The Connection Between Fertility and Pelvic Health
Many factors affect fertility. While often overlooked, pelvic health plays a significant role in reproductive well-being. In this blog, we’ll explore the connection between fertility and pelvic health and what you can do to support your reproductive journey.
Understanding Pelvic Health
Pelvic health refers to the well-being of the pelvic floor muscles, organs, and tissues that support reproductive, urinary, and bowel functions. A healthy pelvic floor is essential for:
Reproductive function: The pelvic muscles support the uterus, ovaries, and other reproductive organs.
Hormone Regulation: Pelvic health influences hormone balance, which is crucial for ovulation, fertilization, and implantation.
Menstrual cycle regulation: A healthy pelvic floor helps regulate menstrual cycles, improving fertility.
How Pelvic Health Impacts Fertility
Hormonal imbalance: Pelvic health issues can disrupt hormone balance, leading to irregular menstrual cycles and ovulation disorders.
Inflammation and scarring: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, or surgery can cause scarring, adhesions, or inflammation, reducing fertility.
Stress and emotional well-being: Pelvic health issues can contribute to stress, anxiety, and emotional distress, negatively impacting fertility.
Tips for Supporting Fertility and Pelvic Health
Pelvic floor exercises: Engage in pelvic floor physical therapy.
Healthy lifestyle: Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and manage stress to support overall pelvic health.
Menstrual cycle tracking: Monitor your menstrual cycle to understand your body’s rhythms and optimize fertility.
Address underlying issues: Endometriosis, PCOS, PID, Fibroids, Lupus, etc.
Mind-body connection: Prioritize emotional well-being through stress-reducing activities like meditation or yoga.
Conclusion
Individuals can optimize their fertility and overall reproductive well-being by prioritizing pelvic health. You can support your body's natural fertility by incorporating pelvic floor exercises, healthy lifestyle habits, and stress management techniques.
Take the First Steps
Start your journey towards optimal fertility and pelvic health today. Prioritize your body’s well-being, and don’t hesitate to seek professional help when needed.
C-Section Recovery and Pelvic Floor Health
Coming Soon
The rate of Cesarean births continues to increase throughout the United States, despite vaginal births being preferred and safer for both mom and baby.
A c-section is major abdominal surgery, involving 7 layers of tissue being cut. Despite being major abdominal surgery many women are not given proper post-op instructions and follow-up care and unfortunately are not referred to pelvic floor physical therapy. Without proper post-op care adhesions and scar tissue can build up at the incision site affecting pelvic health and even fertility over time.
Common symptoms to look out for:
Difficulty/ inability to empty bladder
Constipation
Pelvic and abdominal pain
Pulling sensation at the scar
Painful sex
Scar sensitivity
Low back pain
How can pelvic floor physical therapy help?
With consent, an internal and external examination will be performed of the pelvic floor and musculoskeletal system.
The examination may include:
Postural and gait observation
Breathe assessment
Trunk and hip flexibility
Abdominal and hip strength testing
DRA assessment
Scar and rib mobility
Treatment will address restrictions and weakness in the muscles, as well as improve coordination and movement patterns in order to minimize functional deficits and pelvic dysfunction.
Treatment may include:
Abdominal/ lumbar/ hip flexibility training
Scar mobilization
Abdominal Massage
Abdominal/ Hip strength training and TRA activation
Postural re-education
Gait training
Rib flare management
Pelvic floor down-training
Education on toilet posture