Many people think that pelvic floor therapy is only for women who have been through a difficult pregnancy/birth. Women are realizing that bladder leakage is common and NOT normal along with these other deficits that we commonly see in clinic.
We think that the more that you know and are informed about your body, the better! So read on to see if you identify with any of these common NOT normal things that might be affecting your daily life!
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Frequency of urination (less than 2 hours in between bathroom trips) or lack of urge of urination (going longer than 4 hours in between)
Your bladder is only supposed to hold 2 – 4 hours capacity.
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Difficulty emptying your bladder! Do you ever notice drops of urine after standing up off toilet? Do you have to return to the bathroom with urgency right after you left? Do you have difficulty starting your flow of urine when you get into the bathroom?
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Frequency of bowel movements or constipation. Normal is 3 -4 x day or 3-4 x week. Also – check your poop ladies! It should be around Type 4
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Fecal incontinence! This is so under-reported. You should not be losing stool unless you are having a purposeful bowel movement!
This includes fecal smearing that may appear in underwear or when wiping after emptying bladder later after you felt like you got clean already!
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Straining when emptying bladder or bowels. Stop pushing/straining!
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Pain in lower abdominal wall or around pubic bone with BEFORE or AFTER emptying bladder or bowels
If any of these sound familiar, please schedule an appointment with us to address these issues! Stop saying “it’s not too bad” or “I am sure this happens to everyone”. Unfortunately, women have to advocate for themselves for our pelvic health and it is so important to know what is happening within your body and get early intervention with a specialized Pelvic Floor PT/OT.
We offer:
- Free Pelvic Floor Screens
- 1:1 visits
- Therapeutic Massage
- Trigger Point Dry Needling
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Led by a team of experts, Thrive provides you with a full library of workouts, nutrition guidance and recipes, and pelvic health content! Whether you are expecting your first baby or post-menopausal, Thrive will have valuable content specific for your life stage.
Click here to learn more: www.taylorwellnesseducation.com/thrive
Written by Dr. Rachel Hall