What is women's health
physiotherapy?
It is the physical therapy
method related to women's health. Physical therapy methods are drug-free and do
not require surgical intervention, and include physical therapy instruments and
special exercises applied outside the body. Physiotherapy is an important
non-surgical instrument in overcoming problems such as painful menstruation,
pregnancy, and urinary incontinence that women often encounter, and sometimes
naturally.
Women's health physiotherapy
helps women to have pain-free menstruation in the period starting with
menstruation and continuing until menopause, thus helping them to have a comfortable
life at home, at work, and in society.
Physiotherapy applied in
case of pregnancy contributes to a normal and easy delivery as well as
eliminating pregnancy problems and having a comfortable pregnancy. It also
ensures that the mother is healthier after childbirth.
One of the important health
problems of women is urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence forces the
patient to consider hygiene and odor issues and to use additional cloths such
as diapers. Besides, it causes many problems at workplaces, in establishing and
maintaining a relationship with friends and in society. Physiotherapy is one of
the treatment methods to be applied in case of urinary incontinence.
Why are pelvic floor muscles
important?
The conditions, that also affect women individually, professionally, and
socially, result from the inability of the pelvic floor muscles to perform
their functions.
They are the muscles at the base of the pelvis, which have functions such
as contraction, relaxation, and stabilization. They carry organs such as the
bladder, uterus, and large intestine like a hammock. They are involved in
urination, defecation, and sexual functions, as well as pregnancy and
childbirth.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is one of the most common women's health problems when
the pelvic floor muscles are not able to function. Women cannot retain the
urine, and it can leak in drops or with more intensity.
Mostly incontinence occurs in three ways.
a. Stress incontinence. It is the
leakage of urine drop by drop in situations such as coughing and laughing, or lifting
weights and straining that increase intra-abdominal pressure.
b. Urge type incontinence. It is incontinence
when the patient cannot reach the toilet on time after a sudden feeling of
urination.
c. Mixed type incontinence.
Sometimes both types of urinary incontinence can be seen together.
What are the risk factors for
urinary incontinence?
It occurs in one of every four women after the age of thirty. It is more
common in women who have gone through menopause and have given birth multiple
times. The main causes of female incontinence are:
-
Age. Frequency increases after menopause.
-
Smoking
-
Obesity
-
Constipation
-
Excessive caffeine intake, such as too much coffee
-
Pregnancy
-
A high number of births
- Overweighted babies
How is incontinence treated?
Physiotherapy is a
non-surgical method with no side effects and successful results, applied by a
specially trained women's health physiotherapist. Strengthening weak muscles,
relaxing tauth muscles, and increasing the endurance of the muscles with
special exercises applied to the pelvic floor muscles are the basis of the
treatment. In addition, lifestyle changes andbladder training recommended by
the women's health physiotherapist make important contributions to the
treatment. If necessary, it is ensured that the pelvic floor muscles function
in isolation by applying methods such as EMG and biofeedback. Urinary
incontinence treatment improves the quality of life of patients and ensures
their participation in life. Urinary incontinence is no longer a destiny of
women.