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The Rise and Importance of Pelvic Floor Health Awareness
Pelvic floor health has a critical role in the well-being of individuals of all genders and ages. Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the awareness of pelvic health conditions and management; rightfully so as our society shifts away from old stigmas and embraces more education and awareness around this topic.
What is Pelvic Floor Health?
The pelvic floor is made up of muscles, nerves, connective tissue and ligaments. It forms a bowl or basket of muscles that attach to the bones of the pelvis and thus forms the bottom of the pelvic region. These muscles play an important role in maintaining bladder and bowel continence, and are involved and quite active during sexual activity. They support internal organs and provide stability to the pelvis, hips and back.
There are a variety of pelvic health concerns that affect all genders such as bladder and bowel incontinence (leakage), pelvic or sexual pain, sexual dysfunction and more. These concerns can occur at any time during the lifespan but can also be more prevalent during specific transitions such as pregnancy, postpartum, menopause and post-surgery.
The Rise & Awareness Around Pelvic Health
Historically there has been a lack of awareness and education around this health topic for a variety of reasons, some of which may include cultural traditions and backgrounds as well as old fashioned societal factors and expectations. Patriarchal systems and mindsets may have also played a role in the slow advancement of pelvic health care and research. Although everyone has a pelvic floor and any individual no matter what gender or biology may struggle with pelvic floor issues, the majority who are affected are those who are assigned female at birth and additionally, if these individuals birth children. Pregnancy and childbirth are significant factors for the development of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Fortunately, there has been a shift in mindsets and attitudes which have been observed over the last decade. Not only are we seeing a rise in excellent scientific research in this field, but we are also seeing an increase in media coverage, pelvic health products available in the market, advocacy and funding towards pelvic health initiatives. Examples of this growth in my country of Canada is evident through the creation of organizations such as the Canadian Society for Pelvic Medicine; the increase in the education offerings and trainings for healthcare practitioners; the development and updates on medical guidelines for pelvic health concerns such as menopause from the Menopause Society and endometriosis from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada; and the increase in funding and legislation for pelvic health concerns such as endometriosis. There have certainly been some positive advancements made over the years and certainly, the expectation is for this to continue.
Why Pelvic Health Awareness Matters
So why does this matter? As a pelvic health physiotherapist, educator, clinic owner and product creator in this space, I have certainly observed the pelvic health evolution during my career. After caring and assisting this population over the years, I have witnessed the way these concerns not only affect an individual’s physical health, but can also be an all-encompassing physical, mental, and emotional experience that impacts one’s professional life, personal/social life and sexual relationships. It can also impact a person’s confidence, self-efficacy, and lead to a spiral of poor health outcomes and comorbidities if left untreated. Not only does this impact the quality of life for the individual, it also directly impacts our healthcare system that is already extremely overwhelmed.
This is where prevention can perhaps act as a key element to improving health outcomes and society as a whole. Prevention can come in the form of early education and advocacy. This can be implemented in our middle schools and high schools where pelvic health education can be incorporated as part of sexual health and/or physical education. Prevention can also continue into higher levels of education such as in university and college programs. I have certainly witnessed and have taken part in the constructive shift towards including pelvic health education for post-graduate programs such as midwifery and physical therapy in Canada. This is encouraging as many of us may agree, education is power and positive changes are often sparked from here.
The Role of Pelvic Health Physiotherapy
The rise in the awareness of pelvic health physiotherapy is another way that we can ensure earlier diagnoses and treatments, and potentially prevent pelvic health conditions from worsening over time. An example of this is the key role that pelvic health physiotherapist’s have taken in the care of perinatal individuals. Not only are we able to assess and treat pelvic health concerns that may arise during pregnancy, but we are also able to coach and educate this group about labour and delivery and follow up with them in the postpartum period to help rehabilitate any pelvic health issues that may arise from childbirth. Taking this approach can help prevent pelvic floor concerns from progressing over time.
Pelvic health physiotherapy also plays a role in managing chronic or more persistent pelvic pain conditions such as interstitial cystitis, endometriosis and vulvodynia. These conditions tend to be ongoing (often with remissions) and don’t currently have a ‘cure’. Physiotherapy is important to help individuals manage their condition and lifestyle over the long term by way of education, manual therapies, reassurance, compassion and helping individuals understand the integral role of taking a biopsychosocial approach to managing their pelvic health condition.
Breaking Stigmas and Encouraging Proactive Action
I hope that it is a little clearer as to why pelvic health awareness and treatment is so crucial for all populations. There are still many barriers to accessing care be it financial, geographical, cultural, etc; but as a whole, there have certainly been many steps taken forward in pelvic health care. My hope is that our society continues to remain open to continued destigmatization of pelvic health conditions while empowering individuals to understand their bodies and advocate for their care.
Be sure to prioritize your health at every stage of life, whether it be:
- Pregnancy and postpartum care
- Menopause and aging considerations
- Pelvic health concerns in men, athletes and children
Receiving care from a speciality clinic like Proactive Pelvic Health Centre that offers multidisciplinary treatment including pelvic health physiotherapy can be one of the best things you do for your own personalized, expert treatment for both prevention and recovery. I encourage you to join the pelvic health movement as we continue to drive education, advocacy and overall awareness forward.
Angelique Montano-Bresolin, Reg. PT, BSc. PT, HBA Kin is an educator, practicing pelvic health physiotherapist, founder of Proactive Pelvic Health Centre, founder of Pelvic Health Hub and creator of FemmeSense Vulvar Balm.
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