The Urostym program is a comprehensive approach to the treatment of pelvic floor disorders. It is a a non-surgical rehabilitation system intended to address the issue of lower fecal and urinary continence dysfunctions through pelvic floor therapy.

What is a pelvic floor disorder?

The pelvic floor is the hammock-shaped network of muscles lining a woman’s pelvic cavity. When these muscles are weakened, women experience urinary or bowel leakage, prolapse of the pelvic organs or uterus, along with pelvic pain. All of these problems are indicative of a pelvic floor disorder.

What causes pelvic floor disorders?

There are a number of reasons as to why the muscles lining a woman’s pelvic floor become weakened. Pregnancy and childbirth can involve trauma to the pelvic muscles. Frequent issues with constipation is another cause, due to the repeated straining of muscles to evacuate bowels; similarly, a chronic cough and the strain from spasms can also put wear and tear on the pelvic muscles. Aside from physical causes, hormonal changes such as the onset of menopause can cause muscles to weaken.

How can the Urostym program benefit me?

If you display any of the following symptoms, then you can benefit from the Urostym program:

• Urinary or bowel incontinence
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Urinary urgency and/or frequency
• Pain in the rectal or pelvic region
• Irritation when evacuating bowels

You can find out more about the program by calling the Women’s Healthcare Associates office and scheduling a consultation with one of our doctors. If they agree that you have a pelvic floor disorder that would benefit from the Urostym program, they will schedule you for an evaluation.

How we get you started

First things first, your doctor will want to see how your pelvic floor looks. You will undergo two tests to evaluate this:

• Anorectal manometry: this will monitor you through small sensors as your tighten specific muscles
• Electromyography (EMG): this is an assessment of your muscles and the nerve cells that control them

When these tests are completed, your individual results will be used to develop a rehabilitation program that is tailored to your specific strengths and weaknesses. Urostym has two exclusive qualities:

• Auto-calculated fatigue point
  This will define and optimize your Pelvic Muscle Exercise program. This ensures that your muscles can rebuild efficiently, rather than overwork themselves.
• Alternating stimulation
  This is similar to lifting weights in limited repetition throughout a higher number of sets. This will allow for improved results in rebuilding muscle.

To find out more in-depth information as to what the potential benefits of the Urostym program are for you, make an appointment with one of our doctors at the Women’s Healthcare Association today.