The Psychological Impact of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and How to Cope

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a condition that affects the muscles and tissues supporting the pelvic organs, leading to a range of symptoms such as incontinence, chronic pelvic pain, and difficulty with bowel and bladder control. While the physical symptoms of PFD are well-documented, the psychological toll it takes on those affected is equally significant yet often overlooked. From anxiety and depression to social isolation, the emotional impact of PFD can deeply affect a person’s quality of life. In this article, we’ll explore the psychological effects of pelvic floor dysfunction, as well as strategies for coping and finding support. 

Understanding the Psychological Impact of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction 

Living with PFD can lead to a range of psychological challenges due to the limitations it imposes on daily life, relationships, and self-image. Some of the most common psychological effects include: 

1. Emotional Distress and Anxiety 

    • The unpredictability of symptoms like sudden incontinence or pain can lead to high levels of stress and anxiety. Many individuals experience anxiety around going out in public, attending social events, or even being physically active. This constant fear of symptoms can create a sense of hyper-vigilance, leading to anxiety disorders over time. 

2. Feelings of Embarrassment and Shame 

    • PFD often involves bodily functions that society considers private, which can make it difficult for individuals to discuss their symptoms openly. Many people with PFD feel embarrassed or ashamed, fearing judgment from others. This can lead to secrecy, which compounds feelings of shame and further isolates individuals from seeking help or support. 

3. Depression and Decreased Quality of Life 

    • The chronic nature of PFD symptoms can lead to depression, especially when individuals feel they have limited control over their symptoms. Persistent pain, coupled with physical limitations and isolation, can reduce motivation, energy levels, and overall quality of life. Depression may also be exacerbated if individuals feel that medical treatments have not been effective or that recovery seems distant. 

4. Impact on Relationships and Intimacy 

    • PFD can make it difficult to engage in intimate relationships, particularly if there is discomfort or pain associated with intercourse. Individuals may feel self-conscious, fearing that their condition might impact their partner’s satisfaction. This strain on intimacy can lead to feelings of guilt and insecurity, putting additional stress on relationships and even creating a reluctance to seek or maintain close bonds. 

5. Loss of Independence and Social Isolation 

    • Many people with PFD begin to avoid social gatherings, physical activities, or travel due to the fear of experiencing symptoms in public. This avoidance can lead to isolation, reinforcing feelings of loneliness and limiting one’s social support system. Over time, this pattern can lead to a withdrawal from friends and family and a reduced sense of independence.

Pelvic Health in Brookfield, WI

Coping Strategies for Managing the Psychological Impact of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction 

Managing PFD requires a holistic approach that addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of the condition. Here are some effective coping strategies: 

1. Education and Awareness

    • Learning about PFD and its causes can reduce feelings of helplessness and empower individuals to seek the right treatment. Understanding that PFD is a medical condition, not a personal failing, can alleviate feelings of shame and motivate individuals to take proactive steps. Many find that joining support groups or reading reliable resources on PFD helps them realize they are not alone in their experience. 

2. Therapeutic Interventions

    • Therapy can play an essential role in managing the psychological impact of PFD. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, is effective in addressing negative thought patterns and developing healthier coping mechanisms. Therapy provides a safe space to discuss feelings of shame or anxiety, helping individuals process these emotions constructively. 

3. Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

    • Working with a specialized pelvic floor therapist can improve both physical symptoms and mental well-being. Physical therapy can help reduce symptoms of incontinence and pain, which can restore a sense of control and increase confidence. Additionally, the therapist can provide exercises and lifestyle recommendations tailored to the individual’s needs, helping alleviate some of the anxieties associated with symptom unpredictability. 

4. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

    • Techniques such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation can help manage stress and anxiety related to PFD. Mindfulness practices focus on staying present in the moment, which can reduce the tendency to anticipate and worry about potential symptoms. Over time, these relaxation techniques can help improve emotional regulation and resilience. 

5. Open Communication and Support Networks

    • Talking openly about PFD with trusted family members, friends, or support groups can reduce feelings of isolation. It may also be beneficial to involve one’s partner in understanding the condition and its effects on intimacy and relationships. Many people find relief in knowing that they have support, which makes the journey with PFD feel less isolating. 

6. Lifestyle Modifications and Self-Care

    • Making small changes to lifestyle and practicing self-care can improve symptoms and enhance overall well-being. Eating a balanced diet, drinking adequate water, and engaging in gentle exercise can positively impact physical symptoms, while also improving mood. Additionally, setting aside time for hobbies or relaxing activities can be helpful for overall mental health. 

