Changing your diet alone can lead you to healthy weight loss. A lot of people succeed with weight loss without visiting the gym. However, many failed with their diets.

Why is that the case? What makes people fall short of their diet plans? Here are 10 reasons why most dieters fail:

#1. People Following The Fad And Trendy Diets

Fad Diets usually consist of unhealthy recommendations of calorie deficit eating plans, oddly specific one-food diets, or water-based diets.

To add credibility to these Fad Diets, they will show before-and-after results or call on a so-called fitness expert to claim their effectiveness.

In reality, most Fad Diets cause calorie deficit for the first few weeks, causing quick weight loss.

Since it is an unsustainable diet, most people will eventually bounce back and even binge, making them fail on their diet.

#2. Unreasonable Expectations

People think that they can drop five pounds in one week if they just start skipping breakfast. Or that they can lose weight faster if their diet is composed of fruits and kale blends.

Unrealistic expectations lead a lot of people to go to extremes.

And, if we do not reach that goal, we spiral down and feel defeated, leading to us leaving our diets behind.

Fixing our mindset and getting rid of unrealistic expectations must be one of the first steps to do when dieting.

#3. Inconsistent Diet

Do you remember that New Year’s Resolution you made, where you promised you’ll lose all the extra weight you gained from Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year?

And, do you remember how hype you were removing all that junk food from your refrigerator and cabinets? Yeah, that was a failure, ain’t it?

Likely, you started strong, eating more fruits and vegetables than fast food and processed meals. Then, you eventually destroy that diet, either because you lose some weight or feel like binging.

However, you started feeling bad once you realized that your pants are not fitting you anymore. So, you start cleaning your diet again. Then, the cycle continues with you crash dieting multiple times a year.

In dieting, consistency is the key. It does not need to be perfect. Everyone needs to understand what works for them.

In starting your diet, you do not need to remove all your junk food. It is enough that you start building a healthy balanced diet and not feeling bad for binging once or twice a week.

#4. Stress is Everywhere!

Dieters also fail because of things outside their control. It includes stress-related triggers, causing people to binge on unhealthy food.

Regardless if you are an employee, a student, or a busy parent, maintaining a healthy diet is challenging under extreme circumstances.

Research shows that our brain requires 12% more energy when under acute stress.

It leads us to consume more sugary snacks, neglecting whatever diet we already established.

Stress triggers are inevitable, so the best way to remedy them is to manage their effect on you and your diet.

Food rich in fiber is a healthy alternative to sweets to reduce your stress levels.

If you are not in the mood for food, then Chamomile Tea is another option.

#5. You Focus Too Much on Calories

When your goal is to become healthy, you don’t really care about the calorie count.

You care about the vitamins and benefits you’ll get from what you ingested.

However, most of us go on a diet to lose some weight.

One of the most popular ways to achieve this is to make sure your calorie intake is lower than your calorie outtake.

Generally, this is a good rule to follow.

It is simple, which basically means you must do more activities to set off all the food you ingested.

As long as it is not taken to the extreme, this is a pretty harmless diet rule.

#6. Underestimating Your Calories

There are some dieters who fail because they underestimate their calories.

It is either intentional or unintentional but still results in grave miscalculation.

You see, a lot of dieters assume the calorie count of a food or drink based on its size and weight.

Although, generally speaking, bigger food means bigger calories.

But this is not always the case as there are small-portion meals with an alarming amount of calories.

For example, the cookie you are munching on right now has higher calories than a slice of white bread.

Although the cookie is smaller in size, it contains higher calories because of the added butter and sugar.

These types of food are called “empty calories.”

They have a high-calorie count but with low to no nutrition at all.

Other examples include soda and junk food.

Assuming you are one of those dieters that are educated about empty calories, it does not mean you might not have lapses of judgment.

Buying your food with nutritional facts included can help you determine the right calories.

However, when cooking your own food or buying take-outs, it can be tricky.

You can still search online for their calorie count, but these might be estimates only.

And, if you are lazy, you might just eyeball it and call it a day.

#7. Diet Does Not Fit Your Normal Daily Routine

Going on a diet to improve your overall health is always a goal for most of us.

Binging is quite common after depriving your body suddenly of the food you regularly eat.

Sometimes dieting itself is not the problem, but rather the diet plan you picked for yourself.

There are instances when the food in your diet is not proper for your health and lifestyle.

People have unique wants and needs, and it goes with food too.

The food you might be incorporating into your diet might not be the right one for you.

#8. Poor Support

When we diet, we always try to make sure that we do it for ourselves.

At the end of the day, we have the right and control over how we proceed with our relationship with food.

However, dieting can be hard.

There are many factors that can distract you from your diet plans. It is especially worse for people who started dieting because of body esteem issues.

Other people commenting on your body while dieting can be detrimental to your mental health. It can even discourage you from dieting further.

Here is where the issue of poor support can come in.

Surround yourself with amazing people you can trust.

It does not need to be your family or friends as some of them may be critical of your diet.

You can join a local group or find an online community that encourages and supports each other.

These people are most likely to understand your plea and struggles.

Remember, you are not alone in this diet journey.

#9. You Limit Your Food Choices

As already mentioned, what food comes into mind when people diet is anything salad without carbohydrates added.

This is not only wrong but unhealthy.

First, you need to change your mindset with regard to diet. Your food choices are not limited to what you see on those Social Media influencers’ posts.

Sometimes, the diet food you need is what you already have. You might just need to take away some of them out of your fridge or reduce your consumption.

To proceed with your diet journey, you must take a look at your usual eating routine.

Are you eating more junk food than healthy ones?

Are you consuming high-sugar content meals? Do you rely on takeout every dinner?

If the answer to all these questions is yes, then you might want to re-evaluate your eating habits.

Although you have a balanced meal, you might be consuming too many calories.

Cutting down on them might show immediate results.

You can also remove them from your shelves.

You can still eat food that has fewer calories and is more nutritious in your kitchen.

No need to overhaul your kitchen pantry.

In dieting, it’s good to start where you’re already comfortable and work with it.

#10. Feeling Overwhelmed

The last reason on our list of reasons why dieters fail is the feeling of being overwhelmed.

It is normal, so do not feel like you are the only one who feels a tremendous amount of anxiety.

Dieting for others can be easy as it is something they are familiar with, or they have incredible support behind them.

Others dread it as they tend to overthink.

They believe they cannot do it because they have been unhealthy all their life and cannot change it.

Some just do not know where to start.

So, when they do their research or consult a specialist, they feel overwhelmed.

You need to overcome this feeling to create a rational diet decision.

Take a breather, and do not push yourself.

Ask for guidance if necessary, or have someone prepare a comprehensive diet plan, so you do not need to worry.

You may not know it, but you might suffer from migraine pain. I’d like to help you with ways to manage migraine pain because nobody deserves to suffer.

What to Do About Migraines

What Is Migraine and How Is It Different From Headaches?

According to Drs. Michael Teixido and John Carey, “Migraine is a common clinical problem characterized by episodic attacks of head pain and associated symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light, sound, or head movement.” It means that it is common for migraine to come back and persist.

Headache is typically mistaken as a migraine, but there are suggestive ways to distinguish which one is which. It is better to know what type of head pain you’re having so you can better treat it.

Headache

Experiencing pain or discomfort around the head or face area indicates a headache. The pressure changes from dull, sharp, throbbing, or constant. It can either be caused primarily or secondarily. Different triggers can initiate the aching.

Headache is a predominant illness that affects all ages. Everyone, for once in our lives, has already gone through it. The pain level varies for every person or every condition, but we can assume that it can be a sign of an underlying condition.

While headaches are not really dangerous and can be generally treated by over-the-counter medicines or a good rest, there are cases of chronic headaches that require attention to be addressed appropriately.

