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For the first informative capsule on Cystic Fibrosis this year, we talked about pelvic floor and Cystic Fibrosis with. Ketty Ruiz, physiotherapist of the Respiralia Group
Why incontinence occurs
Ketty Ruiz is a specialist in Cystic Fibrosis and pelvic floor, so she knows well the relationship between the two.
Infections, coughing and bad postures are frequent in Cystic Fibrosis. These can generate dysfunctions such as incontinence.
Ketty explains that people with respiratory pathologies generate a dysfunction of the normal cough mechanism.
The influence of an incorrect cough
Coughing loudly is a mistake, as is coughing with your hand in your mouth, not because it is unhygienic, but because we bend our head down and this causes more pressure on the pelvic floor (it is transmitted from the diaphragm to the viscera and then to the pelvic floor, which is not able to withstand so much pressure).
How to cough correctly
The right thing to do is to cough into the elbow, as this activates the core muscles, which protects the pelvic floor during coughing.
In addition, the ideal way to cough would be at low volume, i.e., with just the right intensity for that bronchial level and coughing into the inside of the elbow.
Coughing at maximum intensity or maximum volume would be correct for an obstruction that is near the throat, but if we always use that maximum volume, the healthier airways suffer and we do not reach where the mucus is.
Breathing in abdominal exercises
Classic abdominal crunches generate excess pressure on the pelvic floor. To perform non-hyperpressive abdominal functional exercises, the most important thing to protect the pelvic floor is how we breathe.
Ketty always teaches that when doing abdominal crunches you have to breathe out on the way up and breathe in on the way down, so that we decrease the pressure on the pelvic floor because the air has an escape through the mouth.
Improving posture to protect the pelvic floor
Correct posture makes the deep transverse abdominis muscle active, which protects the pelvic floor thanks to a synergy between the muscles.
When the transverse contract, we improve ventilatory mechanics, the pelvic floor rises and can better cushion the pressure.
Therefore, when shouting, stumbling or coughing, the activation of the transversus is very important. This synergy is often lost when there is respiratory or pelvic floor pathology.
Tips to protect the pelvic floor
- Coughing at the elbow
- In case of prolonged sitting, do it on a fitball
- Doing respiratory physiotherapy on a fitball
- Sitting on a cushion in the car
All these are passive tips that do not alter our schedule and with which we will be promoting better ventilatory mechanics and greater protection to the pelvic floor.
#TogetheragainstCF
