As the years go by, the human body undergoes many changes. We hit milestones over the course of our lifetimes. First puberty, then adulthood and childbearing years. Next up for females is perimenopause, soon followed by menopause.
Finally, we all head into the sunset era of human life. We may begin to notice a change in muscle mass, elasticity of tissues, and changes related to hormone balance. Perhaps there are new aches and pains, or old ones that rear their ugly heads.
Like most things, there is a window to capture that can optimize our transitions into the later stages of life. Diet, exercise, good sleeping habits, etc., are all key ingredients to keeping our hearts, minds and bodies in good working order and to help smooth the transition.
Our pelvic floors are no different than any other part of our bodies. Few of us give our pelvic floors any thought, not until there’s a problem that is! Statistically, would it surprise you to learn that 50% of us (that’s HALF of all humans!) end our lives in diapers?
Would it also surprise you to learn that urinary incontinence is the number one reason that caregivers opt to transition family members to institutionalized care?
Finally, (for some of you reading this, this statistic is not a surprise), those with urinary incontinence spend about $1000 a year on pads alone!
The pelvic floor is an area of the body that is impacted by aging like with any other part of the body. As such, it needs attention too.
The pelvic floor can take a beating, whether from childbirth, poor posture, surgical intervention, hormone shifts in menopause for women or prostate issues for men.
While our bodies are incredibly adaptable and can find a way to continue functioning, like anything forced to continue to operate sub optimally, wear and tear will get the best of us.
Hence, early intervention can actually help us obtain longevity and enhance the performance of our pelvic floors.
How do we do this? Pelvic floor physiotherapists can help you train or retrain your pelvic floor to address any underlying issues. They can also help you rehabilitate following events like surgery or pregnancy to resume normalcy and optimal performance.
Finally, if you are struggling with issues that you have swept under the rug for quite some time and it is now impacting your quality of life, it’s not too late! A pelvic health physiotherapist can perform an assessment and formulate a treatment plan to help resolve the issue.
An investment into your health, whether it be your heart, your body, your mind or your pelvic floor, will always pay out.
To schedule an appointment, contact a pt Health clinic near you or book an appointment online.
This blog originally appeared on lifemark.ca and was written by Uma Ghosh, PT, DPT, Pelvic Health
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