The existing types of headaches are classified into two major categories: primary and secondary headaches.

Primary headaches are induced by over-activity of the head’s pain-sensitive features or dysfunction. This type of headache is certainly not a symptom of an underlying condition. For other people, they consist of genes that heavily affect the development of primary headaches.

Among the many types of primary headaches, some of what’s commonly experienced include:

• Cluster headache
• Tension-type headache
• Migraine

As mentioned earlier, the primary headache is the type of headache that is often brought about by different triggers such as situations or lifestyle factors.

Some of the triggers include:

• Sleep deficiency or changes in sleeping patterns
• Skipping meals
• Coughing, blowing your nose, sneezing, or even excessive laughing or crying sometimes
• Physical activities
• Nicotine consumption
• Hormonal changes
• Emotions such as fatigue, stress, or excitement

While primary headaches are not hazardous, they can still reach a point where the pain can be extremely uncomfortable and it may affect our daily lives.

Secondary headaches are necessitated by an underlying condition which means experiencing this headache is considered a symptom of an illness. You don’t have to fret as it isn’t as dangerous as other illnesses most of the time.

Some known underlying conditions that trigger a secondary headache include:

• Sinus
• Dehydration
• Over-medication

But don’t be too complacent. There are cases of secondary headaches happening because of a more serious or possibly life-threatening underlying condition.

Migraine

Migraine is a type of primary headache that manifests severe headaches that starts from one side of the head and then move to spread to the whole head. The intensity depends per person but it is known to last from two hours to days.

In some cases, migraines are recurring instances. Migraine attacks are crippling neurological illness that comes with different symptoms and treatments varies in its severity.

Even though there is no clear cause for migraine, this neurological disease is assumed to be a result of a number of factors including changes in nerves, chemicals, or blood vessels in the brain.

Research states that women are more susceptible to experiencing migraine pain than men. It usually hits women in their thirties and the pain which lasts for days can be excruciating.

You shouldn’t hastily diagnose yourself and best consult a doctor once you suspected that what you’re experiencing is migraine pain.

How Do You Manage Migraine Pain?

When migraine pain hits, all we want to do is get relief. While medicine remains the most accessible and accepted remedy, it is helpful to know other ways to shorten the attack the get rid of the pain.

If you’re in need of migraine first aid, here are some ways how you can manage your migraine attacks.

Applying a cold or warm compress

If you’re looking for quick and easy relief while waiting for the medicine to kick in, or if you’re like me who tries to avoid taking it, applying a cold or warm compress should do it.

Depending on the area where the migraine persists, you can apply it at the back of your head or your forehead. Doing this will distract your brain from the pain caused by the migraine by stimulating other nerve endings, from the area where the compress is applied.

Ensure that your skin remains protected throughout the application.

Massage the area where the pain is felt

Massage helps the muscles relax and helps reduce stress, which is a common migraine trigger. Performing a calming massage can help alleviate other symptoms such as nausea.

Although for some people, this doesn’t help at all. Especially for those who are sensitive to touch when experiencing a migraine attack.

So always proceed with caution and do what best suits you.

Do stress management

It takes a few minutes before relief comes after taking medicine, so to calm yourself, do some stress management. Some common techniques include:

• Deep breathing exercises
• Meditating
• Music therapy
• Mental imagery
• Progressive muscle relaxation

According to the American Headache Society, it will not only help during a migraine attack but can aid in lessening the number of migraine attacks.

Hydrate yourself

Dehydration is a common migraine trigger so water can absolutely provide relief, if not fully, against migraine. Infusing your water with lemon or cucumber works too. It will help you increase your water intake.

Ensure that you remain hydrated not only when there is migraine pain but on a daily basis as well. Be consistent with drinking plenty of water so it can help you stay away from migraine attacks.

Try using oils like lavender or peppermint

Some oils include chemicals that can be useful in alleviating migraine pain. For instance, inhaling lavender oil, directly or diluted, helps ease migraine pain. Peppermint oil is said to have a component that is close to menthol and helps with reducing pain.

Take note that if you are allergic to any of the chemicals, best to avoid them altogether.

Rest and sleep

Lack of sleep is another common migraine trigger so if you are able to, take an adequate amount of time to really rest your mind and body. Let your body replenish the energy and heal on its own.

In the constantly busy society that we live in, we tend to forget the simple things like listening to our bodies before we reach the burnout point. Sometimes a good sound sleep does wonders.

Move your body and exercise

It is more advice one can take to prevent the frequency of migraine attacks. As some attacks are triggered by hormonal changes, moving through exercise will help regulate the body’s hormones and in turn, lessen the migraine pain and attacks.

Different Types of Migraine

The main types of migraines are sorted into two main types:

1. Migraine with aura (aka classic migraine)
2. Migraine without aura (aka common migraine)
3. Migraine without head pain (aka silent migraines)

Migraine with aura aka Classic migraines

Before we dive into this type, let’s first be familiarized ourselves with what aura is.

Aura is a group of neurologic (nervous system) symptoms. It indicates a warning sign that one is about to experience a migraine. In some cases, it starts with vision disturbances like any of the following:

• Blurred vision
• Seeing flashing lights, stars, or zigzag lines
• Temporary colored or blind spots
• Tunnel vision

More of the nervous system symptoms that come with it are nausea, dizziness, weakness, numbness, yawning, difficulty concentrating and tingling.

For this type of migraine, aura occurs before or after the head pain. They last about 15 to 30 minutes generally. Classic migraine’s pain happens on one or both sides of your head.

Migraine without aura aka Common migraines

Unlike the other type, this migraine doesn’t have an aura signal to it. Common migraines start slow but last longer hence they can be burdening to daily activities.

The pain for common migraines usually remains on only one side of the head.

It is the type of migraine that most people have, including myself.

Migraine without head pain aka Silent migraines

It is a type of migraine where common migraine symptoms are exhibited except for head pain. So, people who experience silent migraines skip the usual pain around the temples and eyes.

It is noted that for silent migraines, an aura phase may be initiated. Expect to be sensitive to light and sound like how a typical migraine would feel.

Symptoms of Migraines

If you think what you’re experiencing is more than just a headache particularly if it is accompanied by any of the following, chances are you are having a migraine attack.

• Throbbing, dull, aching pain felt from one side or both sides of your head, at the back of your eyes, or temples
• Nausea
• Vision changes like blurry sight or blind spots
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness
• Tender or stiff neck
• Sweaty or feeling cold
• Stuffy nose

Depending on the frequency of the migraine attack, medicines are often enough to relieve it. But if you feel like it’s going beyond the normal amount of migraine attack a person can have, it’s probably time to consult a medical professional.

What Can Trigger A Migraine?

A migraine attack can backstab us and come out of nowhere. Although some can experience symptoms prior to it, signaling it’s apparent arrival, some of us, we’re left to have it by surprise.

The good thing is we can have ourselves enlightened about the common triggers which may cause a migraine attack.

Here is a list of the common migraine triggers we could look out for:

Physiological

We are, even though how much we don’t acknowledge it, aware that one major trigger for migraines is stress. Patients diagnosed with migraines have a common denominator which is the increased symptoms of lack of sleep, fatigue, and overall stress.

Other forms of physiological triggers include hunger, pain, or exercise. Some people who have unsuspected sleep apnea are known to trigger a migraine too.

As mentioned above, women tend to experience migraine more often than men. One medical reason behind it is hormonal changes. The drop in estrogen levels prior to the menstrual period or after menopause commonly triggers a migraine.

Environmental

Yes, that’s right. Even our environment can trigger migraine pain. Some examples of environmental triggers are bright lights, noises, and odors. Weather changes can also cause as a trigger for migraine for some. Usually, excessive sensory stimuli cause migraine attacks to arise.

