The Athletic Pelvic Floor

So are you suggesting in the article that female athletes should do kegel exercises to avoid leaking?
“Women need quick activating, coordinated and strong pelvic floor muscle control.”

Thank you,
Leann

Other athletic women have over developed pelvic floor muscles with high resting tones. The implication of this is an over active bladder, caesarian births – well documented, and sexual dysfunction as a result of an inability to release and relax their pelvic floor muscles.

Education and awareness come before a strengthening programme.

Hi Leann and Chris
Thanks for providing the opportunity to address the myth that pelvic floor exercises are the same as Kegels. PFXs are not just about strength – they are about PFM stretches/ relaxation, soft tissue releases, and improving endurance and coordination with other core and trunk muscles. Any athlete (male /female) with signs of pelvic floor/core dysfunction requires individual assessment of all factors affecting core control – posture (static/dynamic), breathing, , abdominal muscle recruitment strategies, joint/soft tissue restrictions, gait/running analysis, footwear, training program, bladder/bowel dysfunction, hormonal levels, emotions, dietary restrictions and PFM assessment to determine timing, tone, endurance, strength and correct recruitment, before advising specific exercises.
Different studies show women with PF dysfunction commonly use a valsalva or bearing down action when asked to lift their PF. If this is their recruitment pattern, adding Kegels (one of the most misunderstood exercises) will contribute to dysfunction.
Athletic women with increased abdominal muscle tone (especially upper abdominals) must be assessed for associated PFM hyperactivity. Overactive PFMs cause bladder and bowel dysfunction, trigger points, pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction. Adding PF strengthening to muscles with higher resting tone would further increase muscle tone and reinforce any altered abdominal muscle recruitment strategy.
Athletes benefit through changing abdominal and training programs, building in resting phases, learning self treatment and understanding how the pelvic floor works in their body. PT’s working with athletes, trainers and coaches are well placed to educate, influence training programs and expand awareness of improving/preventing pelvic floor dysfunction.

Hi Mary!

I TOTALLY agree w/ your article and your response about Kegels NOT equaling PFX’s. Love your tag line, the down under physio….. I am a Pelvic Floor specialist in Colorado!

I have a question, wonder if you could help at all. I am part of an open house next week with a new group I’ve joined. They are ortho PT’s and I am the token Pelvic Floor PT. We are doing a mini Health fair, where each of 4 therapists will have a specialty in one of the treatment rooms. The idea is to perform some kind of 60 sec “test/screen” in order to intice folks to pursue some PT for an area where we could help. For ex, a thomas test leading to a quick summary that we could help that person w/ flexibilty, a balance test to do the same, etc. We don’t want to give away ALL our treatment plans, but rather spark an interest in how we could work to meet goals.

SO, ANY idea what small “test” I could perform? One that wouldn’t be too intimate of course, or too much of a turn off for men, women, general public. I thought of a checklist of issues, such as “sometimes I leak urine when I exercise”; “sometines I feel my bladder is controlling my life”,…

ANY input or resources you might have would be SO COOL! Thank you in advance, Mary!

Mary Byrne, MSPT