What are pelvic floor dysfunction diseases?

Female pelvic dysfunction is a common disease that seriously affects women's daily life. At present, there is still no unified definition internationally. It is generally manifested as urinary incontinence, anal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, etc. It is not only a common disease among middle-aged and elderly people, but also exists in at least 1/3 of women after giving birth. Frequent urinary incontinence or a feeling of "lumps" falling out of the body when the intra-abdominal pressure increases due to coughing, laughing, lifting objects, etc., hinders daily life. In serious cases, people are afraid to go out, which seriously affects their quality of life.

What are the reasons that hinder the versatility of the pelvis?

1. During pregnancy. During pregnancy, the weight of the uterus gradually increases with the progress of pregnancy, and the position of the uterus in the pelvis and abdomen gradually becomes vertical. By the late pregnancy, the uterus basically becomes a vertical organ, which allows greater energy to directly press on the supporting tissues of the pelvis.

As the uterus grows and the spine bends forward, the pelvis gradually bears the pressure of the forward and downward position. In addition, in the late pregnancy, the collagen of the pelvic tendons melts more and the ligaments relax. Although the force exerted on the cervical ring is still backward, it is mainly downward, resulting in the dehiscence of the genital opening. This shows that pregnancy itself has a very important impact on the pelvis.

2. Pregnant women giving birth. Perineal tears and episiotomy during childbirth can cause a certain degree of damage to the pelvic repair fibers and nerves, which can reduce the support of the perineum and increase the nerve conduction time of the vulva, thereby reducing the ability of the pelvis to contract. The immediate trauma or nerve damage of natural childbirth further aggravates the abnormalities of the urethral opening and pelvic function.

3. Confinement period. If you lie flat after giving birth, the uterus often tilts backwards because the supporting tissues relax. The result of retroverted uterus makes the axis of uterus consistent with the axis of vagina, creating a standard for uterine prolapse. If you participate in heavy physical work too soon after giving birth, or have chronic cough, chronic constipation, or engage in squatting or standing work for a long time, the abdominal pressure will increase, causing the uterus to move downward. In particular, those labors such as shoulder lifting that increase abdominal pressure can cause uterine prolapse. In severe cases, it can even cause protrusion of the duodenum and bladder at the same time.

The female pelvic body is mainly composed of three layers of muscles and muscle fascia, which play the role of closing the pelvic entrance and exit, bearing weight and supporting the organs in the pelvis. Once the pelvic floor muscles become loose and damaged, their supporting function will weaken and the pelvic organs will move, which is the main cause of a series of female diseases such as stress urinary incontinence, uterine prolapse, bladder prolapse, vaginal relaxation, unsatisfactory sexual life, fecal incontinence or constipation.

During a woman's life, the pelvic floor muscles are more likely to be stressed and traumatized. Pregnancy, childbirth, dystocia, pelvic tumors, uterine and vaginal surgery, postmenopausal ovarian loss, estrogen deficiency, etc., can easily lead to damage to the pelvic floor muscles and nerves, resulting in pelvic function problems.