Acupuncture For Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
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Pelvic floor dysfunction is often overlooked, though it is a leading cause of urinary and bladder control issues. It’s a lot more common than you might think! Sadly, because the side effects of pelvic floor dysfunction can be a bit embarrassing, many people go undiagnosed and never seek treatment for their symptoms. 1 in 3 women will experience it.
Many people seeking help may get the wrong advice such as doing Kegels which can cause more inflammation and contraction of the tissue.
Health symptoms such as IBS, painful periods, and lower back pain will involve the pelvis and be the cause of pelvic floor muscle issues.
By starting acupuncture for pelvic floor dysfunction, you can take control of your health and finally find relief from your symptoms. So, how does it work, exactly?
Pelvic floor acupuncture can help the muscles in the pelvic floor, supporting normal muscle function. This helps the pelvic floor muscles to reset so they contract and relax as they should, without causing pain.
What are the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?
Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when the muscles in and around the pelvis that support the bladder and bowel (and uterus and vagina in women) either become too tight (hypertonia) or too loose and weak (hypotonia). Pelvic floor dysfunction is a structural, muscular, and connective tissue disorder. The muscles fail to contract and relax properly, and this is what contributes to the painful symptoms associated with the condition.
Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in women include:
IBS
Painful periods
Vaginal dryness
Bladder incontinence
Fecal incontinence
Anal leakage
Urinating when coughing, laughing, or sneezing
Inability to urinate, or a stream that stops and starts
Inability to have a bowel movement and/or painful bowel movements
Constipation
Diarrhea
Breaking wind when bending over or squatting down
Recurrent UTIs
Loss of sensation in the vagina
Painful sex
Inability to achieve orgasm
A sense of heaviness in the pelvic region
Lower back and/or hip pain
Pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to a plethora of unpleasant, downright debilitating symptoms. But women aren’t the only ones who struggle with pelvic floor dysfunction. Men can struggle with this condition as well. Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in men include:
Bladder incontinence
Fecal incontinence
Inability to urinate, even when you feel the urge to go
Painful urination
A stream that stops and starts
Pain and/or a bulging sensation in the rectum
Constipation
Diarrhea
Painful sex
Weak erections
Pelvic floor dysfunction can be anxiety-producing, making something as simple as going to the bathroom extremely unpleasant. For some people, it can make it feel impossible. And pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just impede your ability to urinate and defecate, it can also have a negative impact on your sexual health.
What causes pelvic floor dysfunction?
Pelvic floor dysfunction is prevalent in women who are going through hormonal changes due to birth control and/or who have experienced vaginal childbirth. 50% of women postpartum experience pelvic floor issues, including tailbone injury and scarring from episiotomy or tearing during delivery. That said, it’s worth noting that some women who have undergone C-sections also experience pelvic floor dysfunction.
Often overlooked causes of pelvic floor dysfunction are tailbone injuries or other structural imbalances such as scoliosis or bone fractures.
The muscles in the pelvic floor are acutely sensitive to hormones, especially estrogen. So it’s not unusual for women to develop pelvic floor dysfunction during pregnancy and menopause when levels of this sex hormone fluctuate.
Hormonal changes can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction in men, too. It’s been found that for men, the muscles in the trunk and pelvic floor are influenced by testosterone. When levels of this hormone are too high or too low, this can affect how the pelvic floor muscles work.
Other things that can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction include obesity, nutritional deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances, chronic constipation, intestinal issues like Crohn’s disease or IBS, and reproductive conditions like PCOS. Surgical procedures that involve cutting through bands of connective tissues, such as might happen during prostate surgery, can also contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction.
How does acupuncture treat pelvic floor dysfunction?
Acupuncture is incredibly safe and effective at relieving deep muscle tension. For people struggling with hypertonic pelvic floor dysfunction, acupuncture increases circulation and fresh blood to the area and encourages those overly-contracted muscles to relax. This makes it easier to go to the bathroom without experiencing any pain. And because acupuncture has a normalizing effect on muscle function, that means it’s just as effective at improving the incontinence issues associated with hypotonic pelvic floor dysfunction.
Studies show that acupuncture is an effective complementary therapy for people experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction. Acupuncture is especially helpful when it comes to treating pelvic pain, and regular treatments significantly improve pelvic muscle tone, reducing symptoms of muscular dysfunction, including prolapse as well as incontinence. When combined with physical therapy, one study suggests that acupuncture has the potential to be even more effective.
Furthermore, acupuncture has a balancing effect on hormones, and that includes sex and stress hormones. Acupuncture exerts an adaptogenic effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, normalizing estrogen levels in women and testosterone levels in men. Getting your sex hormones in check can be a huge step toward reclaiming healthy pelvic floor function.
For many people dealing with pelvic floor issues, stress can lead to worsening symptoms. When we feel stressed, we tend to transfer our anxieties to our muscles. And, since pelvic floor dysfunction is a muscular issue, well, it only makes sense that stress could contribute to the problem. But acupuncture is awesome for reducing stress. It’s one of our go-to therapies for managing stress because it regulates neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, to boost your mood naturally.
Other therapies can normalize pelvic floor muscle function, too
Pelvic floor dysfunction can be caused by so many things. Getting acupuncture is a great first step, but other therapies can improve your genitourinary symptoms, too.
If you’ve found that stress is a big contributing factor to your pelvic floor dysfunction, regular massages can help tremendously. Massage therapy is also ideal for people struggling with hypertonic pelvic floor dysfunction because it helps keep muscles loose and flexible.
Herbal medicine is an additional therapeutic resource when it comes to treating hormonal and muscle tension relating to pelvic floor dysfunction. Certain herbs, like Bai Shao, can help improve estrogen levels. Using the right herbs in the right doses can further improve your symptoms. (Note: although herbal medicine can be extremely helpful for treating a variety of conditions, you should never take herbal supplements without the guidance of a professional herbalist. Otherwise, you run the risk of making your symptoms worse)
Contact our office today to learn more
Pelvic floor dysfunction can be challenging. Fortunately, you can improve your symptoms, and your quality of life, with the healing powers of acupuncture.
Ready to learn more and take charge of your health? Contact us today. We’ll help you book your first appointment so you can get started.
At Integrative Healing Arts, we strive to help each of our clients overcome their health challenges and create a life that fulfills them. We’re ready to help you, too.
