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How Pelvic Floor Health Affects Intimacy

On January 21, 2020, I posted here about ways to mitigate painful sex. I had just been on Jenny McCarthy's show and that was a key topic she wanted to address.

In that post, I focused on ways to counter vaginal dryness that can result from treatments for an illness and aging, among other things. But I didn't cover something important: the health of your pelvic floor.

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Tight or weak pelvic floor muscles can cause mild to severe pain during intercourse, so a related outcome is you might have difficulty achieving orgasm. And if you know sex is going to hurt, your libido will plummet. Another sex-drive killer is realizing that your weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to incontinence during sex. How can you enjoy something that could cause a lot of embarrassment?

Even though I've written about this both in Sex and Cancer, co-authored with my gynecologic oncologist, Saketh Guntupalli, and Mature Sexual Intimacy, I'm not an expert on how to restore pelvic health. I turned to one of the main contributors to Sex and Cancer, Julia Barten, PT, DPT, PRPC. Julia is a certified pelvic rehabilitation provider with a doctorate in physical therapy.

What These Invisible Muscles Do

First, she gave a little background on the pelvic floor:

"The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located inside the pelvis that supports the bladder, bowel, and sexual organs. It is important to keep your pelvic floor muscles strong to optimize their function. But sometimes muscles are too tight and flexibility needs to be prioritized over strengthening initially. We cannot see these muscles so it can be difficult to know how to engage them properly for exercise.

"Pelvic floor exercises are best confirmed with a specialist such as a pelvic health physical therapist. If you keep up with the exercises they recommend you do at home, these muscles can be strong at any age, helping improve bladder, bowel, and sexual function."

How to Get Them Into Shape

Julia wants to clarify something for all of us: "Anyone with a pelvic floor can do exercises—they are not just for women!"

And now, with the strong message of "consult an expert," here are a few notes from Julia on improving bladder, bowel, and sexual functioning with exercise:

"When strengthening the pelvic floor, it is important to keep in mind that after a contraction you have to equally relax the muscles. An isolated pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation is a good first exercise to try at home."

"Start by taking a gentle, deep breath to relax fully. Squeeze your muscles like stopping pee or holding in gas and hold the contraction for a few seconds. Make sure you continue breathing during this exercise and try to avoid using other muscles like the glutes, thighs, or abdominal muscles.

"Release the muscle contraction fully and take a breath in and out. This counts as 1 repetition. Aim for 10 repetitions, two to three times a day for a strong pelvic floor.

"Sometimes visualization can help! Imagine picking up a blueberry with the vagina or anus. Don't squish the blueberry! You should be able to continue breathing and not feel tension anywhere else. Place the blueberry back down and let it go.

"Finally, stop any exercise that increases pain or symptoms."

Here's a bonus. In her spare time, Julia creates musical content to normalize pelvic health issues. In short, she has fun ways of addressing serious issues. Begin your trip back to pelvic health with a minute of explanation—in song—of how to do Kegel exercises, "The Kegel Routine—a Hamilton (Schyler Sisters) Parody" (found here).

To reiterate a key point, we can't see pelvic muscles so it can be difficult to know if you are doing the right thing. Research shows that verbal cues alone are not enough in trying to confirm proper control and coordination with pelvic floor exercises. You can learn a lot from watching (and dancing along with) Julia's instructional videos but beginning your trip to pelvic health with an expert is the best way to ensure you are doing the right thing for your muscles.

Understanding Women's Pelvic Floor Health With Experts From Memorial Hermann

Houston – This Women's Health Month, Houston Life and Memorial Hermann want to bring attention to health issues that affect women of all ages, including pelvic floor disorders.

Tessa sat down with urogynecologist Dr. Solafa Elshatanoufy and pelvic floor physical therapist Preena Nair to have a conversation that many women might find embarrassing to have.

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissue in the pelvic area. Pelvic floor disorders occur when the supporting tissue within the pelvic floor is weakened or damaged. As a result of this weakness or damage, the muscles are not able to contract and relax normally which interferes with the body's normal elimination process via the bowel or bladder.

Pelvic floor disorders are common but shouldn't be considered "normal". The symptoms can be managed, addressed, or improved especially if they're interfering, or preventing you from doing your daily activities.

Based on your specific condition and health goals, Memorial Hermann can help develop a plan of treatment to get you back on the road to recovery and feeling like yourself.

Watch Tessa Barrera's full interview in the video player above.

For more information visit their website or give them a call at 713-222-CARE (2273)

Memorial Hermann joins Houston Life to talk about women's pelvic floor health. (KPRC TV)

Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

Men's Health: Advantages Of Pelvic Physical Therapy For Men With Chronic Pelvic Pain

Chronic pelvic pain is a physically and emotionally distressing condition that affects men, impacting their daily lives and overall well-being.

Pelvic health physical therapy offers a well-rounded treatment approach to managing chronic pelvic pain in men.

Complex and misunderstood, chronic pelvic pain can stem from musculoskeletal, neurological, urological and psycho-social factors.

Men suffering from chronic pelvic pain may experience discomfort, urinary symptoms, sexual dysfunction and diminished quality of life.

Pelvic health physical therapy, traditionally associated with women's health, has gained traction as a valuable treatment option for men with chronic pelvic pain. This specialized therapy targets the muscles, ligaments and tissues that make up the pelvic floor.

Specially trained pelvic health physical therapists work closely with patients to identify underlying causes of pain and dysfunction and tailor treatment plans to specific needs and goals.

Benefits of pelvic health physical therapy for men include:

Pain relief: One of the primary goals of pelvic health physical therapy is to alleviate pain. Through hands-on techniques, stretching exercises and relaxation strategies, therapists can help release tension and reduce pain in the pelvic region.

Improved muscle function: Pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in supporting pelvic organs, urinary and bowel functions and sexual activity. Physical therapy helps restore proper muscle function, leading to enhanced bladder control and reduced pelvic pain.

Holistic approach: Pelvic health physical therapy addresses the root causes of chronic pelvic pain. This holistic approach promotes long-lasting relief by targeting multiple contributing factors.

Tailored treatment plans: Every patient's experience with chronic pelvic pain is unique. Pelvic health physical therapy incorporates personalized treatment plans that consider individual needs, symptoms and lifestyle factors.

Minimized reliance on medications: By addressing underlying issues through physical therapy, men may reduce their reliance on pain medications and experience a better quality of life with fewer side effects.

Enhanced sexual function: Chronic pelvic pain can lead to sexual dysfunction. Pelvic health physical therapy aims to improve blood flow, muscle coordination and overall comfort, potentially restoring sexual function.

Empowerment and education: Pelvic health physical therapy empowers men with the knowledge and skills to actively manage their condition. Patients learn self-care techniques, exercises and strategies to prevent pain recurrence.

It's important to check with your urologist or primary care physician if pelvic pain symptoms are new or bothersome; however, pelvic health physical therapy can be another beneficial avenue to address concerns and discomfort.

Contact a pelvic health physical therapist today for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Matthew Johnston is a physical therapist at NovaCare Rehabilitation in Springfield. He works with men with pelvic health issues. He is board-certified in orthopedic physical therapy through the American Physical Therapy Association.

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