Food

What we consume can affect and trigger a migraine. It varies from case to case, others might be more sensitive to their food intake which could lead to a migraine attack.

To those who are sensitive to food and presumably have it as a migraine trigger, the attacks don’t come as soon as they’ve been exposed to the food they’re sensitive to. This is why it is also hypothetically acknowledged that there could be partial triggers combined with it.

Final thoughts

If you suffer from migraines, you are aware that the symptoms can be difficult to deal with. There is a possibility that you will be unable to attend work or take part in activities that you enjoy. However, the treatments and tips described above might alleviate some of your symptoms.

Many people find success with these lifestyle choices and home treatments, particularly when combined with conventional medical treatment.

It is imperative that you consult a medical professional if the migraine attacks or episodes you are experiencing do not react to the home treatments you have tried. Seek medical attention if your symptoms are severe, or recurrent, or if they inhibit your ability to go about your normal activities.

In this article, we will explore what pelvic floors are, and why having strong and healthy pelvic floor muscles is important – especially for women.

Pelvic Floors – What You Need to Know

What are Pelvic Floors?

Pelvic floors are the group of muscles and ligaments providing support to the organs found in the lower abdomen – such as the bladder, bowel, and rectum.

Women, however, can add the uterus and vagina as among the organs that are being supported by their pelvic floors, while men can include their prostate in the list.

As its name suggests, pelvic floors are found underneath the organs in the pelvis, in between the coccyx or tailbone at the back, and the pubic bone at the front. The Continence Foundation of Australia provides clear images of the location of the pelvic floor muscles inside of the body, as well as how they are depicted for both men and women.

What are Pelvic Floors for?

The pelvic floor’s primary function is to provide support to the organs in the pelvis, keeping them safe and cushioned inside the body. They also have important roles to play in the digestive and sexual health of men and women.

These muscles help control the functions of the bladder and bowel, which has a direct effect on a person’s release of urine, feces, and gas. Pelvic floor muscles can contract and relax which then affects the holes of the anus, urethra, and vagina. Contracting these muscles tightens these openings, which then prevents any waste product from escaping the body, especially during inappropriate times. Relaxing the muscles, on the other hand, allows for the smooth passage particularly of urine and feces – ideally once a person has found a more favorable place to do so.

In addition, pelvic floor muscles play a role in the sexual health of men and women as well as their ability to have pleasurable intercourse. In men, pelvic floors are important in regard to ejaculation and erectile function. In women, the muscles contribute to their arousal and sexual sensation which can be derived via squeezing and/or doing voluntary contractions (Pelvic Floor Muscles in Women, n.d.)

For women, however…

In addition to the bladder, bowel, and rectum, pelvic floor muscles provide support to the uterus, as well as to the baby inside it, for the entire duration of pregnancy. A woman’s pelvic floors need to be relaxed during the process of giving birth to ensure a smoother birthing process.

Given their role in the body, it is crucial for everyone, especially women, to ensure that their pelvic floor muscles are strong and healthy enough so that they can regularly perform their functions without experiencing problems. After all, having strong muscles contribute to the overall well-being of a person, and the same is true with pelvic floors.

What happens when Pelvic Floors do not function well?

When pelvic floors are not functioning well, as in the case of when they are weakened or damaged, accidents can unfortunately happen. Having pelvic floor dysfunction can ultimately lead to a person experiencing negative effects on their digestive and sexual health.

Because the pelvic organs lack adequate support, prolapse or displacement of the bladder, uterus, and bowel may occur.

Additionally, a person will not be able to easily control or contract their muscles, which then leads to incontinence – or the inadvertent release of feces or urine. This is especially evident when doing normal activities such as coughing, sneezing, or running results in a person accidentally leaking urine.

On the other hand, symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction may also include straining hard to defecate as well as the frequent need to urinate. Sometimes, the latter may even lead to a person failing to reach the toilet in time before an “accident” occurs.

In the case of men, weakened or damaged pelvic floors may lead to erectile dysfunction, or their inability to have or maintain an erection. This, unfortunately, has an adverse effect on their enjoyment of sex.

For women, signs that their pelvic floors are not functioning well may include feeling abnormalities in their vagina, such as having reduced sensation and/or heaviness in it, feeling a certain bulge at its opening, or even experiencing vulval pain or pain during sex (Pelvic Floor, n.d.). This can also lead to their inability to derive pleasure from sex.

What causes weakened Pelvic Floors?

Several factors may lead to the weakening of pelvic floors, or even pelvic floor dysfunction. While some of them happen naturally to the human body and are unpreventable, others may be controlled or lessened through exertion of effort.

Weakening pelvic floors may be attributed to aging or growing older, wherein the muscles experience a type of atrophy due to loss of mass and strength. This can occur in both men and women as they age.

In women, additional natural factors may lead to the weakening of their pelvic floors, such as when they experience severely painful periods that can be attributed to endometriosis. Moreover, as they grow older, women undergo hormonal changes caused by menopause, during which their body decreases its production of estrogen.

Other causes of weakened pelvic floors include being overweight, experiencing chronic constipation, repetitive or excessive coughing, and even persistent lifting of heavy weights.

In addition, undergoing procedures needing the cutting of muscles around the pelvic area – such as treatment of prostate cancer in men – and traumatic accidents or injuries occurring in the same area may also lead to pelvic floor muscle weakness.

In pregnant women, their pelvic floor muscles may be weakened due to the need to support the added weight of the baby inside of the uterus. The aftermath of delivering their baby through their vagina may also contribute to it especially if prolonged pushing or straining is involved during the birthing process.

Given the above, it certainly seems like a lot of factors contribute to the weakening of pelvic floor muscles, particularly in women. While some of them, like aging and menopause, cannot be controlled, others can be managed so as to ensure that the weakening may be adequately addressed, or even prevented altogether.

How can weakened Pelvic Floors be treated?

Pelvic floors act as the main support to the organs in the pelvis. As with any foundation, it is imperative that they remain strong and healthy enough to continue correctly performing their role. This would then enable them to effectively contribute to the overall health of a person, most especially to their sexual and digestive health.

Given the many causes of weakened pelvic floors, options to correct them may be explored.

If overweight, losing excess body fat may be a good thing to do. This way, not only will the pelvic floor muscles benefit from bearing less weight, but it will also contribute to improving a person’s health.

If a person experiences chronic constipation, adding more fruits and fibers in their diet, as well as drinking more water, may lessen its negative impacts on the body by promoting a more regular bowel movement.

If a person is suffering from excessive or repetitive coughing, seeking medical attention to treat its cause may be the best action to take.

Lastly, trying to avoid repetitive lifting of heavy weights may also be considered so as to prevent straining the muscles.

However, as with other muscles involved in the body, one of the best ways to address the weakening of pelvic floors is via regular exercise. In particular, exercises that target the pelvic floor muscles are fantastic to include in a person’s daily regimen in order to strengthen the muscles surrounding the pelvic organs.

Before engaging in any type of regular pelvic floor muscle exercise program, it is vital to first correctly identify the pelvic floor muscles, which can be done by a pelvic floor physiotherapist. This way, the correct muscles will be targeted and engaged while exercising in order to maximize the benefits derived from the activity (Pelvic Floor Muscles in Women, n.d.)

What are the benefits of doing Pelvic Floor exercises?

As with all exercises, doing pelvic floor exercises regularly can contribute to improving the overall health of a person. In particular, benefits to a person’s digestive and sexual health may be observed. According to the Continence Foundation of Australia, pelvic floor muscle exercises may help a person have:

• Improved control of the bowel and bladder;
• Improved sexual sensation; and
• In men, improved recovery after surgery of the prostate.