Seeking Professional Help and Treatment Options 

Addressing the psychological aspects of PFD requires a multidisciplinary approach involving healthcare providers who understand the complex effects of the condition. Individuals experiencing significant distress, anxiety, or depression related to PFD should consider seeking professional help from mental health providers experienced in chronic illness or conditions related to sexual health. 

Additionally, specialized treatment centers like the Women’s Center for Incontinence and Pelvic Health in Brookfield, WI provide targeted services for PFD. Their compassionate approach includes both physical and emotional support to help individuals regain control, confidence, and a higher quality of life. At the Women’s Center, the experienced team understands the unique challenges of pelvic floor dysfunction and provides a range of treatments and resources tailored to support both physical recovery and emotional well-being. 

Five Ways to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

Your Pelvic Floor

When you think of strengthening your body, the pelvic floor isn’t usually the first muscle group that comes to mind. Yet, it’s one of the most critical areas for women’s health. The pelvic floor supports your bladder, uterus, and bowel, and when kept strong, it helps prevent issues like incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse and also help with pelvic floor dysfunction. 

Strengthening the pelvic floor is essential for maintaining overall health and wellbeing. Here are five proven ways to keep your pelvic floor muscles healthy and functioning at their best. 

  1. Mastering Kegels — the Right Way

Kegel exercises are famous for good reason but doing them properly is crucial. It’s all about engaging the correct muscles.  

Here’s how to get started: Sit comfortably with your knees and feet apart, lean slightly forward, and rest your elbows on your knees. Keep your stomach, legs, and buttocks relaxed. Now, imagine stopping yourself from urinating or passing gas — you’ll feel a tightening sensation around the vagina and anus. Hold this for a few seconds, release, and that’s one Kegel done right! 

Start with a manageable goal: 3 sets of 8-12 contractions daily. If you’re new to Kegels, you can begin with smaller sets and build up over time. 

  1. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Excess weight can put additional strain on your pelvic floor muscles, potentially leading to issues like incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight through regular exercise and a balanced diet is an effective way to reduce that pressure and protect your pelvic floor. 

This is a long-term step, but one with substantial benefits not just for your pelvic health but for your overall wellbeing. 

  1. Incorporate Yoga

Yoga is a great way to engage the muscles that support pelvic health beyond just the pelvic floor. Your diaphragm, abs, and obliques also play a role in supporting your pelvic organs, so keeping them strong helps maintain a healthy pelvic floor. 

Certain yoga poses like Malasana (Garland Pose), Reclined Bound Angle, Legs Up the Wall, and Child’s Pose are especially helpful in targeting these muscle groups. In fact, studies show that regular yoga practice can reduce the frequency of incontinence in women by up to 70%. 

  1. Lower Ab and Core Exercises

Strengthening your core is key to improving pelvic floor health. Once you’ve mastered Kegels, you can move on to more advanced exercises like: 

      • Bridge: Lying on your back with your knees bent, engage your pelvic muscles and lift your hips. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower. Repeat 10 times. 
      • Wall Squat: Stand with your back against a wall, feet hip-width apart. As you lower into a squat, engage your pelvic muscles and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times. 
      • Jumping Jacks: This classic move engages the pelvic floor as you jump out and in. Perform for 30 to 60 seconds, focusing on contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. 
  1. Biofeedback Therapy

If you’re having trouble isolating your pelvic floor muscles, biofeedback can help. This therapy uses sensors or small instruments to measure muscle activity, ensuring you’re engaging the right muscles during exercises like Kegels. It’s a safe, effective method of improving pelvic muscle strength, especially for women struggling with accidental bladder or bowel leakage. 

Biofeedback therapy is best done with a pelvic floor certified therapist. Ask our staff at SAAK Health for assistance in finding one. 

Summing It Up:  

Strengthening your pelvic floor is an essential step toward improving your quality of life and protecting your body from future complications. At SAAK Health, we’re here to help you with tailored treatments and guidance. 

Meet Our Provider: Sumana Koduri, MD 

Dr. Sumana Koduri, a leading expert in Women’s Center for Incontinence and Pelvic Health in Brookfield, WI, is dedicated to providing exceptional care for women facing issues such as incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and other pelvic health conditions. With extensive experience in women’s health, Dr. Koduri is passionate about helping patients regain control of their bodies and improve their overall health. 

Contact us today at SAAK Health to learn more about how we can support your pelvic health journey! 

