The pelvic floor muscles play an important role in urinary function. Under normal circumstances,  they provide support to the bladder, help us maintain continence, allow us to urinate when we want to, and for the most part, we don’t have to think about our bladder unless we have the urge to urinate. When pelvic floor muscles become dysfunctional symptoms can occur and the bladder can become a nuisance in our everyday lives. Bladder symptoms are quite common, but not normal, and pelvic floor physical therapy can help.

Normal Bladder Function

  • Normal urination frequency is six to eight times in a 24-hour period
  • Leaking urine is never normal 
  • Bladder urge should not feel like a five-alarm fire
  • Normal voiding time is roughly 20 seconds
  • Starting the urinary stream should be easy and quick
  • Bladder urgency should go away after voiding
  • Increasing our fluid intake should increase the amount we urinate, not the frequency
  • Normal bladder capacity is 300 – 600ml
  • People under 60 years old may wake once per night to urinate, over 60 years old twice per night
  • Pain before, during, or after urinating is never normal

Normal Bladder Function

  • Normal urination frequency is six to eight times in a 24-hour period
  • Leaking urine is never normal 
  • Bladder urge should not feel like a five-alarm fire
  • Normal voiding time is roughly 20 seconds
  • Starting the urinary stream should be easy and quick
  • Bladder urgency should go away after voiding
  • Increasing our fluid intake should increase the amount we urinate, not the frequency
  • Normal bladder capacity is 300 – 600ml
  • People under 60 years old may wake once per night to urinate, over 60 years old twice per night
  • Pain before, during, or after urinating is never normal

Symptoms

  • Stress incontinence (leaking urine when coughing, laughing, sneezing, and/or during exercise)
  • Urge incontinence ( leaking on the way or before you get to the bathroom)
  • Mixed Incontinence (both stress and urge incontinence)
  • Pain or burning in the bladder and/or urethra before, during or after urinating 
  • Urinary urgency without a full bladder
  • Urinary frequency without a full bladder
  • Urinary hesitancy, slow or deviated urine stream
  • Urinary urgency during sexual activity
  • Urinary urgency/frequency after sexual activity or exercise
  • Urethra or bladder pain 
  • Climacturia (leaking urine with orgasm)
Urinary Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Symptoms

  • Stress incontinence (leaking urine when coughing, laughing, sneezing, and/or during exercise)
  • Urge incontinence ( leaking on the way or before you get to the bathroom)
  • Mixed Incontinence (both stress and urge incontinence)
  • Pain or burning in the bladder and/or urethra before, during or after urinating 
  • Urinary urgency without a full bladder
  • Urinary frequency without a full bladder
  • Urinary hesitancy, slow or deviated urine stream
  • Urinary urgency during sexual activity
  • Urinary urgency/frequency after sexual activity or exercise
  • Urethra or bladder pain 
  • Climacturia (leaking urine with orgasm)
Urinary Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Associated Diagnoses

Bladder symptoms are commonly associated with pelvic floor dysfunction and other diagnoses. Syndromes such as Endometriosis, Vulvodynia, Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome, Pudendal Neuralgia, Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome/Male Pelvic Pain, post-prostatectomy complications, the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, and postpartum women often have bladder issues.

Pelvic floor Pain

Associated Diagnoses

Bladder symptoms are commonly associated with pelvic floor dysfunction and other diagnoses. Syndromes such as Endometriosis, Vulvodynia, Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome, Pudendal Neuralgia, Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome/Male Pelvic Pain, post-prostatectomy complications, the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, and postpartum women often have bladder issues.

Pelvic floor Pain
Interstitial Cystitis

Causes of Bladder Dysfunction

  • Repetitive urinary tract and yeast infections
  • Hormonal suppressive medications such as oral contraceptives, GnRH agonists (i.e. Lupron), acne medications
  • Childbirth, breastfeeding, and menopause
  • Surgical trauma
  • Orthopedic injuries or traumas 
  • Biomechanical or structural dysfunction (hip dysfunction, sacro-iliac joint dysfunction, piriformis syndrome, scoliosis, leg length discrepancy)
  • Pelvic floor dysfunction
  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Constipation and gastrointestinal distress/bloating

