Is There a Link Between Fibromyalgia and Pelvic Floor Problems in Women?
In a recent study 175 women answered the survey. Out of them, 97 had Fibromyalgia (a condition that causes widespread pain and tiredness), and 78 were healthy without any such condition. The online survey was conducted at the Department of Physiotherapy of Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar).
Background:
• Fibromyalgia (FM): A health condition where people experience widespread pain all over the body, feel very tired, and may have sleep issues.
• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD): Problems related to the group of muscles in the pelvis. These muscles support our internal organs like the bladder and bowel. When they don't work well, people can face issues like:
• UI (Urinary Incontinence): Leaking urine when you don't want to.
• AI (Anal Incontinence): Difficulty controlling bowel movements or gas.
• GPPPD: (Genito Pelvic Pain Penetration Disorder) Pain or difficulty during sexual activities.
• POP (Pelvic Organ Prolapse): When organs like the uterus, bladder, or rectum drop because of weak pelvic floor muscles.
What The Study Wanted to Know:
• Is there a link between Fibromyalgia and Pelvic Floor issues?
• Do women with Fibromyalgia have more pelvic problems compared to women without this condition?
Why This Matters:
Many women globally face pelvic floor issues, which can affect their daily lives and confidence. If women with Fibromyalgia are more likely to have these problems, Clinicians need to know so they can help them better.
The Findings:
In the study, it was found that women with Fibromyalgia (a condition causing widespread pain and fatigue) are more likely to experience certain pelvic floor problems than women without this condition.
Specifically: Women with Fibromyalgia have a higher chance of experiencing:
• Mixed urinary incontinence (MUI): This means they might accidentally leak urine sometimes, especially when they cough, sneeze, or exercise, and at other unexpected times too.
• Anal incontinence: They may have difficulty controlling bowel movements.
• Flatus incontinence: They may find it hard to control the release of gas.
In fact, compared to the group of healthy women, those with Fibromyalgia were about 2.6 to 2.9 times more likely to report these issues.
This suggests that Fibromyalgia might affect the muscles in the pelvic region, leading to these problems. It's important for doctors to be aware of this connection so they can offer the right help and treatments to their patients with Fibromyalgia.
Conclusion:
Fibromyalgia might be connected to some pelvic floor problems. More research is needed, but understanding this link can help doctors and therapists provide better care to women with Fibromyalgia.
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Clinical Evidence:
Pelvic floor dysfunctions in women with fibromyalgia: A cross-sectional study
Gabriel Bernardi dos Santos, Tatiana de Oliveira Sato, Tsugui Miwa-Cerqueira, Bianca Escuer Bifani, Ana Paula Rodrigues Rocha, Cristiano Carvalho - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301211522006534
