I was recently having a conversation with one of my clients who noted that after they emptied their bladder, they stood up and still had some pee dribble out. She didn't understand what was going on, and I realized that many women struggle understanding this too.
There are 3 main things to consider when someone is experiencing urinary leakage or incontinence.
Tension
We will look at all 3, but let's focus on each one separately.
First, let's talk about pelvic floor tension. Remember that the pelvic floor is made of a group of muscles. They each have different attachment points and different purposes. But even though they are individual muscles, they are all interconnected. If one is too tight, it can pull on its neighbor (think of the old childhood game Red Rover). If it pulls hard enough, it can impact the natural tension that should be present to hold our pee inside, and that can lead to us accidentally peeing.
Images used with permission from Pelvic Guru®, LLC www.pelvicglobal.com
So let's look at some hip and pelvic floor anatomy. There are 2 muscles of the hip that are also pelvic floor muscles. That would be the:
- Piriformis muscle
- Obturator Internus muscle
So if you are having hip tightness (particularly deep in the buttocks), it could be tugging and pulling on it's neighbor in the pelvic floor. This can ultimately lead to leaking.
Improving your hip tightness and flexibility is a great way to improve pelvic floor tension. You can do this with stretching, foam rolling, trigger point release, massage guns, or massage. Check out some of my videos below. Make sure you save the videos and Subscribe to my YouTube channel.
The exercises above are great for relaxing the tight hip muscles externally and are a crucial step for getting rid of your accidental peeing.
While externally releasing the tight muscles is important, it isn't the only answer. We also need to release the muscle tension internally. This can be done using a finger (trigger point release) or vaginal wand (think TheraCane, but for the muscles inside your body). I recommend - and personally use - the IntimateRose Vaginal Wand. It has the option to use vibration as vibration can have a calming effect to nerves and improve muscle tension. [Please note, the links in this article are affiliate links.]
Images used with permission from Pelvic Guru®, LLC www.pelvicglobal.com
Want more information on how to do the internal release? Reach out to me directly and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Remember, there are 3 key pieces to helping your accidental peeing. We will discuss breathing and abdominal pressure in future blog posts.
Navigating womanhood can be hard, but we shouldn't have to do it alone. It's my mission to help my clients with their health and fitness, no matter what season they are in (pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, or trying to conceive). If you found this information helpful, share it with a friend. With my Women's Health Specialty and Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Certificate, I can help you or your girlfriends with any questions that might have been unanswered for years!
Thanks!
-Stay Strong. Stay Flexible.
Jessica