Causes of Bladder Dysfunction

  • Repetitive urinary tract and yeast infections
  • Hormonal suppressive medications such as oral contraceptives, GnRH agonists (i.e. Lupron), acne medications
  • Childbirth, breastfeeding, and menopause
  • Surgical trauma
  • Orthopedic injuries or traumas 
  • Biomechanical or structural dysfunction (hip dysfunction, sacro-iliac joint dysfunction, piriformis syndrome, scoliosis, leg length discrepancy)
  • Pelvic floor dysfunction
  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Constipation and gastrointestinal distress/bloating
Interstitial Cystitis

Diagnostic Challenges

Pelvic floor dysfunction can mimic the feelings of sexually transmitted infections and prostate and/or urinary tract and bladder infections which can lead to diagnostic confusion. It is common for people to feel certain they have an infection and then feel perplexed when the tests return normal. Bladder leaking is so common in women that it has become normalized, thereby making women less likely to seek help. Women are often told ‘it’s because you just had a baby’ or ‘it’s normal at your age’. Many men undergoing prostatectomy are not warned that up to 80% of men have post-surgical urinary incontinence. Regardless of your individual situation and underlying causes, an evaluation with a pelvic floor physical therapist is beneficial. 

Diagnostic Challenges

Pelvic floor dysfunction can mimic the feelings of sexually transmitted infections and prostate and/or urinary tract and bladder infections which can lead to diagnostic confusion. It is common for people to feel certain they have an infection and then feel perplexed when the tests return normal. Bladder leaking is so common in women that it has become normalized, thereby making women less likely to seek help. Women are often told ‘it’s because you just had a baby’ or ‘it’s normal at your age’. Many men undergoing prostatectomy are not warned that up to 80% of men have post-surgical urinary incontinence. Regardless of your individual situation and underlying causes, an evaluation with a pelvic floor physical therapist is beneficial. 

Treatment:

How We Can Help You

pelvic pain rehab

If you are experiencing bladder dysfunction you will benefit from an evaluation with a pelvic floor physical therapist to determine the role pelvic floor dysfunction may be playing in your symptoms. Bladder dysfunction can be associated with pelvic floor muscles that are too tight, and/or too weak, or they may be discoordinated and do not function properly. It is important to understand that historically people were told to ‘do your kegels’ for bladder health. If your pelvic floor muscles are too tight, kegel exercises may actually make your symptoms worse, which is why we advise working with a pelvic floor physical therapist to ensure proper rehabilitation. The pelvic floor muscles may need to be lengthened before they are strengthened. During the evaluation, the physical therapist reviews your history and symptoms with you, what you have been diagnosed with in the past, the treatments you have undergone and how effective or not effective these treatments have been. Importantly, we understand what you have been going through and that most people are frustrated by the time they get to see us. 

During the physical examination the physical therapist examines muscles, tissues, joints, nerves, and movement patterns. Once the examination is complete your therapist reviews your findings with you. The physical therapist creates an assessment which explains how you developed your symptoms and creates short and long-term goals for your treatment plan. Typically, the frequency of physical therapy treatment is one to two times per week for roughly 12 weeks. You are given a home exercise program to compliment your in-person sessions, and your physical therapist will help to coordinate your recovery with the other members of your treatment team. We are here to help you recover and live your best life! 

A girl with writting Board

Treatment:

How We Can Help You

How Can We Help You?

Please use the form below to send us any questions or comments. You must include your e-mail address in order for us to send a response. Please be assured that all of your information will be kept confidential.

pelvic pain rehab

How Can We Help You?

Please use the form below to send us any questions or comments. You must include your e-mail address in order for us to send a response. Please be assured that all of your information will be kept confidential.

pelvic pain rehab

Join The Newsletter. Win a copy of our book, “Pelvic Pain Explained!”

We love getting to know our website visitors. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and get the latest info via PHRC e-newsletter!
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PPE_Cover

At its heart, Pelvic Pain Explained is the story of how patients develop pelvic pain, the challenges patients and providers face throughout the diagnosis and treatment process, the difficult task of sifting through the different available treatment options, and the impact that an “invisible” condition has on a patient’s life and relationships, and much more.

Join The Newsletter. Win a copy of our book, “Pelvic Pain Explained!”

We love getting to know our website visitors. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and get the latest info via PHRC e-newsletter!
*Subscribers automatically eligible to win our book, “Pelvic Pain Explained.”

PPE_Cover

At its heart, Pelvic Pain Explained is the story of how patients develop pelvic pain, the challenges patients and providers face throughout the diagnosis and treatment process, the difficult task of sifting through the different available treatment options, and the impact that an “invisible” condition has on a patient’s life and relationships, and much more.