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Pelvic floor disorders are common, often underdiagnosed conditions that can significantly affect quality of life. Many patients delay care due to discomfort discussing their symptoms, but effective treatments are available, and early evaluation can lead to better outcomes. These conditions include, but are not limited to the below.
9 Conditions
Abdominal Pain and Pelvic Floor Disorders
These disorders can be complex, as they may involve the gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract and/or the pelvic musculoskeletal system. Therefore, an evaluation by a team of different kinds of doctors is important. At BMC, colorectal and gastrointestinal surgeons, gastroenterologists, gynecologists, urologists, therapists, psychologists, and primary care physicians all work together to determine the best course of treatment for individual patients.
When one of the small glands inside the anus becomes blocked and develops an abscess, that abscess may develop into a fistula which is a small tunnel connecting the infected glad inside the anus to an opening on the skin. While most fistulas result from anal abscess, some may be caused by trauma, cancer, diverticulitis, sexually transmitted disease, tuberculosis or Crohn’s disease.
Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control. There are several types of urinary incontinence including stress incontinence, where urine leaks during activities that strain the abdomen; urge incontinence, resulting from an overactive bladder that contracts unexpectedly; overflow incontinence, which occurs when the bladder weakens or a blocked urethra prevents normal emptying; retention problems that occur when urine cannot be released from the bladder; and problems with urgency and frequency, when there’s an uncontrollable urge to urinate resulting in emptying the bladder more often than normal.
This is also known as painful bladder syndrome. IC is a chronic condition that can cause increased frequency of urination, urgency, and pain/pressure in bladder. Chronic pain can cause spasms of pelvic floor muscles. PT can help control pain, teach relaxation techniques, educate patient on timing voids during the day, and teach healthy bladder habits.
Overactive bladder can cause the sudden urge to urinate which can be difficult to control. It often causes frequent urination (more than 8 times in 24 hours), nighttime urination, and sometimes urinary leakage. PT can help change voiding (urinating patterns) by timing voids during the day, making changes to drinking/eating habits, and learning to hold the bladder using pelvic floor muscles.
The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles located in the bottom of your pelvis and inside your pelvis. They control urination, bowel function, and sexual function. If these muscles become weak, you could have problems with urinary leakage, urinating frequently, difficulty with bowel movements, or pain with intercourse. PT can teach you exercises to help strengthen these muscles to help manage your symptoms.
Pelvic organ prolapse is when the uterus, bladder, or rectum “drops” down onto the vaginal canal. This can cause pain, heaviness, or sense of something bulging in pelvis. PT can help educate patient on posture and body mechanics to avoid worsening of symptoms. Exercises can also help strengthen the pelvis and abdomen to help manage this condition.
Urothelial cells are cells that line your urethra, bladder, kidneys, and other organs in your urinary system. Urothelial cancer is any cancer that starts in these cells. It’s also called transitional cell cancer.
