Why are Pelvic Floor Exercises Important?

What is the Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and muscles that hang like a hammock between the anterior part of the pelvis and the tailbone, thus forming the base of the pelvis. It is a structure made of connective tissue. The pelvic floor not only supports the pelvic organs involved in urination (urinary bag, urethra, prostate), reproduction (uterus, ovaries, vagina) and defecation (rectum, anus) to keep them in their normal place, and also has important roles in the function of these organs. How do pelvic floor diseases occur? Pelvic floor muscles are voluntary muscles that are under the control of the person, that is, they can be tightened and relaxed at will. While the smooth muscles of the bladder and large intestine work involuntarily, the work of the pelvic floor muscles is under the control of the person. These voluntary and involuntary muscle groups must work in harmony in order to control urine and stool properly. We can control the process by using our pelvic muscles while urinating and defecating. In cases where there is no suitable environment for urination and defecation, the pelvic floor muscles must contract. In such cases, if the muscles cannot contract sufficiently; leakage of urine, gas, or feces may occur. On the contrary, problems such as urinary and defecation difficulties occur when the pelvic floor muscles cannot relax sufficiently during urination and defecation. The function of the pelvic floor muscles to support and hold the pelvic organs in place may also be impaired for various reasons. This situation causes the pelvic floor muscles to stretch and relax more than necessary, causing various diseases under the name of “pelvic organ prolapse”. What are pelvic floor diseases? Many diseases related to the pelvic floor region can be mentioned. However, we can summarize the main diseases as follows;

• Incontinence (stool, gas or urinary incontinence)
• Fecal incontinence (fecal incontinence)
• Urinary incontinence (urinary incontinence) incontinence)
• Pelvic organ prolapse (urinary bag, bowel, uterine prolapse)
• Defecation disorders (such as inability to defecate, severe straining or pain during defecation, feeling of incomplete emptying after defecation)
• Pelvic pain (pain in the rectum, coccyx, groin or vagina)
• Sexual dysfunctions (such as painful sexual intercourse, orgasmic disorders, premature or delayed ejaculation)

Nerve damage
The downward descent of the baby's head during vaginal delivery creates pressure and tension on the nerves in the pelvic floor. Depending on the severity of this condition, nerve damage occurs as a result of demyelination. In some studies, it has been shown that this condition occurs to some degree in 40-80% of vaginal deliveries. Especially prolonged deliveries, vaginal delivery with intervention (forceps, vacuum), and deliveries with a large baby are risk factors for this condition. To a certain extent, this nerve damage can heal in about 1 year. Muscle damage: The levator ani muscle complex (a group of muscles that surround and support the anus) is critical for pelvic floor function.

What should be done to prevent the occurrence of pelvic floor diseases during pregnancy and the postpartum period?