Is it too late to start pelvic floor therapy?
Short answer: It’s NEVER too late.
While pelvic floor treatment and exercises are certainly beneficial in the ‘acute’ phase while symptoms are fresh (i.e. after childbirth, during menopause) it’s never too late to treat chronic symptoms and doing so can actually prevent future issue from developing.
Why does the pelvic floor get weaker over time?
In one’s lifetime, there are many factors that may cause pelvic floor. Women tend to encounter pelvic floor issues at key stages in life, such as pregnancy and motherhood. During these stages there are hormonal changes, the challenges of growing a baby and physical injury to the pelvic floor through childbirth. Incontinence is one of the most common symptoms that result.
Here are some stats for the Pregnancy & Postpartum phase:
2 in 3 women experience incontinence during pregnancy
1 in 3 women experience incontinence in the first year after giving birth
& the worst part? Studies show only 1 in 8 women seek help!
Later on during perimenopausal/menopausal stage of life, hormonal fluctuation becomes a key factor in developing pelvic floor dysfunction. During this stage, many hormone level decline: estrogen, progesterone, collagen, and muscle volume. You will see estrogen & progesterone levels decline, which can have a negative effect on pelvic floor resilience, which is also why pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms can increase just before your period if you are still menstruating.
What symptoms can come from perimenopause/menopause?
Urinary incontinence
Atrophy (vaginal tissues thin, lose their plumpness)
Dryness
Irritation or burning
Pain with intimaxy
Increased risk of urinary tract infection (UTI)
Increased risk of pelvic organ prolapse (POP)
Ladies, reminder: just because these are common symptoms that can come up during perimenopause/menopause, doesn’t mean it is something you should “just deal with”! Pelvic floor exercise is proven to have positive effects on symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction; whatever age you are, it’s never too late.
Globally, certain physical activity, or lack thereof, contribute to pelvic floor weakness. Specifically, weight lifting, high-impact exercise and also even prolonged sitting can cause the pelvic floor muscles to weaken over time. We call this scenario the ‘HIIT & SIT’ effect.
For context, 1 in 3 female athletes experience incontinence. And no, athlete in this case is not the hardcore Crossfitter or sports afcionado. In this study, an athlete is a women who exercises 150 min/week. Simply put, that 30 min/weekday! Moral of the story here: urinary incontinence is common, but not normal. Regardless of stages of life or activity levels, pelvic floor therapy can help!
The truth? It’s hard to blame it on just one thing.
It’s the gradual build-up of the various pieces of our own physical puzzles over time, including our habitual posture, weight fluctuation, preferred movement patterns, fluid intake & bladder/bowel habits, rather than one single event. Aside of varying factors is time. More often than not, women come in having had their pelvic floor symptoms for years!
It’s ok if it’s been a while - go get the help you need!