One in three women will suffer from a pelvic floor disorder. In this episode, we’re joined by Tracey Nweze-Thomas, a pelvic floor physical therapist at Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation who discusses pelvic floor disorders and how physical therapy can help. Pelvic floor disorders can be common but shouldn’t be considered a “normal” part of aging. In fact, many of these conditions can be addressed or improved, especially if they’re interfering, or preventing you from doing your daily activities.
Maggie McKay (Host): Welcome to Everyday Well a health and wellness podcast brought to you by Memorial Hermann Health System. Tune in for the latest tips and information about healthcare topics that matter most to you. I'm your host, Maggie McKay. Today we're discussing pelvic floor disorders, a common issue for men and women.
Many people believe these conditions are a normal part of life, but that's not the case. We're joined by Tracey Nweze-Thomas, a pelvic floor physical therapist with Memorial Hermann to shed some light on the subject. We'll explore what the pelvic floor is, who is affected and how physical therapy can be a game changer in restoring your health and quality of life.
Thank you so much for being here, Tracey.
Tracey Nweze-Thomas PT, DPT, OCS: Thank you Maggie. Thanks for having me.
Host: Absolutely. I have to say, just this week, you know, you hear about the pelvic floor a lot and I was thinking, I don't really know what that is. So what is the pelvic floor and why is it so important for our overall health?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: Yeah, so the pelvic floor is, it's just a group of muscles and connective tissue in the pelvic area that helps to stabilize your core and support and protect your organs in the pelvis like your bladder. Bowels and, internal reproductive organs. Your pelvic floor is also there to protect your spine, allow you to squeeze and relax, to hold waste or eliminate it from your body when you're ready to go to the restroom.
There are many other functions, but having a healthy pelvic floor is incredibly important part of maintaining your health.
Host: So what is a pelvic floor disorder? Why are these conditions so common, and what are some of the key life events or risk factors that can lead to them?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: a pelvic floor disorder or a pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when those supporting tissues or connective tissues within the pelvic floor are weak or too tight or damaged in some way. And as a result, the muscles are not able to contract or relax, as they normally do, which can interfere with your body's normal elimination process when you're going to the restroom or make it the inability to control the muscles, which can cause incontinence, other things like organ prolapse or even pain and it can interfere with sexual function.
Host: Wow, that covers a lot. That pelvic floor does a lot of different jobs.
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: It's very important. Yes.
Host: yeah, I had no idea. Do pelvic floor disorders only affect women or can men also be impacted? What are some of the common causes in men?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: Oh no. So yes, men have pelvic floors too, and you'd be surprised to know that one in five people will suffer from pelvic floor disorder at any time in their life. And this includes men as well. For men they can suffer from incontinence, sexual dysfunction, constipation and many more things. And some common causes for pelvic floor disorders in men can include aging, obesity and genetics.
Repeated heavy lifting or prolonged coughing, even prostate surgeries or other injuries to the pelvis can play a huge role in weakening the pelvic floor muscles and causing pelvic floor disorders.
Host: My goodness. Why is it important for people to seek help for pelvic floor disorders?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: Well, the pelvic floor is very important. It's responsible for a lot of bodily functions. And improving the pelvic floor could mean restoring confidence, improving muscle strength and function, and having pelvic floor disorders or pelvic floor dysfunction can definitely get in the way of enjoying your daily life.
So to help your body age well and to protect your spine and your organs and to be able to use the restroom without issues, and also to enjoy your sex life, there are so many things that can help your pelvic floor. It's super important.
Host: When should someone consider seeking physical therapy for a pelvic floor disorder?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: Well, I typically say if you feel like it's interfering with your daily life or you feel like some of these issues or symptoms affect the way you live in a disruptive way, that's when you should seek physical therapy. Things like not making it to the restroom in time or experiencing pain in the pelvic area.
It can be very frustrating and it's not something you have to live with. It's much better to be proactive rather than wait until the symptoms progress and are severe.
Maggie McKay (Host): What kind of symptoms might indicate that someone has a pelvic floor disorder? What are some of the signs that a problem is serious enough to interfere with daily activities?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: So some common symptoms that could indicate pelvic floor disorder include leaking urine when you sneeze or laugh or cough, not being able to hold in urine, when you feel the urge to go to the restroom. Feeling heaviness in the pelvic area or the lower abdominal area internally. And, it may not have been there before.
Any sort of painful intercourse, constipation or feeling like you have to go to the bathroom more often than what you would consider to be normal. All of those things could indicate that you could benefit from some physical therapy.
Host: And physical therapy can help with pain, weakness, and dysfunction. But can you describe what a typical pelvic floor physical therapy session looks like?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: Absolutely. So typically a pelvic floor exam will start with a lot of conversation about your bladder health, bowel and sexual health. This will help the physical therapist get a better understanding of the issues that you have and are unique to you for your needs for physical therapy. An internal pelvic exam may be necessary for you and your physical therapist to gain more knowledge on how your pelvic floor moves and how strong the muscles are, or if there's any pain in any particular areas that need to be treated.
So then a plan is then created. That includes diet or lifestyle change, exercise. Toileting habit tips and overall education on ways to improve your symptoms.
Host: What specific conditions or diagnoses do you treat with pelvic floor physical therapy?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: So we provide treatment for common conditions like constipation, diastasis rectus abdominis, which can affect many women postpartum, incontinence, gender affirmation, surgeries, painful intercourse, a lot of pediatric conditions, elvic organ prolapse, any prenatal or postpartum care, post prostatectomy surgeries, vaginismus and truly so many more conditions that commonly affect men and women.
The way we treat these may vary and it depends on the patient's specific needs and it can include a combination of external or internal techniques. And these are all non-surgical treatments. So physical therapy is also a great place to start.
Host: Well, it's good to know that a referral is not required for an initial evaluation. What can a new patient expect during that first appointment, and what's the importance of having that initial evaluation?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: So the initial evaluation is beneficial because your physical therapist can determine if you're a candidate for physical therapy in the pelvic floor, and it can provide a plan of care designed to meet your goals. So depending on your condition, your therapist can recommend internal or external physical therapy techniques, or a combination of both.
And if you're not a candidate for physical therapy, our therapists can help guide you to the right healthcare provider for you.
Host: Tracey, what's the main message that you would like listeners to take away from this episode about pelvic floor health, and what's the first step they should take if they think they may have a disorder?
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: Yes. So I want people to know that you don't have to continue to live with these conditions that make you feel uncomfortable, give you discomfort or pain or even embarrassment, whether you've had a baby 10 years ago or you're struggling with your pelvic floor, you are experiencing pain from intercourse or have suffered from cancer, or just want to be able to run around with your kids, we can help.
The first step for you to take is to come see us for an initial evaluation for physical therapy so we can determine the best way to help you. And a doctor's referral is not required.
Host: That's so good to know. Well, thank you so much for sharing your expertise. This has been so informative and helpful. We really appreciate your time.
Tracey Nweze-Thomas: Yes. Thank you for having me. Can't wait to come back.
Host: Great. Well, we’d love to have you again. That's Tracey Nweze-Thomas. Our experienced physical therapists aim to restore your pelvic health and treat pelvic floor disorders in both men and women. No referral is required for an initial evaluation. Just to remind you again and to schedule, you can call (713) 521-0020 or visit memorialhermann.org/pf-pt. That number again is (713) 521-0020. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library. For topics of interest to you, I'm Maggie McKay. Thanks for listening to Everyday Well, a podcast from Memorial Hermann Health System.
