February 06, 2023
Pregnancy, then childbirth, represent an important ordeal for the woman’s body in general and for her perineum in particular. But certain sports, weight changes or an operation on the prostate can also weaken it and make perineal rehabilitation necessary.
The perineum is a diamond-shaped group of muscles that stretches from the pubis to the coccyx. Present in both men and women, this “muscular hammock”as the Order of Physiotherapists call it, is supposed to support the organs of the pelvic cavity: the bladder, some genitals, part of the large intestine and the rectum.
When it plays its role well, the perineum thus makes it possible to “compensate for the pressures undergone by these organs during efforts caused during daily activities, sports (running, jumping, etc.) or simply coughing”. But like all muscles, its tissues can be stretched, compressed or damaged. This is the case during pregnancy and childbirth of course, but also due to the regular carrying of heavy loads, a chronic cough, certain sports activities, prostate surgery…
Manual or instrumental
Several signs may suggest that the perineum is weakened: urinary leakage, constipation or anal incontinence, prolapse, sexual problems, pain… After childbirth, including caesarean section, perineal rehabilitation will be systematically offered to you by your doctor. 100% covered by Medicare, it can be provided by a midwife as well as a physiotherapist.
But how does this rehabilitation actually take place? With physiotherapists, treatment can be both manual and instrumental and will depend on each patient and their needs. You will thus be led to perform voluntary contraction and relaxation exercises, biofeedback (a technique that allows you to view the work done on a screen, analyze it and correct it) or even electro stimulation. functional, which consists of stimulating the muscles of the pelvic floor so that they contract.
