Health pelvic floor muscles or castle guard
The pelvic floor muscles or pelvic floor muscles are the muscles that surround the sexual and reproductive organs, and these muscles are present in both women and men. Like all muscles that embrace bones and organs, one of the functions of these muscles is to protect the organs surrounding them.
But their role extends beyond this, as they are responsible for controlling the process of defecation and sexual intercourse.
In this article, we will elaborate on the role of the pelvic floor muscles, their importance, what can happen to them, and how to maintain them.
What are the pelvic muscles?
They are a group of muscles that surround the pelvic bones and the organs inside them, including the sexual and reproductive organs such as the uterus and vagina in females and the prostate in males. The contraction and relaxation of these muscles has an effect on the process of excretion and sexual intercourse.
These muscles extend from the lower abdominal muscles in front and the back muscles in the back and help create balance in the body. They also extend to the sitting bones.
The pelvic muscles combine to form a plate-like structure that contains the openings of the urethra (urethra), anus, and vagina in females
How does its role in excretion relate to its role in sex?
Because the organs responsible for excretion intersect with the sexual and reproductive organs, the muscles that embrace both affect both.
Squeezing (contracting) these muscles and relaxing (expanding) them helps move what is inside the bladder and large intestine. These muscles work hand in hand with the urethra and anus in both women and men.
As for sexual practice, the pelvic floor muscles also play an important role. All contractions and expansions of the vagina during vaginal sex and orgasm are primarily affected by these muscles, and the pelvic floor muscles also help blood flow to the sexual organs during sex. Also, every erection of the penis and ejaculation is affected by the pelvic floor muscles.
How do I know where the muscles are located practically, and how can I relax or contract them?
We can know the muscles in our bodies in a simple way through the openings mentioned above. For example:
From the vagina: You can insert a finger inside the vagina and try to squeeze it.
From the urethra: When your bladder is empty, try to stop urinating.
From the anus: Squeeze the anus as if you are stopping yourself from passing gas.
In all these cases, you feel some muscles in the pelvic area moving back and forth. These are the pelvic floor muscles..
What can happen to the pelvic floor muscles?
Weakness, excessive relaxation, or even excessive contraction of these muscles can cause some disorders. The pelvic floor muscles must be strong enough to secure the internal organs and flexible enough to relax and stretch.
Stress urinary incontinence: This may be in the form of some drops of urine when sneezing, coughing, or lifting heavy objects. Urinary incontinence can affect women or men, women after childbirth, and men after any prostate surgery, and it may be due to any pelvic injuries, or as a result of chronic coughing.
Urgency urinary incontinence: Feeling the need to urinate more than normal and feeling that it is about to escape. Among its causes are strokes, and any other health problems that may affect the nerve signals from the brain to the bladder.
Lack of control (or difficulty controlling) the expulsion of gas or waste.
Uterine prolapse: This means that the uterus falls to the bottom of its natural place because the muscles responsible for supporting the uterus and keeping it in place are not strong enough to keep the uterus in place.
Bladder or rectum prolapse: The same thing happens to the uterus: it drops down due to weakness or relaxation of the muscles responsible for supporting each of them.
All these disorders arise from relaxation or weakness of the pelvic floor muscles. As for their excessive contraction, it can cause a lot of pain in the back, thigh and legs, and pain during sexual intercourse.
The cause of this excessive contraction of the pelvic floor muscles may be a psychological sexual shock, or a shock related to an accident, or a difficult birth in some cases
What are the ways to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles?
Exercises:
Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles - and thus avoiding and treating all these disorders - is possible through exercises. There are exercises called pelvic floor exercises or Kegel exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises require squeezing and relaxing the pelvic muscles to build control.
These exercises can treat incontinence. But of course, it is always preferable to consult a specialist before performing any exercises to ensure that the body is ready and prepared and not to harm it, especially if the cause of muscle relaxation and weakness is a wound, an injury resulting from childbirth, or other injuries.
Physiotherapy:
A physical therapist (especially if he or she specializes in pelvic floor muscles) can help you strengthen the muscles.
Surgery:
In the case of a prolapsed uterus, bladder, or rectum, surgery can return the organs to their places.
As for treating excessive contraction of the pelvic muscles, it can be treated and its results treated through:
Physiotherapy: to relax the muscles.
Breathing exercises: Regular and deep breathing and attempts to relax can help relax the muscles.
Get rid of constipation: Treat what caused the disease: Treating constipation - resulting from contraction of the pelvic floor muscles - can treat the pressure on the pelvic muscles. Constipation can be treated with foods rich in fiber or laxatives.
Medications that help relax the muscles.
Behavioral therapy.
How do we avoid all these disorders?
By strengthening the muscles enough so that they are not too loose, and at the same time, keeping them flexible enough so that they do not contract too much. Regular Kegel exercises can strengthen the pelvic muscles. The benefits of these exercises include increased control over bowel movements and better sexual performance.
The easiest way to exercise these muscles is while sitting, standing, or lying down:
Squeeze your pelvic muscles for eight seconds, but be careful not to squeeze your buttocks, thighs, or any other muscle. You can check your pelvic muscles as mentioned at the beginning of the article.
Relax your pelvic muscles for eight seconds. This step is just as important as the squeezing/contracting step.
Complete this squeezing and relaxing routine for eight times.
Repeat these exercises three times a day.
Enjoy physical and sexual health and strong pelvic muscles.