Understanding Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Symptoms and Treatments

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

A medical condition known as pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is defined by the drooping of several pelvic organs due to deterioration of the pelvic muscles; in severe cases, an organ could extend onto another organ or out of the body. It’s important for you to know what Pelvic Organ Prolapse is, how it is treated and what the potential symptoms could be to detect it and get it treated with immediate effect if needed. Let us help you in understanding the condition better, please stay with us as we take you to explore factors about Pelvic Organ Prolapse!

About Pelvic Organ Prolapse

A health condition like pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is known to develop when the tissues, tendons and ligaments, and muscles of the abdominal wall weaken and become unable to sustain the weight of the organs, this could often lead to serious issues as well. The rectum, urinary bladder, uterus, and vagina are all supported by these skeletal muscles, and they act like a cervical sling which maintains balance. Organs might move out of place if they happen to be loose or damaged, resulting in several cases that drop or serious conditions wherein the organs or muscles extend outside the vagina and form a bulge.

Multiple Types of Pelvic Organ Prolapse

The type of prolapse depends on the pelvic floor’s weaknesses and the affected organs.

Anterior vaginal wall prolapse

It is also known as cystocele, is the most common type of pelvic floor prolapse, causing the bladder to slip out of place and bulge onto the vagina.

Urethrocele

The urethra, which is the tube that transfers urine from the bladder to the outside of the human body, might droop because of weak pelvic floor muscles, which are usually accompanied by a plunged bladder.

Enterocele

The small intestine may bulge onto the vaginal wall or top due to weakened pelvic muscles.

Uterine prolapse

A weak pelvic floor can lead to the uterus slipping into the vaginal canal.

Vaginal vault prolapse

Diminished pelvic floor muscles can cause the vaginal vault, or upper portion of the vagina, to descend into the vaginal canal.

Posterior vaginal wall prolapse

A rectocele is a prolapse in which the muscles that line the pelvic floor between the uterus and the rectum deteriorate and cause the rectum to protrude onto the rear wall of the vagina.

The Most Common Symptoms

The frequent vaginal bulge known as pelvic prolapse (POP) is accompanied by fullness, pressure, pain, and discomfort. Protruding organs must be moved with the fingers, and it can get worse when coughing or standing for extended periods of time. It’s important to let your healthcare provider know about the prolapse’s location as it can impact symptoms. Because POP and stress have similar risk factors, stress, urges, and urinary tract infection frequently coexist.

How can Pelvic Organ Prolapse be treated?

Nonsurgical procedures are typically the initial treatment for POP due to potential risks and complications, with surgical options recommended if conservative treatments fail. Let us go ahead and explore the options of how it can be treated!

Non-Surgical Treatments

Physical therapy is frequently used in conjunction with a removable silicone device to measure muscle strength and teach specific exercises to train the damaged muscles, as part of vaginal pessary treatments. These exercises also entail pelvic floor exercises.

Surgical Treatments

Surgery is a viable option for treating vaginal wall prolapse, especially if symptoms persist after conservative treatments and if the patient does not wish to have children. Two types of surgeries are available- obliterative surgery and reconstructive surgery. Obliterative surgery sews vaginal walls shut, while reconstructive surgery repairs weakened pelvic floor parts.

Colpocleisis is an obliterative procedure that shortens the vagina, making it suitable for frail patients who prefer penetrative sex. Colporrhaphy is a surgical procedure that reinforces vaginal walls with dissolvable sutures, while sacrocolpopexy treats vaginal vault prolapse and enterocele. Sacrohysteropexy lifts the uterus into place but is not recommended for those who do not want a hysterectomy. Uterosacral or sacrospinous ligament fixation uses tissues to treat uterine prolapse or vaginal vault prolapse, performed through the vagina using dissolvable sutures to attach the vagina to a pelvis ligament or muscle. This type of surgery is sometimes called native tissue repair.

We at SAAK Health

We at SAAK Health help you recover through either treatment or surgeries. Our reconstructive surgeries strengthen the weaknesses in pelvic walls to help your organs return to their original place. Our experts are always available for any sort of treatment, and they offer guidance based on professional experience. If you have any further queries, you can contact experts on 262-444-5148.

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It’s a wrap

Pelvic Organ Prolapse has major consequences on your body image as well as sexuality. If the symptoms ever occur to you, do not be embarrassed and seek immediate help, try talking to a professional if you suffer from POP symptoms and weakened pelvic floor. Professionals will guide you towards the right mode of treatment and help you achieve healthy parameters. In case you wish to discuss it over call, you can reach out to our expert professionals at – 262-444-5148