In women, especially those who just gave birth, pelvic floor muscle exercises can help them achieve improved recovery after childbirth, which is important for any new mother. Doing the exercises may even reduce the risk of prolapse, as well as improve a woman’s recovery after surgery.

What types of exercises are best for Pelvic Floors?

An exercise involving the repeated contracting and relaxing of the pelvic floor muscles is known as the Kegel exercise. Doing them regularly can lead to strengthened pelvic floor muscles.

Exercises targeting the pelvic floors can be done while lying down, sitting, standing up, or even a combination of the three.

Other regular exercises, such as walking, can also be incorporated into a person’s exercise routine.

It is crucial to note that the benefits may only be observed after doing the exercises regularly for several weeks or months. However, the positive results will outweigh the efforts a person exerts in order to achieve them.

Aside from exercise, what other treatments for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction are available?

Excluding exercise, other treatments to treat pelvic floor dysfunctions can certainly be explored. This includes seeking attention from medical personnel for them to correctly assess and address the exact type of problem a person is experiencing.

According to Cleveland Clinic, the following are available options for treating pelvic floor dysfunction:

• Biofeedback, which is done by a physical therapist in order to find ways to improve the muscles;
• Pelvic floor physical therapy, wherein the physical therapist will identify problematic muscles and teach the patient exercises that will improve them;
• Medications, particularly for softening the stool and keeping the bowel movements more regular; and
• Relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation, etc.

In regards to incontinence, it is important to note that weakened floor muscles are just one of its many causes. It is advised to seek attention from physiotherapists in order to identify and correctly treat incontinence.

Final thoughts: Do strong pelvic floors matter for women?

Most definitely, having strong pelvic floors matters for everyone – but especially for women.

Given that women have more organs in their pelvis which are supported by their pelvic floors, having a strong, healthy foundation will greatly aid in making sure that the functions of the muscles are carried out well. This is particularly true during pregnancy, where the baby inside the uterus acts as an additional weight that the pelvic floors will need to fully support.

Strong pelvic floors can also contribute to a woman’s enjoyment of sex, especially as they are less likely to feel uncomfortable or experience any pain while engaging in it – as opposed to when they have weakened pelvic floors.

Lastly, having strong pelvic floors contribute to their digestive and sexual health, both of which are important so that they can live long and healthy lives.

Because of this, people became inclined to a “perhaps” more productive resort other than focusing on our good habits contributing to our overall fitness.

This resort was the use of ‘smart’ drugs or cognitive enhancers.

These smart drugs were known to help make you smart and more productive, which people sought and gave them hope for a more productive self.

But if productivity and being smart are important, so do our safety because these cognitive enhancers are more of what some people do know.

Let’s understand more about these ‘smart drugs’ or cognitive enhancers called Nootropics.

Nootropics: Worth it?

WHAT ARE NOOTROPICS

The term nootropic was coined and first used by Cornelius Guirgea in 1972. These substances should enhance memory, learning, and focus, especially for people with cognitive deficits.

They should possess very few side effects and extremely low toxicity.4+

Nootropics are broad classes describing a drug, supplement, or any substance that improves cognitive health.

They can be synthetic or lab-produced drugs or non-synthetic or natural nootropics.

They vary from your favorite cup of coffee in the morning, which contains caffeine that induces a nootropic effect, to the most serious stuff used to treat people with cognitive deficits like ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, sub-acute dementia, and other cognitive deficit conditions.

They are proven with biological effects, both good and bad.

However, its effect on enhancing our cognitive ability is still in need of more thorough research to be indeed proven, especially for healthy individuals.

The rise of people experiencing anxiety, stress, and depression caused people to be more inclined to use these “smart drugs” or cognitive enhancers to overcome it.

You can even find discussions, forums, and podcasts devoted to Nootropics topics. Researchers also found that a drastic increase in people with mental disorders was linked to when the COVID-19 outbreak hit.

Moreover, stress, anxiety, and depression cost the global economy around $1 trillion in lost productivity.

That made people even want to consume and benefit from the advantages of Nootropics.

Whether they are sold as prescribed by Doctors, over the counter, or somewhere on the internet, these substances should boost your cognitive function.

Moreover, these substances are linked to abuse, and addiction and adverse side effects are extensively considered.

Nootropics are not a single-pill solution for a problem; rather, it requires long-term use, which varies from pill to pill and person to person.

Though Nootropics can be anywhere, some are considered serious stuff given exclusively and need supervision from a medical professional for administering; these are called PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

PRESCRIPTION NOOTROPIC DRUGS

These drugs are regulated by FDA and classified as safe for public use along with medical supervision and as prescribed by Doctors. Prescriptions given and signed by a Doctor are needed to purchase these drugs.

They are used as medications, usually with stimulant effects, given by medical professionals to patients with ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, sub-acute dementia, and other cognitive deficit conditions.

Long-term use of these substances is necessary to achieve efficacy and counteract symptoms from a certain condition.

Because of its proven help to brain function of cognitively impaired individuals, with the thought that it may be helpful for them, it became an interest to normal or healthy people and allegedly called these ‘smart drugs.’

An example of this was the reported illegal use of Adderall, a medication used to treat people with ADHD.

Based on the American Addiction Center in 2022, many students use Adderall non-medically to make them stay awake and study, while others use it to lose weight, while some purposely use it to feel euphoria.

While symptoms of Adderall addiction have been seen, long-term effects can include:

• Kidney damage.
• Insomnia.
• Intranasal damage from snorting it.
• Marital, financial, and personal problems.

However, while some studies found positive improvements in normal people after taking prescription drugs, others described it more likely as the placebo effect.

Placebo refers to a treatment designed to have no therapeutic benefit.

When improvement after taking these is felt, it is called a placebo effect, which associates with a person’s expectation that a certain medication could improve him.

Prescription drugs are known to help treat some cognitive deficiencies, yet their effectiveness for normal people has become controversial.

Because of NO PROVEN study supporting this, therefore it is not recommended.

The use of these prescription drugs without a prescription is considered off-label. Off-label use is the unapproved use of approved drugs.

This activity became dominant among businessmen, students, and athletes and has been linked to their dependence on these drugs, eventually making them addicted.

NON-SYNTHETIC NOOTROPICS

While prescription drugs aren’t recommended to healthy individuals because of the lack of research supporting their benefits, varieties of natural or non-synthetic Nootropics are available over-the-counter, in local pharmaceutical or health stores, or on the internet.

Each herbal extract was standardized in its own technical steps needed to meet the actual supplement that benefits our mental health.

Some of these are; Ginseng, ginkgo biloba, caffeine, and more. Though they do not specifically make us smarter, at some point, they help us function better.

Though natural or non-synthetic nootropics have lower toxicity, reducing the harm of overdosing, it is subject to different side effects when excessively used and when used with contraindications.

As the nootropic market grows, pharmaceutical companies continue to invest in studying and discovering substances that can help people with mental disorders.

However, benefits obtained from natural substances are being explored. Each nootropic substance has different benefits and precautions each one should be mindful of.

There may not be a special pill to make us literally smart, but we should be aware of what we should be looking for before buying Nootropics.

5 Things to Look For When Buying a ‘Brain Booster’

PRODUCT SOURCE

Nootropics are everywhere, from pharmaceutical and department stores to your local wellness store and even on the internet.

Because of the growing demand, nootropic brands are continuously growing as well; thus, choosing the right trusted brand might be a challenge.

Generally, you can see the most trusted ones from the pharmaceutical stores where our prescription drugs, over-the-counter nootropics, supplements, herbal products, and other health care ‘stuff’ are mainly available and regulated.

On the hand, the internet might be the least you can consider.

