Aggravating Pelvic Floor Constipation

Lack of physical activity especially in the elderly medications e g.

Aggravating pelvic floor constipation.

Constipation and the pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor dysfunction is the inability to control the muscles of your pelvic floor. Normally the pelvic floor muscles tighten to hold your urine and bowel motions in. Anterior prolapse is treatable.

For a mild or moderate prolapse nonsurgical treatment is often effective. Anterior prolapse occurs when the pelvic floor becomes weak or if too much pressure is put on the pelvic floor. Your pelvic floor is the group of muscles and ligaments in your pelvic region the pelvic floor acts like a. Once patients with pelvic floor constipation have these basic tools they can begin retraining the pelvic floor muscles with biofeedback.

As a pelvic floor physical therapist the first thing i offer my patients is education. When you sit on the toilet the pelvic floor muscles should relax so that you are able to empty your bladder or bowel. Many things may cause constipation including. The effect also seems to improve over time up to two years.

Constipation can play a huge role in contributing to pelvic floor dysfunction. Low fiber dietary patterns. This can happen over time during vaginal childbirth or with chronic constipation violent coughing or heavy lifting. Medicines such as antidepressents and opioids.

Previously everyone lived by. Common causes of constipation are. Based on the principle of operant conditioning biofeedback provides auditory and visual feedback to help retrain the pelvic floor and relax the anal sphincter. Stephanie talked about this in more detail in a previous blog post.

In constipation the pelvic floor muscles are tight and overactive and do not know how to relax. Some nutrition supplements such as iron and calcium. In a study of biofeedback for pelvic floor dysfunction compared to laxatives the usual treatment for constipation nearly 80 of people undergoing biofeedback had improvement in constipation compared to 22 in the laxative group. Pain medications especially narcotics antacids that contain aluminum and calcium some blood pressure medications calcium channel blockers anti parkinson drugs antispasmodics antidepressants iron supplements diuretics anticonvulsants.

During a biofeedback session a special tube catheter to measure muscle tension is inserted into your rectum. Relaxing your pelvic floor muscles at the right time during defecation can help you pass stool more easily. Constipation has many causes so we need to address diet and fluid intake activity level and other habits. Dehydration can lead to bowel dysfunction primarily.

Other health problems pelvic floor dysfunction and irritable bowel syndrome. Biofeedback training is the treatment of choice. Irregular meals and not enough fiber in the diet.