Not many people talk about their pelvic floor.
 
Why is that?
 
How often do you think about your pelvic floor?
 
How often do you use it or consider what it is doing/isn’t doing/can do for you?
 
Did you know that pelvic floor muscles provide you with continence control and much more?
 
Let me share some important statistics with you:
 

  • Incontinence is one of the biggest health issues in the Australian community
  • 1 in 3 women who have ever had a baby are affected by incontinence
  • The monetary cost of urinary and faecal incontinence totaled $1.5 billion in 2003
  • An estimated 70% of people affected do not discuss the issue with anyone, including their GP
  • Incontinence impacts self esteem, motivation, dignity and independence
  • Incontinence lowers productivity and length of participation in the workforce and impacts on social activity in the community

 
Does that give you some things to think about?
 
And the great news is, that pelvic floor muscles exercises have been shown to be effective in preventing incontinence.
 
If you have any symptoms, or are worried about your pelvic floor health or function, please seek professional advice. There is a social stigma around this topic which means we feel we have failed if we experience any loss of continence. The research clearly shows that pelvic floor muscle retraining can help to regain control of continence. Why not give it a try?
 
To find out more visit http://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au/
 
If you’d like to speak to someone for advice or for more information call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66.