There might be a lot of sources of information, but not all data we are getting there is accurate. Some might be biased or just for promotions because anyone of any age can post on the internet.

Dietary Nootropic supplements are marketed as “herbal” or “natural,” which sound safe. Still, some dietary supplements contain drugs or ingredients not included in the appropriate regulatory standard.

Based on the Consumer Reports in 2022, dangerous or illegal nootropics are regularly promoted or advertised on the largest social media platform– Facebook.

Some of these chemicals and drugs prohibited by the Food and Drug Administration are Phenibut and Kratom.

The Food and Drug Administration ensures public health and safety by regulating food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical products.

BRAND REPUTATION

Nonetheless, the brand you should choose should come from a reputable company to ensure a higher safety assurance. To check a company’s reputation, you can check its official website and find the ‘about us’ section.

Suppose a company has been running for several years. In that case, that’s a score and more like they offer an excellent standard of products, but that doesn’t guarantee their good reputation.

You may also check the legitimacy of their phone number, email address, location, testing procedures, and more.

With a quick Google search, you can also find the company history, whether or not it has ever been associated with an issue with the Food and Drug Administration about their products.

In your search, you can also find reviews fromverified customers only and check what they are saying about the brand and certain products as well.

Because some marketing strategies use fake reviews from dummy customers to attract and gain new customers.

QUALITY ASSURANCE SEAL

Though supplements aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Association, they may undergo quality testing by third-party organizations like NSF International, US Pharmacopeia, Underwriters Laboratory, Consumer Lab, and more to ensure properly manufactured products.

These are the certification seals on some dietary supplement products, indicating that they have passed the quality test.

Though safety and quality aren’t guaranteed, the quality assurance seal suggests that it contains the ingredients the label says it does and that the product doesn’t contain any potentially harmful contaminants.

You can verify them from some third-party organizations on their website, like ConsumerLab and NSF International, and others.

TYPE OF NOOTROPIC

You may be considering the quality of the nootropic you are buying. Still, before that, you should also look at what type of nootropic is for you.

Understand what your body tells you; if you feel something is not good, you should seek an expert’s help.

While prescription nootropics are recommended for those with cognitive deficits, supplements, herbs, and other synthetic compounds aren’t for everyone as well.

While side effects after overuse of nootropics are a concern, contraindications are likewise looked for.

Contraindications are your medical or current conditions that are harmful when a certain nootropic has been taken, just like Ginseng, which isn’t suitable for people with hypertension, and ginkgo biloba, which is not suitable for people who will undergo surgery.

Seek medical help if you are considering taking a nootropic, especially when you are pregnant, lactating, and with a cardiovascular condition to know whether you are safe to use a certain nootropic.

It is best to consult an expert for guidance and relay to them truthfully the following:

• Tell them exactly what you are feeling: are there health conditions you are currently experiencing? Chronic fatigue, stress, body pain, etc. Tell them everything on your best.
• Your medical history: have you been diagnosed with a disease before? Have you undergone surgery?
• Substances you are currentlyusing: because some substances should not interact with each other, tell your medical expert if you are ever taking vitamins or any supplements or substances.
• Other details about your health and lifestyle: tell them about your vices; are you smoking or an alcoholic? Do you sleep deprive yourself

PRICE

You may search for a cheap nootropic to match your budget, but the cheapest one might not be the right choice. As a general rule, a higher price equals higher quality and standard.

The higher the price of a certain nootropic substance, the higher the chance it has undergone quality assurance from a third-party organization.

PROVEN EFFECTIVE BRAIN BOOSTERS 

While more people are increasingly using nootropics and claim to help them every day to maintain focus and be productive, though there are not tons of evidence about the claims, we should be aware of its consumption and whether or not we are dealing with a trustworthy nootropic manufacturer.

Researching might be time-consuming, but it’s worth your safety.

Remember that these nootropic supplements, whether or not effective, should not replace your diet. As Medical News Today suggests, in addition to the seven steps to keep the brain healthy by the American Heart Association, which are:

1. Get regular exercise
2. Eat a healthful diet
3. Maintain a healthy weight
4. Control cholesterol
5. Regulate blood sugar levels
6. Manage blood pressure
7. Quit smoking

These are other proven effective brain boosters:

• Get physically active
• Eat a brain-boosting Mediterranean diet
• Expand cognitive abilities with training
• Learn a new language
• Study a musical instrument

Stop Migraines Today

Let’s face it, like any illness or injury, migraines suck. The pain is worse than a headache and typically lasts for hours.

It’s perfectly reasonable to wish for sure-fire way to get rid of them completely, but alas we are not there yet.

However while there are no 100% cure for migraines yet, some simple remedies and habits you can apply so that the experience becomes more tolerable than the last.

While medicine and an appointment to the doctor is still king, there’s no rule against some behavioral and lifestyle precautions to help battle migraines.

Different remedies work differently for everyone so make sure to do what is best for you. Combine some of these with medicine and you may be able to stop or relieve yourself of migraines before they even start.

What is a migraine?

Migraines are a severe form of headaches that are accompanied with throbbing or pulsing sensation on a specific side of the head .They come in the form of attacks, and may last for a few days.

How do migraines attack you?

To fully grasp migraine attacks and how to ease them we must establish the progress of a migraine. They are: prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome.

Prodrome

Also known as the prodromal phase, this happens hours or even days before the actual migraine. People’s bodies exhibit changes that are telltale sign that a migraine is coming, they are but not limited to:

• Constipation
• Irritability
• Mood changes
• Constant yawning

Aura

Symptoms that typically manifests in someone’s vision. Aura’s build up, lasting about 60 minutes and, they are usually the sign the main ache on the head is just around the corner. They don’t happen every time, they include:

• Loss of vision
• Hallucinations
• Blind spot in vision
• Needle sensation around the arm

Attack

This is the painful part. Since this is the ache that often describes it as so. This phase is the longest and most excruciating. When experiencing them, we recommend the following measures along with medication.

A migraine attack would include:

• Throbbing pain that gets worse as you move or participate in sports.
• Located in one side of the head,
• Sensitivity to light, touch
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Post-dromal

After the main attack, you may still experience some of the ripples of action which include:

• Sluggishness
• Tiredness
• Head pain on one side of the head.

How do you ease migraine attacks?

Now that you know what a migraine is and how it differentiates from your typical headaches, it’s time to know how to deal with them.

In addition to medicine here are some simple ways to alleviate a migraine attack:

Applying a cold or hot compress around the head

Temperature therapy has been a proven and tested method of battling all sorts of ailments, from injured knees to sore backs–we have been accustomed to applying compresses to when we experience them.

And why shouldn’t we? They’re very effective. Migraines are also no stranger to them, since applying temperature therapy via compresses is a method that has been used for decades.

To do this you can either go hot by getting a heating pad around your neck and warm cloths on your face.

Or you can do it cold by getting a cold compress around your neck instead along with another one on the onset of the migraine itself. Since experts are still trying to pinpoint how exactly they help it is important to do the way that is best for you.

In doing this, experts also recommend to still proceed with caution with this method by applying it for 15 minutes and taking a 15 minute break of not using it. In addition to not falling asleep as you are doing it, deeming it to be unsafe if done so.

Drinking water

Speaking about something that has been and tested against all sorts of ailments, Love it or hate it, drinking water is also one of them. And for something not surprising at all, they also work on migraine attacks.

Research says that drinking water during an attack has caused the migraine attacks to either be less painful or be shorter in general. Have a glass or bottle at the ready so you’ll be prepared to deal with them when they come.

Consuming caffeine

Another method you can apply in dealing with your migraine is consuming caffeine. A number of over-the-counter medicines have been stated to go well with caffeine in either stopping or lessening the severity of migraine attacks.

