“I have heard women talk about pelvic floor changes after menopause, what do I need to know?”
When we think of perimenopause and menopause, the most common symptom that women think of is hot flashes but often women are not aware of changes that can happen to the pelvic floor during this large hormonal shift.
Women who may previously have not had pelvic floor symptoms may begin to experience pelvic floor symptoms that they have never experienced before like pain with sex or leaking with coughing or women who have had pelvic floor symptoms may experience symptoms to a greater degree.
Common symptoms a woman may experience can include:
Vulvovaginal Dryness & Irritation
Recurrent UTIs
Urinary Urgency & Leaking
Sexual Changes (like reduced libido/orgasm or pain with sex)
The collection of these symptoms is called Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM). These symptoms happen because of declining estrogen and androgens during the perimenopause and menopause transitions.
The American Urological Association recommends that healthcare providers and patients, should collaborate and make decisions together to work towards the patient’s goals. The AUA recommends that patients should be educated on the changes to their bodies and referred to a pelvic floor PT if they are experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction. Additionally, the AUA strongly recommends that patients be offered local low-dose vaginal estrogen to relieve GSM symptoms.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, I would highly recommend that you begin a conversation with your medical provider to begin treatment and reach out for pelvic PT support!
While these symptoms can be common, only about 50% of women who experience symptoms, discuss them with their providers.
As a pelvic floor PT, I want you to know as a female, if you are noticing, or have noticed these symptoms, that there are a wide variety of treatment options now available to reduce these symptoms and improve your quality of life.