PHYSICAL THERAPY , A BOON TO PREGNANT COUPLES: PART4

PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES : DO'S AND DON'TS

Don't jump into the pit of unwanted medical conditions. Make those nine months count with Physical Therapy.


Whether you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or have already had a baby, research shows that when you do your pelvic floor exercises your pelvic floor muscles will recover more quickly after the birth.
Effectiveness of the antenatal pelvic floor exercise for stress urinary incontinence among the postpartum women. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 9, September 2015 1 ISSN 2250-3153
 All women who continued the pelvic floor exercises were found to have no SUI (stress urinary incontinence) whereas SUI had reoccurred in 70% women who discontinued exercises. A very significant (p=0.00) association was found between antenatal pelvic floor muscle exercise, prevention and treatment of SUI indicating that pelvic floor exercise helps prevent SUI during antenatal period.


Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles helps to actively support your bladder, bowel and pelvic organs. This improves bladder and bowel control and reduces the likelihood of leaking from your bladder or bowel. Like other muscles in your body, your pelvic floor muscles will become stronger with a regular exercise program.

Effects of Abdominal Exercises on Reduction of Diastasis Recti in Postnatal Women. S. R Dhandle et al, International Journal of Health Sciences and Research, 2015 ISSN: 2249-9571
The result of this study shows that abdominal exercises are very effective in reducing diastasis recti in early postpartum women and inter recti distance. And support the prescription of an abdominal exercise programme for postnatal women and useful in reducing complications of it.

Before starting a pelvic floor muscle training program it is important that you can identify that you are using your pelvic floor muscles correctly.CONTACT YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPIST .

PERFORMING THE PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES: THE RIGHT WAY

Pelvic floor exercises can be done anywhere, while sitting, standing or lying.


  • Picture a muscular sling as the floor of your pelvis, running from your tail bone to your pubic bone.
  • Sit up tall and relax your shoulders. Focusing on your back passage, lift and squeeze upwards and inwards as though you are trying to avoid passing wind. Now, bring the pelvic floor lift forward to the front as though you are also trying to stop the flow of urine.
  • Lift and squeeze your pelvic floor and notice how long you can hold for. Aim to hold for 3 seconds initially, building up to 10 seconds over time. Your shoulders, buttocks, thighs, hands and feet should remain relaxed. You should not hold your breath while you hold your pelvic floor lift.
  • Rest your pelvic floor muscles for the same amount of time as you held the lift, before repeating.
  • Aim for 3 to 5 holds in one set, building up to 10 over time. Repeat three sets a day.( Refer the picture below).


WHAT NOT TO DO WHILE PERFORMING YOUR PFEs



It is extremely important to perform the exercises in the correct way, otherwise you may end up with other complications. We advise you to strictly consult your physical therapist and only then start with PFEs. Here are some of the most common mistakes you do while doing PFEs;

  •  Stopping and starting your flow of urine every time you go to the toilet


  • Tightening and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles quickly and doing hundreds of these a day : Doing hundreds of quick lifts a day is not recommended and can cause the muscles to become painful. It is better to do 10 quality maximal contractions, repeated three times throughout the day.

  • Lying on the floor and lifting and lowering your pelvis and hips while flattening your back against the floor: This exercise is called the pelvic tilting exercise, and does NOT exercise the pelvic floor muscles (unless of course you deliberately tighten your muscles at the same time, which can be quite tricky to do). Some women still think that this is what pelvic floor exercises involve and that they need to get on the floor to do them.Your pelvis should not move while your pelvic floor muscles lift and draw up inside your pelvis.

  • Tightening your buttock muscles : If you are squeezing your bottom or buttock muscles as well as (or instead of) your pelvic floor muscles, you may notice that your body moves quite a lot, especially if you are sitting. This is not correct. Squeezing your buttocks (sometimes called your gluteals or gluts) does not effectively work the pelvic floor muscles. Focus more on the pelvic floor muscles on the inside and try to keep your bottom relaxed as you do the exercise. A good way to stop your bottom muscles working when you are trying to concentrate on your pelvic floor muscles is to stand with your feet well apart and your toes turned in (pigeon toes). This position will not allow your bottom muscles to work much at all and directs all your effort into your pelvic floor muscles.


  • Squeezing your legs together: This may help if you have an urgent need to go to the toilet, however, if you do need to do this, it is a sign that your pelvic floor muscles are not working as well as they should. Squeezing your legs together may mean you are working your thighs instead of your pelvic floor muscles.


  • Holding your breath when you tighten your pelvic floor muscles : When you are first learning how to do the exercises and are concentrating very hard, you may find you are holding your breath. Try and do shorter contractions for 2–3 seconds initially so you don’t have to concentrate on breathing at the same time.
  • Tightening your tummy really hard : Although it is OK for your lower abdominal muscles (the area below your belly button and just above your pubic area) to tighten, you should not feel your whole abdomen tighten and pull in. Focus lower down in your vaginal area as you contract your pelvic floor muscles.

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Happy Health!
YUVAAN



Comments

  1. Anonymous10 September 2017 at 10:13

    I loved your pregnancy series. Pls share more exercise information for women.

    ReplyDelete

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