It’s theorized that it may be since caffeine affects the blood flow back to your brain and the blood flow issues caused by migraines get canceled out instead.

The caffeine doesn’t have to be just coffee too. Even doses of tea or soda have been reported to help as well. Just consume them along with your medication or as the attack happens.

However it is important to approach caffeine with caution and in moderation. You can get addicted to it or you might get other ailments and even perish if you consume too much within a short amount of time.

Going into a dark room and relaxing

Since sensitivity to light is one of the most common triggers of a migraine, going to a dark room or simply dimming the lights would do wonders to someone experiencing an attack.

As you enter, have a place where you can collect yourself and be at rest, incorporate some of the other remedies as well for even better results.

Getting away from loud noises

This goes best along with the dark and relaxing room. Loud noises are proven to worsen migraines. That’s why blocking out the noise by going to a place away from people or whatever is producing them might also work for you.

Keeping a cool temperature

As established earlier, temperature therapy is a proven and tested method, but that does not apply to compress or heating pads only, but to room temperature as well.

High room temperatures can also be a trigger for migraines and make them worse.

So if you’re experiencing an attack, make sure to have fans and air conditioning units to help keep your body cool.

Staying away from strong smells

Another migraine trigger is the result of something called osmophobia, which is the sensitivity of smell.

For migraines, these come from an array of strong smells which can be in form of perfumes, gasoline, and other strong chemical scents. Steer clear from them in an attack so you might lessen and ease them.

Scalp Massages

Of course you can always apply pressure with your hands yourself or asking someone to do it for you. If you’re not sensitive to touch, scalp massages can help alleviate the severity of the migraine.

As stated earlier, problems in the blood flow are associated with migraines. The beauty of massages is they can help promote better blood circulation. Making your migraine bearable and may even bring you immediate relief.

How do you prevent migraine attacks in the future?

While these measures are great, in and can work in different ways to help manage your migraine attacks. The dream scenario is still to be rid of them completely.

But even though we have established already that there are no cure for migraines yet, there are some preventive measures you can take that can help in making sure you don’t get an attack more times than you can count.

Here are some measures you can do to make sure you get less migraine attacks than before:

Get quality sleep

While this can be tricky because either too much and too little sleep can be a contributing factor to migraine. The key thing to remember is “quality”.

To achieve this it is important to establish good sleeping routines and habits, which include but are not limited to:

• Regular sleeping hours
• Avoiding screens before you sleep
• Caffeine and food cutoff before you sleep
• Having a comfortable bed
• Taking naps

They are harder than they look but these simple changes help avoid migraine attacks all together.

Getting good exercise

You will find little preventive measures to ailments to be complete without exercise. And for good reason, exercise improves quality of life and reduces likelihood of getting diseases better than not doing them.

While they’re of little use during an attack and an exhaustive session might even trigger your migraine altogether, what they do instead is make you healthier which in turn helps you in managing stress.

It doesn’t have to be high intensity as well, yoga, walking and, other forms of steady state cardio can go a long way.

Staying hydrated

We know from earlier that drinking water can be used to alleviate an attack, however being consistent with it may help prevent attacks all together.

Dehydration is a common trigger for migraines. By this logic, if we prevent the trigger, we prevent the attacks as well. Meet the daily recommendation of eight glasses per day and replenish your electrolytes to keep the attacks at bay.

Good dieting

The preventive wouldn’t be complete without incorporating a healthy diet as well. However, because some foods can be triggers as well it is important to be smart when it comes to dieting.

Knowing your triggers, and knowing foods that can help your blood flow, and maintaining a steady eating routine are just some of the ways you can do this.

Foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids specifically have been found to decrease inflammation and lessen the duration of attacks when incorporated in a diet.

In addition because diet is the primary driver of a healthy weight loss which has been shown to decrease the frequency of migraines.

Taking the proper Vitamins

Vitamin deficiencies are present in at least 2 billion people around the world. These deficiencies may include migraine in them.

Magnesium and Vitamin B2 specifically are linked to people who experienced less migraine attacks.

Have yourself checked to see which vitamins you have deficiency with and get them up with the proper diet.

When should you go to the doctor?

Of course, an appointment with the doctor will still be one of the most valuable things you can do when it comes to migraine alleviation and prevention.

The pain that migraines bring are a serious matter and there will come a time when it’s time to see the doctor.

You should see them immediately if the pain comes to the point where it impedes your ability to go on about your day. And if they’re not available you can do the emergency care instead.

Final Thoughts

Migraine attack alleviation and prevention are vast and many, despite the fact there is no 100% cure for them yet.

While most of these are achievable to do by your lonesome, it’s better to have a people who will have your back and know how to help you when the attacks impede on your ability to care for yourself.

Everyone responds differently to their remedies, find out what works best for you, and combine it with medicine and confidence from your doctor to get the most out of it.

While living with migraine may not be the most ideal of scenarios, some simple remedies and lifestyle habits can make it less mind-numbingly severe and likely to occur than it had before.

I don’t know why it took me so long to get pelvic floor therapy but I knew I had to if I didn’t want to deal with the constant discomfort that made doing my daily tasks a constant burden or suffer from long-term colon damage or infection.

Benefits of Pelvic Floor Therapy

What Is Pelvic Floor Therapy?

Pelvic floor therapy is a treatment approach that provides a structured, safe, and effective reconditioning of the pelvic muscles using the principles of physical therapy.

The objective of the treatment is to improve the function and strength of your pelvic floor muscles, as well as get rid of any weakness, pain and dysfunction.

The treatment involves a skilled physical therapist accessing your pelvic muscles through the vagina or rectum.

The therapist then improves their strength and functioning by either stretching the muscles if they are short and contracted or applying resistance to improve strength if they are dysfunctional and weak.

Importance Of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

You might be wondering why pelvic floor therapy is so important. Surely, the pain will go away on its own if you rest your muscles enough. While it’s true that rest is extremely important, it’s not exactly enough.

With pelvic floor dysfunction, your muscles are either contracting too strongly or too weakly, which contributes to incontinence, pain during intercourse, constipation, or pain in the lower back, genitals, pelvic region or rectum.

What your muscles need is to be stretched or applied resistance to in order to get rid of the unnatural contractions. This is something that pelvic floor physical therapy, in particular, can help you with.

Our pelvic floor consists of a layer of muscles stretching from the pubic bone to the tailbone.

These muscles and connective tissue are what support the bladder, bowel and prostate for those with male genitalia and the bladder, bowel, uterus and vagina for those with female genitalia.

The pelvic floor muscles help control bowel and bladder functions, as well as sexual function and pleasure. In pregnancy, these muscles are what offer support for the fetus and relax during the birthing process.

This is why it’s extremely important to take the treatment of these muscles seriously at the sign of dysfunction.

As someone who has had to suffer pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and waited too long to get therapy, I am emphasizing this part especially. Don’t underestimate your disorder.

Who Needs Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

Pelvic floor physical therapy is recommended as a first-line remedy for several disorders in the pelvic region.

Anyone with weak pelvic floor muscles can perform exercises for strengthening those muscles and improving bowel and bladder control.

If your pelvic floor dysfunction is suspected to have a neuromuscular cause, then you’re especially in need of pelvic floor physical therapy.

This dysfunction can be because of aging, childbirth, illness, surgery, or other conditions. Sometimes, it can coexist with other genitourinary problems such as lack of urinary or bowel control, pain in the bladder area and constipation.

You can also see a pelvic floor therapist to treat your endometriosis or vaginismus for females and premature or painful ejaculation for males.

If you’re a woman with a low risk of vaginal prolapse, bladder or bowel issues or are recovering from childbirth, then pelvic floor exercises are especially beneficial for you.

