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As featured on Vogue – You can find the article here: https://bit.ly/3HZjk9r
It has happened during a dance aerobics routine and when I’ve had to deadlift my toddler. Sometimes, it happens simply upon standing after many hours of being hunched over my computer. The “it” of which I speak is leakage.
My own pelvic woes started before my baby’s arrival—evolving from third trimester throbbing (during long walks or attempting the Herculean feat that was stairs) to the painful postpartum wreckage following a prolonged vaginal delivery to, now, a few years later, occasional leakage and a frequent need to urinate. They are issues that all go back to the pelvic floor, an area that, while frequently mentioned in OBGYN offices, magazines, and by my Pilates instructor, is also just as frequently misunderstood.
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that connects to an internal web of fascia.
“This dynamic system is essential for organ position as it suspends the urethra, bladder, vagina, and rectum, while also providing stability for postural control, preventing leaking of urine, gas or stool, and playing a very important role in sexual function,” -Michele McGurk, pelvic floor physical therapist
Carey Macaleer, founder of A-Line Pilates, thinks of it like a hammock holding and supporting your organs and muscles and, when you’re pregnant, the baby too. The pelvic floor can feel the impact of pregnancy often beginning in the second trimester, explains McGurk. The pelvic girdle becomes lax as ligaments relax, creating an imbalance that leads to increased tone of the pelvic floor muscles.
“This muscle overactivity, when evaluated, presents as muscle tightness, and a tight pelvic floor is a weak pelvic floor,” says McGurk. “As a baby gets bigger, the added weight and pressure on the pelvic contents causes pelvic congestion which further increases muscle tone and weakness.” During vaginal delivery, the pelvic floor needs to be able to lengthen to avoid injury.
Pilates’ focus on breath, precision, and activating the abdominals and pelvic floor make it an invaluable tool for strengthening the area both pre- and post-partum. “If we keep the hammock strong by knowing how to activate the muscles and work them, then it will take pressure off the lower back and also help with the pushing needed during a vaginal birth,” explains Macaleer. “With a strong pelvic floor post-Caesarean, you will be able to activate it in order to start moving around again and give you core support while the outer abs are healing.” Macaleer tells all her clients to practice their Kegel-esque lifts both in and out of the studio. For anyone who is pregnant, McGurk often recommends a combination of yoga and stretching (like squats and hip openers) and to see a pelvic floor therapist around 34 weeks. A licensed PT with a doctorate degree and additional specialized training in pelvic pain, a pelvic floor therapist can assess the tone and strength of your muscles and show you how to prep for delivery with self-perineal massage.
A weakening of the pelvic floor can have a number of consequences for anyone: pain with intercourse, constipation, pelvic organ prolapses (or POP, something 30% of women aged 20-59 have some degree of and that Hispanic women are at the highest risk for), chronic pelvic pain, bladder urgency and frequency, and incontinence. The prevalence of these issues and the lack of solid resources for women to be able to address them was a driving force for Invigorate Health in Long Island to invest in the Emsella Chair, an FDA cleared machine that relies on High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic technology. Our goal is to help both women and men that have urinary incontinence or even just a weakening pelvic floor, tighten it up and feel like normal again. Get back to doing your regular daily activities, without the leakage.
Dermatologist Dr. Lisa Airan reports that Emsella has been significantly improving quality of life for the postpartum patients at her New York practice. “Emsella’s intense muscle contractions cause fast pelvic floor strengthening and muscle re-education, resulting in relief of incontinence symptoms,” says Airan, adding that women should wait until three months postpartum or follow their pediatrician’s advice, which is usually to hold off until you’re done breastfeeding. When used in conjunction with Emsculpt, for a “core to the floor” effect, the combination therapy has been successful at addressing both incontinence and moderate diastasis recti. The Emsella is speedy (treatments are under 30 minutes and are the equivalent of 20,000 Kegels) and non-invasive (patients sit on a chair fully clothed) has only contributed to its appeal, not just among postpartum women. “Both men and women experience pelvic floor disorders,” says Airan, adding that the body’s natural aging process and menopause can also result in forms of incontinence.
The fact that we’re talking about these issues of the pelvic floor now more than ever is one sign of progress. And brands are listening: when underwear brands came to, they marketed their leakproof briefs not just for periods, but also incontinence. Popular feminine care company Honeypot recently added an incontinence collection to their lineup. Women being more vocal in their need for solutions has also, says Barshop, led to laser companies investing in new technologies: the gynecological medical lasers market is expected to reach close to $1 billion by 2025. The postpartum period should not be looked at as a time with a prescribed end date, Barshop adds. “Women are postpartum the rest of their lives,” she says. “Just as stretch marks may never fade or your feet are forever a size larger, a women’s sexual health is affected well past their days with a stroller.” Thankfully, support and resources are growing to meet their evolving needs. Here at Invigorate Health in Long Island, we have the highly trained medical staff as well as the equipment to help you rid yourself of that pesky incontinence or leakage issue. Contact us today at 615-288-4777 or book your FREE consultation below!
