Who is responsible for your health and happiness?

When it comes to our health and happiness the double-barrelled question is: “Who’s in charge of and who is actually responsible for it?” Before you answer: “I am of course” let’s look at what is meant by responsible, accountable and in charge of.

The dictionary definition of responsibility and accountability means that one is in charge of that which is within their power to control or manage. This month I focus on helping women (and men) make a positive shift from medical intervention as a first resort to self-management for pelvic floor health and happiness. Shaping a better future from the inside out should be an experience both women and men enjoy at every stage of their life.

Our pelvic floor muscles are valuable and vital. They are not just important – they are crucial to our confidence, continence and sexual satisfaction. To gait, movement ability, posture, body shape and contour. But how many of us actually recognise that these ‘hidden’ gems, linking our inner and outer worlds are responsible for all these things? And if we know they play these roles, what do we do to protect and ensure their vitality and longevity?

Whilst we say we are responsible for our health and happiness, what we mean is we are happy to spend on that which can be seen; aesthetics, hair, nails, material etc. Unfortunately, these external rewards are not a true measure of our confidence but our pelvic floor is! Ask any woman suffering prolapse, incontinence or lack of sexual feeling even limitations in movement or a man suffering erectile dysfunction or dribbling.

Investing into the knowledge and applying it in our daily lives can be the difference between a lifetime of headache and heartache or a life filled with laughter and activity without fear or debilitation.  A twenty minute daily investment can be very rewarding in the long run. “No matter how busy the day we always find time for the things we value.”

Relying on a surgeon to ‘fix’ a dysfunction or weakness that is within our control to prevent (in the majority of cases) for the most part is risky at best. The waiver that is signed before surgery is not to protect you but the establishment where the surgery is performed and always done without a concrete guarantee it will make things better.

I attended the recent 47th annual meeting of International Continence Society in Florence in September. Having my work published within this scientific conference was awesome, but there is still a long way to go before holistic healthcare has its place in partnership with this community. I attended workshops run and chaired by esteemed urologists and gynaecologists who presented various studies for both male and female pelvic floor health and happiness.

The central theme was around the complications that too often followed surgery, subsequent and/or third surgery, then a reversal of surgery(s) to alleviate the pain or discomfort or diminished quality of life! It tells me that in spite of all the scientific study women and men still remain the guesswork of the medical profession. I am not saying this to be rude or undermine their work, which definitely has it place, but surgery should always be the last resort when all other avenues have failed (including holistic health). In many cases the cost to your pocket is far cheaper than the cost to your emotions, quality of life and relationships.

A very poignant statement was said to me by a top gynaecologist; “Doctors are very good at ‘fixing/addressing’ issues that are neurological/scientific, not things that are functional – they just don’t have the tests for that.” The issue here is, that for most conditions it is actually a result of the latter not the former that creates the weakness or dysfunction in the first place.

Pelvic Floor Secrets offers you the opportunity to ‘own’ your health. Your weakness or dysfunction is usually a result of physical, mental and/or emotional history. ‘Owning’ your health is the best demonstration of responsibility and accountability. It’s not only empowering it is can last your lifetime.   Taking charge, keeping control and optimising your future means that outside of unforeseen circumstances you can ensure your confidence, your continence, your sexual satisfaction as well as improved posture and body shape.

Once you have acquired this valuable knowledge, no one can take it away from you.  You just need to apply it. So I end by asking you:

“Are YOU ready to be responsible for your own health, or hold someone else accountable for it and chance invasive intervention?”

“Be Ready, Be Educated”