This treatment is also helpful for men recovering from prostrate surgery, making sure they don’t suffer from rectal prolapse, as well as improving their bowel and bladder control.

Symptoms Of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

If you’re still unsure whether what you’re feeling is pelvic floor dysfunction, here are the symptoms of the disorder:

If you ever have any of these symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor.

• Frequent need to use the bathroom.
• Constipation.
• Having to strain or push really hard to pass a bowel movement
• Leaking urine or stool
• Feeling lower back pain with no other cause
• Feeling ongoing pain in your genitals, rectum or pelvic region

There are some symptoms and conditions related to pelvic floor dysfunction that can differ between males and females.

Male Pelvic Floors

For males, pelvic floor dysfunction can often contribute to pain in the groin, problems with ejaculation or erectile dysfunction.

It’s also common for prostatitis to be confused with pelvic floor dysfunction since they can also present similar symptoms. However, prostatitis usually resolves on its own or can be treated with antibiotics.

For females, pelvic floor dysfunction can greatly compromise reproductive health. It affects the uterus, and vagina and causes pain during sexual intercourse.

Both men and women suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction may experience stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or the leakage of urine every time they laugh, cough or sneeze.

However, you’ll find that this is more common in women than in men. In fact, one in three women experiences a pelvic floor disorder in her lifetime.

What To Expect At A Pelvic Floor Therapy Session

I understand more than anyone that pelvic floor dysfunction issues can be extremely personal. In fact, it’s completely natural to be nervous or fearful about what to expect for your first pelvic floor therapy session.

That is why I’m here to walk you through what goes on in a typical session to hopefully ease some of your nerves.

Your First Appointment

At your first appointment, you will be going through a comprehensive assessment. This is so your physical therapist will be able to understand your situation and analyze the most suitable treatment plan.

The aim of pelvic floor therapy is to have mobility and movement restored to your pelvic region, as well as reduce any pain.

During the actual exam, the physical therapist will be assessing your posture, strength, breathing pattern and flexibility of your spine, abdominal area and hip.

Doing this helps them determine what factors could have contributed to the dysfunction.

Keep in mind that one of the goals of the session is to figure out the cause or causes of your pelvic floor dysfunction.

If you can provide the therapist with more information about your symptoms, then the quicker they can figure out the issue.

If you can, try listing down your symptoms in detail, including anything that relieves or worsens the pain. Then, bring your notes to the session. This will make things move a lot quicker.

Your therapist will also be asking you to move around a lot during your visit to assess certain functions. One thing I do encourage you to do during every session is to constantly ask questions and provide feedback.

What to Expect

An initial assessment will include the following:

• In-depth review of your medical history
• Evaluation of tight, painful or dysfunctional areas
• Thorough evaluation of symptoms that you are experiencing
• Complete physical examination

The Exam

During the exam, the therapist will be asking you to sit, stand and walk so they can easily spot any posture or joint issues that could be affecting your pelvic floor muscles.

They will also be assessing whether any bone or muscle problems in your lower back, sacroiliac joint, thighs, hips, or buttocks may be placing stress on your pelvic floor muscles, which causes pain or dysfunction.

In some cases, a physical examination can include an internal exam. I know, I know. This is the part where it can get uncomfortable.

However, therapists are professionals and have been trained to perform these types of exams so you can trust them to poke around your insides.

This upfront approach can be extremely helpful since it offers valuable information that can help identify muscle or strength-related issues that could be causing your dysfunction or discomfort.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to rush the exam. You can ask your therapist to pause at any time and ask your questions or simply to take a breather and rest.

Think of these sessions as a marathon instead of a sprint. One session won’t bring you to a full recovery immediately. It can take months of progress but then it will be worth it.

Techniques Used

Although most pelvic floor therapy techniques include both internal and external treatment, not all people find the internal approach appealing, and understandably so.

Therapists are sensitive to the needs of their patients, which is why they won’t start with internal therapy until you give them the go signal.

The common techniques used in therapy sessions are:

Education

Therapists usually end up teaching you about pelvic anatomy and how the different parts work alone and together. You’ll also be taught about how hygiene and habits can affect your symptoms.

Manual Therapy

Your physical therapist will use hands-on massage and stretching in order to enhance blood circulation, posture and mobility.

Electrical Stimulation

A low-voltage electric current is often used to teach you how to coordinate your muscle contractions, reducing pain and muscle spasms.

This treatment can either be performed in your therapist’s office or you will be provided with an electrical stimulation unit that you can use at home.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Your therapist will be teaching you exercises that can help you learn to relax and contract your pelvic floor muscles relative to your other muscles.

You’re also taught breathing and timing techniques that increase the effectiveness of the exercises. With this, you’ll be able to stretch your tight muscles, boost flexibility and strengthen any weak muscles.

Pelvic Floor Biofeedback

Observing how your pelvic floor muscles work is easier with the biofeedback technique. This involves inserting a probe into the rectum of a man or the vagina of a woman and having the results displayed on a computer screen.

Vaginal Dilators

Vaginal dilators are tube-shaped plastic devices that help women relax their pelvic muscles for easier penetration. These tools are progressively sized and are inserted to help stretch tight tissues.

It does sound uncomfortable however several women who have gone through gynecological cancer treatment have found dilators helpful during their vaginal rehabilitation.

How To Prepare For Your Session

Now comes one of the most stressful parts when it comes to attending any appointments: the preparation. One thing you should know is that you need to be dressed comfortably for your pelvic floor therapy session.

After all, you need to be able to move your legs freely and not have your movements restricted. Your exam can include an internal approach, so you should always make sure to clean your groin and genital area before your session.

Another thing I’ve also found really helpful during my sessions is having a list of questions or concerns prepared, so you can have all the bases covered during your visit and not accidentally forget any concerns you might have.

If this is your first session, you should also give yourself extra time to arrive at the facility so you can properly fill out any initial paperwork.

Speaking of paperwork, these are the important documents that you should be bringing:

• Any form of identification such as a passport or driver’s license
• List of medications that you are currently taking, if any
• Health insurance card
• Prescription from the physician that referred you, if needed

Final Thoughts

Back pains are bad enough but when you couple that with the inability to control your bladder and bowel movements and constant pain in your genital area preventing you from feeling sexual pleasure, now that’s a different league on its own.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is never something to underestimate since it could lead to something a lot more serious and fatal.

By attending pelvic floor therapy sessions as I did, you’ll have a much better chance of eventually recovering and bringing back the normalcy in your life, with unrestricted movements and better bladder and bowel control.

You thought it would just go away after a day, but you find yourself nauseous, vomiting, sensitive to light or sound, and extremely tired. You may have a migraine; these are some of the most common signs you’re experiencing one.

Stop Suffering From Frequent Migraine Pains

If you’re reading this now because you’re having it frequently and are bothered why it keeps on occurring, knowing some of the reasons why migraines happen may at least relieve you.

After all, knowing the root cause of migraines can help you understand what to avoid next time.

Plus, apart from going to a medical professional, having a bit of knowledge about how migraines work can, at least, allow you to properly deal with them the next time it happens.

Facts about Migraine

You are not actually alone in this misery because, according to National Headache Foundation, migraines affect 13% of the world’s population and 70% of which are women.

Additionally, in the workplace, a chunk of company losses due to employee absenteeism and less productivity are associated with migraines.

While this is a common issue for people, the symptoms and incidence vary by individual. Factors that may be affecting this are age, gender, environment, etc.

Surprising Reasons that Cause Migraines

You cannot prevent or even anticipate a migraine attack if you don’t know the triggers. Why did it happen yesterday but not today? Is it because of the weather or the food you ate?

