze.
The bottom line is it is important to re-train your body's lost reflex by actively being aware before coughing and sneezing and doing your
pelvic floor exercises. In this way, when a sneaky sneeze comes your way your
body knows what to do without you having to take any proactive action, resulting
in dry underwear all day long.
If
you are suffering from incontinence or not sure if you are doing your
pelvic floor exercises correctly and would like to book an
appointment, please contact me on 0544485086 or by email to
tamaramay.physio@gmail.com. I can arrange to see you in Bishvilaych
Women's Comprehensive Medical Centre in
Givat Shaul, Jerusalem or a home visit if you live in Gush Etzion.
