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pelvisawareness_admin July 31, 2020 Finding Joy, Nutrition, Recipes Leave a Comment

Seven Nutrition Hacks for a Healthy Pelvis

We have all heard that two factors of being healthy are diet and exercise, but did you know that is important for your pelvic floor health as well? Many women are aware of Kegel exercises, the most common way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, although most have not considered …

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Anxiety & pelvic pain are known to go hand in hand Anxiety & pelvic pain are known to go hand in hand 🤝⁠ ⁠ There’s no doubt that the pandemic has added lots of stress to everyone’s life.⁠ ⁠ And sadly, there’s also no doubt that many women experience pelvic pain, since the condition affects between 15-20% of women in the United States.⁠ ⁠ ➡️ But are the two linked?⁠ ⁠ Anxiety affects the body in different ways, and there does seem to be a connection between anxiety and pelvic floor health.⁠ ⁠ We’re still learning a lot about pelvic dysfunction, but one thing seems clear: stress and anxiety have a role to play.⁠ ⁠ ❗ ❗ ❗⁠ ⁠ Pelvic pain can be acute or chronic, being labelled chronic when it’s persisted for at least 3 months.⁠ ⁠ It can occur for gynecological or non-gynecological reasons, and distinguishing between these two is important for diagnosis and treatment. ⁠ ⁠ It’s now common knowledge 💭 that stress and anxiety can impact the body in many negative ways. One common response to stress is to clench our muscles. And in fact 👉🏼 clenching the pelvic floor muscles specifically is a common reaction to stress. ⁠ ⁠ Sometimes the cause of pelvic pain is never identified.⁠ ⁠ But we do know that sleep disturbance, depression and anxiety can perpetuate chronic pain, and that these conditions can adversely affect a woman’s quality of life.⁠ ⁠ To learn more about the ties between Pelvic Pain and Anxiety, click the link in our bio!⁠
Embarrassed about leakage? Don't be!⁠ ⁠ Women Embarrassed about leakage? Don't be!⁠ ⁠ Women experience leakage or suffer from urinary incontinence – twice as often as men.❣️⁠ ⁠ Although leakage isn’t a comfortable experience, know that you aren’t alone and that treatment IS available!⁠ ⁠ It’s ok to feel what you are feeling, and the more we educate society and talk about these issues out loud to other people also suffering, the greater chances of reducing the stigma, shame, and embarrassment associated with leakage, and the more energy we can pour into improving our overall quality of life. ⁠ ⁠ Share this post to spread the word ✈️⁠
Do you know what causes Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?🧐⁠ ⁠ Let's start with a definition ➡️ The pelvic floor is the string of muscles that support your pelvic organs – namely, your bladder, reproductive organs and bowels. It is also responsible for bladder and bowel control. ⁠ ⁠ Just like any muscle 💪 the pelvic floor muscles can become injured or too weak to function properly. When this happens, women experience pelvic floor disorders ranging from bladder or bowel leakage to pelvic organ prolapse. ⁠ ⁠ 👉 There are many factors that contribute to your pelvic floor health, including your age, genetics, and some surgeries. ⁠ ⁠ And yes, pregnancy and childbirth can absolutely put pressure on your pelvic floor and lead to dysfunction. ⁠ ⁠ But childbearing 🤰 is just one of many things that can put pressure on your pelvic floor.⁠ ⁠ Ultimately, anything that puts strain on the pelvic floor can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction. ⁠ ⁠ To learn more about the causes of PFD beyond childbirth, keep reading on our latest blog post!⁠ ⁠ LINK in our bio 🔗⁠
❗Pelvic pain can feel scary, especially when the ❗Pelvic pain can feel scary, especially when there is trauma associated with it.❗⁠ ⁠ Far too many women suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction and chronic pain in silence. And those that do seek help often meet with doctors who are unable or unwilling to diagnose them properly.⁠ ⁠ ➡️ That’s why we highly recommend patients seek out doctors who specialize in the pelvic floor (use our Physician Finder to find one near you). ⁠ ⁠ Thankfully, for women who do seek out proper help, there are many treatments for pelvic floor disorders.⁠ ⁠ Given the connection between mental health and pelvic pain, this can often look like therapy, medication and exercise. Pelvic physical therapy is also often used for pelvic pain. ⁠ ⁠ Finally, it is important to note that many pelvic floor disorders like incontinence can also lead to anxiety.⁠ ⁠ In fact, according to one study, there is “increasing evidence that pain may be a stronger risk factor for developing depression or anxiety than the inverse.”⁠ ⁠ 👉🏼 So it’s important to find your way towards the root cause of your suffering to avoid continued physical pain, but also to avoid or heal from the emotional pain that often accompanies pelvic pain.⁠ ⁠ And let’s always remember that mental health is just as important as physical health.🧡⁠ ⁠ For more resources, and more information on anxiety & pelvic pain, head on over to our blog! Link in our bio 🔗⁠
Let’s explore some causes of pelvic floor disord Let’s explore some causes of pelvic floor disorder that can affect any woman!⁠ ⁠ 1️⃣ Heavy Lifting⁠ ⁠ Because heavy lifting and exercises like running and jumping can put strain on your pelvic floor muscles, they can lead to disorders. ⁠ If you are an extremely active woman 🏃‍♀️ or one who likes to lift heavy, consider adjusting how much you lift, especially if you currently have a disorder or at risk for developing one. ⁠ ⁠ That said, exercise is still critically important for maintaining good pelvic health.💪🏾⁠ ⁠ And remember that heaving lifting takes place outside the gym all the time. Mothers lift their kids up and down all day, and many women have to lift heavy objects at work.💼 ⁠ ⁠ 2️⃣ Chronic Straining⁠ ⁠ If you are often constipated and regularly strain to have bowel movements, seek help.⁠ ⁠ Straining to force bowel movements puts pressure on your pelvic floor muscles and can lead to problems down the line. ⁠ ⁠ 3️⃣ Obesity⁠ ⁠ Extra weight can also put extra pressure on your pelvic floor muscles. Losing weight is a great non-invasive way to start treating these conditions. ⁠ ⁠ 4️⃣ Chronic Coughing⁠ ⁠ Think about it: when you cough, you feel it in your abdomen, don’t you?⁠ ⁠ Chronic coughing exerts regular pressure on the pelvic floor, which can lead to dysfunction. Be sure to manage conditions like asthma, chronic bronchitis and cystic fibrosis to keep coughing in check. And please quit smoking if you do. ⁠ ⁠ Notice that most of the causes of pelvic floor dysfunction have to do with lifestyle choices. ⁠ ⁠ That’s why we encourage all women to stay healthy❗and to be proactive ❗about their pelvic health.⁠ ⁠ Thankfully, there are so many ways to treat pelvic floor dysfunction. If you’d like to find a specialist near you, don’t miss our Physician Finder. 〰️ Link in bio to learn more!
Have you gotten your reps in today?💪🏾⁠ ⁠ Have you gotten your reps in today?💪🏾⁠ ⁠ Kegels have been proven with strength training or “resistance” training to improve the symptoms of POP and slow its progression.⁠ ⁠ To learn more about kegels and how to do them correctly, tap the link in bio!⁠

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