What is a hypotonic pelvic floor?
A hypotonic pelvic floor is when the pelvic floor muscles are weak. This makes it hard for the pelvic floor to contract voluntarily with strength.
A hypotonic pelvic floor can cause bladder and bowel incontinence, and also affect one’s sexual function. In women, it can also cause pelvic organ prolapse (when a pelvic organ drops down from its original position, causing the sensation of heaviness in the vagina).
Women may experience symptoms of a hypotonic pelvic floor due to pregnancy, childbirth, age, and abdominal or pelvic surgery. For men, prostate surgery can also contribute to developing a hypotonic pelvic floor.
What are the types of incontinence?
Urinary Incontinence:
- Stress urinary incontinence (leakage on coughing, laughing, lifting, jumping, etc.)
- Urge urinary incontinence (leakage on urgency)
- Mixed urinary incontinence (combination of stress and urge urinary incontinence)
- Functional incontinence (leakage due to physical conditions causing difficulty in reaching the toilet)
- Overflow incontinence (involuntary urination due to the bladder being unable to contain urine under pressure)
Faecal Incontinence:
- Reduced control of the bowel
Flatal incontinence:
- Inability to control the passing of wind.
Treating the weak pelvic floor
Weakness in the pelvic floor muscle involves strengthening exercises to make these muscles get stronger.
This includes:
- Working on strength and endurance – squeezing the pelvic floor muscle (Kegel exercises) for 10 seconds and then relaxing. Repeating these up to 10 times for at least 3 sets a day.
- Working on power – Quick, strong activation of the pelvic floor for 1 second and quick relaxation of the pelvic floor, repeating this 10 times and at least 3 sets a day.
Treatment options can vary but have high levels of success in assisting a weak pelvic floor. If you’d like to understand this in more detail or have your pelvic floor assessed, book in with with one of our physiotherapists.
