June Knowledge Drop
Each month for our newsletter, the Lady Blurb, we'll share answers to some questions you've submitted. The questions below were taken directly from you! To submit a question for next month, comment below or email us at contact@ladybirdpt.com.
**The answers to these questions are not meant to be used as medical advice. These answers are not meant to take the place of a skilled physical therapist or discussion with your medical provider. If you are experiencing concerning symptoms, please contact your physician.**
This month, we’re answering:
1. Why did my pelvic floor physical therapist ask me if I can orgasm?
2. What are some commons foods and drinks that may be irritating my bladder?
3. How can I help manage my constipation at home?
1. Why did my pelvic floor physical therapist ask me if I can orgasm?
Ya’ll, pelvic floor physical therapists ask some prying questions, and without adequate background information, those questions may feel like they’ve come out of left field. Before I dive into why your pelvic floor PT may ask about orgasms, it’s important to note that you never need to answer questions that make you uncomfortable and it’s always OK for you to ask questions in return. If you want to know why your physical therapist, physician or any medical provider is asking you a personal question, it is always appropriate for you to ask them why. It’s also always appropriate for you to determine you feel uncomfortable providing them with answers.
Now, let’s talk orgasms. Questions your pelvic floor physical therapist may ask about orgasms may include:
Are you able to orgasm?
Has the strength of your orgasms changed over time?
Do you have pain prior to, during or following orgasm?
The reason your PT may ask these questions is because of the role your pelvic floor plays in orgasms and in your sexual health. When you experience arousal, your pelvic floor tenses. The same way the pelvic floor tenses to help maintain an erection for someone with a penis, the pelvic floor tenses to maintain clitoral engorgement for people with a vulva. This tensing of the pelvic floor continues during sexual activity and if orgasm is achieved, these muscles rhythmically spasm to create that orgasm.
The reason your pelvic floor PT cares about your ability to orgasm and the strength of your orgasm is because pelvic floor dysfunction can play a role in inhibiting that process.
Muscle weakness can contribute to reduced sensation or inability to orgasm.
Muscle tension can make orgasm painful or difficult to achieve.
Poor muscle coordination can effect all of the above.
So with all of that said, though you never need to answer questions that make you uncomfortable, there is good reason for your pelvic floor PT to ask you about orgasms and sexual health.
2. What are some common foods and drinks that may be irritating my bladder?
Ya’ll bladders can be finicky. They don’t like being dehydrated or overly full. They don’t like when you go too often or not often enough. They want you to drink water but not too much water before bed. And they have opinions on everything, particularly what you eat and drink.
If you have a testy bladder, start by learning about healthy bladder habits. Improving your bladder habits can help address common bladder symptoms like urinary urgency, frequency and leakage. They can also make a big difference if you struggle with frequency UTIs or frequent UTI-like symptoms. Addressing underlying pelvic floor dysfunction contributing to your bladder symptoms can also be a huge help.
But if you’re doing all of the things and you’re still struggling with urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence, you may want to take a look at your diet and fluid intake. Bladder irritants impact everyone differently but knowing your triggers is important. There’s no list of dietary triggers that will impact everyone the same way, so the best way to test out your own sensitivities is trial and error.
Common bladder irritants include:
carbonated beverages
caffeine
alcohol
spicy foods
Limit your intake of one of these at a time, just for a few days. If you have a big change in symptoms, that might mean that item is a trigger for you. If not, try again with the next item.
3. How can I manage constipation at home?
Constipation is the root of all evil in the pelvic floor. Constipation can exacerbate pelvic pain, urinary symptoms, prolapse symptoms and more. It tends to be stubborn and chronic, and while things like magnesium supplements can help, one of the best ways to manage constipation is a consistent bowel routine.
The components of a great bowel routine include:
Eating something small and drinking something warm before attempting
Moving around a bit before trying to have a BM, that can include a walk or just some house work
Spending a few minutes on bowel massage
Sitting down on the toilet at the same time each day
Giving yourself about 10 minutes to have a bowel movement once you’re on the toilet
Check out this blog post by Dr. Jessica on 7 Bowel Habits for Managing Constipation if you want more information on this topic.
Working with a pelvic floor physical therapist can help address sexual dysfunction, bowel and bladder concerns and help you prepare for pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery. Contact us here to learn more about setting up an appointment with us, today!
This post was written by Dr. Rebecca Maidansky, PT, DPT, owner and founder of Lady Bird Physical Therapy. Rebecca is a pelvic floor physical therapist in Austin, TX and founded Lady Bird Physical Therapy in 2019. She is the creator of Birth Preparation and Postpartum Planning, Baby Steps Fitness and the head writer and editor of The Pelvic Press.
Rebecca is a passionate writer and vocal advocate for pelvic health and the importance of improving access to perinatal care. She believes strongly that many common pregnancy pains and postpartum symptoms can be eased or even prevented with basic education and care.
She created this blog to help all birthing people manage common pregnancy pains, prepare for birth and recover postpartum.