Having surgery can affect the muscles of the pelvic floor – even if the surgery has NOTHING to do with that region of the body. Any procedure that requires a catheter – which is inserted into the bladder and can trigger pelvic floor dysfunction. Here’s how:
What’s a catheter and how can it trigger pelvic floor dysfunction?
You can have a pelvic floor dysfunction without showing any symptoms. However, inserting a catheter into the bladder can cause a flare up and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Basically a catheter goes in through the urethra into the bladder to drain during surgery. If the catheter irritates the urethra, this can essentially stir up the muscles of the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor muscles line the bottom of the pelvis and directly affect the bladder and rectum if they are not functioning properly. So, basically, the pelvic floor can cause symptoms that appear to be coming from the bladder, but the root cause is actually the pelvic floor.
What are the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?
Some of the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include:
- sacroiliac joint pain
- low back pain
- pain and pressure around the prostate (men)
- difficulty urinating
- burning with urination
- urinary frequency
- fullness in the rectum
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Treatment
It’s important to first and foremost decrease muscle spasming on the inside of the pelvic floor as well as improve the alignment of the bones in and around the pelvis. It’s important to work with someone who understands how to treat all of this from a holistic standpoint to help you get onto the right path and pain-free.
To schedule a complimentary phone consultation with one of our pelvic floor physical therapists, click here.
