#11: Geriatric Pelvic Floor

Hey there, welcome to the NorthStar Physical Therapy podcast!

I am your host, Dr. Shirlea North and I dive into lymphedema, lipedema, and various pelvic health dysfunctions. My goal is to provide to you a better way to understand these conditions so that you empower yourself with knowledge to advocate for yourself. Let NorthStar Physical Therapy guide and navigate you on your journey to optimal health!

In this episode, we will be taking a leap into the future. This is because I will be sharing with you more about Geriatric Pelvic Floor. I will discuss some considerations regarding this area in pelvic floor physical therapy because it is just as important as the other areas.

Let’s talk about what happens with our pelvic floor when we hit a certain age, what is normal, what are not, myths about which you should know the truth, and many more!

Let’s discuss:

• Introduction to the topic
• Who am I talking to in this podcast
• Myths around the geriatric pelvic floor and aging – what’s normal and what’s not
• Considerations to keep in mind within the geriatric population that are all part of the aging process
• First consideration: Tissue health
• Things you can do to preserve the tissues around the pelvic area 
• Sexual acts as a stimulant to improve blood flow in the pelvic area
• Second consideration: Different cardiovascular health conditions
• Third consideration: Boney changes that happens in the body
• Fourth consideration: Chronic illnesses
• Fifth consideration: Hormonal changes
• Sixth consideration: Pelvic surgeries that happened in this area
• Seventh consideration: What happens overtime
• Eighth consideration: Cancer or any treatment or procedure that was done in the pelvic area  
• Ninth consideration: Development of pelvic organ prolapse or hemorrhoids in the area
• Tenth consideration: Medications taken over the past years
• Eleventh consideration: Stress over the past years
• What I always tell to my people within the geriatric population
• How I check my patients to uncover what’s happening
• How hydration, medication, certain lifestyle practices affect the function of the pelvic area
• Looking at the joint mobility 
• Looking at breathing techniques
• Looking at posture
• Looking at the sexual function
• Conclusion

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If you have any questions about this episode or anything related to the services that we offer, please feel free to reach out so we can help you.

If you have other topics in mind that you want me to talk about, hit me up and I’ll make sure to consider it for my next podcast!

See you in 2 weeks!