Indeed, there’s no single cause of migraine, but we have narrowed down the possible reasons, and you would be surprised by what’s about to unfold.

Several reasons would be out of your control, so focus on what you can do to stop migraines from bothering you as best as you can.

1. Anxiety

The immense feeling of anxiety can be a reason for your migraine. Ironically, a migraine can also cause anxiety.

It’s like a cruel cycle of constant worrying about when the next migraine attack will be, feeling vulnerable about the symptoms, and having no idea of what the cause of the migraine is.

If you think this is the one that’s causing you migraines, it’s best to see a healthcare professional who can professionally suggest you medication or therapy to help you stop this cycle.

2. Stress (Mental and Physical)

Stress is a culprit in many health issues such as muscle tension, stomachaches, and also migraines.

However, the stress we are referring to here is not limited to mental stress caused by your toxic boss or colleagues, deadlines, family, or romantic relationship issues, but it can also stem from physical stress from working overtime and intense physical exertion, including sexual activity, which triggers migraines.

Research shows that physical exercise is a great way to stimulate endorphin production and reduce stress hormones.

Now, you might think that you could just run or punch that bag at the gym the whole day to vent, but hold your horses!

Remember, too much of something is not good. So, be sure to exercise in moderation, keep hydrated, and properly eat before hitting the gym or just skip it if you’re having a migraine.

If you are suspecting that your current physical routine exercise is causing you migraine, you can switch to low-impact workouts like yoga.

Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety. It can also improve your mood and overall sense of well-being. Getting away from your stressful work for a day or two to rest both your body and mind can be a good call.

3. Hormones

Ever wonder why women have more frequent migraines than men?

Well, 50% of women suffering from migraine confirmed the link between headaches and their period, says the National Migraine Centre.

This is the so-called “menstrual migraine,” which typically comes about up to 2 days before or at the first 3 days of the menstrual cycle.

This is because of the hormone, estrogen, which significantly fluctuates during the menstrual period. Regrettably, pregnancy, nursing, and menopause could also trigger migraine attacks.

4. Sleep

Too busy on weekdays that you slept past 1 am or too relaxed on weekdays that you already woke up past 11 pm? Expect to get a migraine from this!

Sleep is like a double-edged sword. Getting 7-9 hours of good night’s sleep will help you ease your pain, but if you slept too much or messed up your sleeping cycle, it will aggravate furthermore.

People with chronic migraines, which means getting headaches 15 or more days per month, are highly susceptible to sleeping disorders than the common public.

Sleeping disorders include insomnia and sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes intermittent stops of breathing when asleep.

Often than not, people having sleep apnea are awakened by a headache. On the other hand, people who have insomnia are more likely to have bouts of migraines consistently than those who are not.

If you are already suffering from asleep–related headaches, you can see a doctor and help give direction to your treatment through a sleep diary. It is vital to consider various aspects of your sleep to help you overcome the issue.

5. Specific Food and Drinks

Does our diet really trigger migraine?

Scientifically speaking, there’s evidence that reducing certain trigger foods can prevent migraine patients from attacks. Certain ingredients, additives, and flavor enhancers could be culprits for some people.

However, whether food can trigger migraines depends on how your body reacts since triggers vary on a personal level.

The best way to find out is to identify it yourself.

You can keep a food diary and find which foods trigger you. Just to give you an idea though, some foods are already notoriously known to cause migraine attacks:

Excessive Caffeinated Drinks

If you’re one of the people who cannot start a day without a cup of coffee, this can be the reason why you’re getting a headache.

A study shows that excessive caffeine consumption, which could be from coffee or tea, induces headaches in adults and even in children.

Caffeine is addictive, and it boosts adenosine in your brain, which is the same substance that shoots up during a migraine attack.

Before you start feeling frustrated that your coffee time is now patrolled, be sure you catch the use of the word “excessive.”

There are times when you really need a cup. And if that’s the case, just be sure to limit your consumption to less than two cups per day.

If your intake is above this, you can start cutting back on coffee to help you reduce your migraine frequency.

Alcohol and Red Wine

On special occasions, a little sip might not hurt, but be careful with alcoholic beverages since they are a common trigger.

This has to do with tyramine and histamine, which will worsen your headache.

This would explain the severe head pain when you wake up with a hangover after partying all night!

Chocolate

Do you have sweet tooth? We hate to spoil your mood, but you may need to start getting away from chocolates if you’re having frequent migraine attacks.

Some migraine patients confirm chocolate as a trigger factor.

Chocolates contain caffeine and very high sugar levels, which may also cause other health conditions like diabetes, so you lessen your chocolate intake this time.

Tyramine-Rich Foods

Like red wine, people with migraines will suffer from eating foods rich in Tyramine.

A few examples include aged cheese, cured meat (i.e sausages and corned beef), pickled food, and soy products.

Does this mean you cannot them anymore?

Well, enjoying these kinds of foods once in a while is okay. However, you can definitely lessen your consumption or find alternatives to help you with your migraine attacks.

Artificial Sweeteners and Food Enhancers

You can also blame diet coke and other calorie drinks for your migraine. Aspartame, which is an artificial sweetener, is commonly found in these drinks.

It’s also better to just stick to naturally prepared foods since processed ones contain very high MSG content. All of these can cause migraines.

These are just some of the most common foods that can trigger a migraine, and there are others out there too. The good thing is that you can learn to identify which ones would trigger you by being mindful.

Remember that food reacts to migraine sufferers differently.

The best thing to do is to have a food diary and examine your eating habits and patterns. By elimination process, you can narrow down and recognize the foods that cause your headaches.

6. Changes in Weather or Environmental Conditions

Surprisingly, any change in barometric pressure or temperature can also prompt a migraine. When there’s a storm lurking, a migraine might be too!

This headache trigger might have something to do with the sensory stimuli. The brightness of the sun or flashing lights can push you toward migraine territory

Other environmental conditions like loud sounds from blasting music, harsh lights from your surroundings, and even overwhelming smells like strong perfumes, paint thinners, and smoke can cause a migraine.

Sensory stimulation varies per individual, so find out what triggers you. While environmental factors are out of our control, we can always prepare ahead.

You can bring sunglasses, earmuffs, masks, or just remove yourself away from the stimulus to relieve you from a migraine.

7. Medications

Ironically, certain medications that relived your pain can also make your migraines worse.

This phenomenon is called Medication Overuse Headache or a Rebound Headache. Any pain medicine has a limited effectivity period. When the effect wears off, the pain returns often worse than before.

Then, you take more medicine to ease the pain, your tolerance increases and the cycle goes on, thus causing more pain.

Medicines that can cause rebound headaches or trigger migraine include:

• Acetaminophen, aspirin, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Pain medicined such as codeine or hydromorphone
• Oral contraceptives and vasodilators such as nitroglycerin

Because medications are critical for your health and we can’t do away without them sometimes, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider to ask for other alternatives or treatment plans.

8.Family History

Yes, migraine has something to do with your blood. It can be hereditary, so it’s in your genes. If most of your family members suffer from migraines, then that could answer why you have it too.

To put this in numbers, if both your parents have migraine, then there’s a75% possibility of you and your siblings having it too.

If that 75% applies to you, you can share this article with your family, so you can discuss it amongst yourselves and help each other.

Ultimately, hereditary reasons for migraines do not stand alone and the frequent pulsating you have seems to be caused by a combination of factors: genetic, environmental, and lifestyle.

Finding Migraine Triggers

You might already have a hunch on what caused your migraine – maybe it’s a caffeine-related or sleep-related attack? However, knowing the possible causes is just the first step.

Knowing the cause may be simple, but some triggers might need deeper digging.

When you get a migraine attack, list down the potential trigger. Make a checklist based on the reasons above, or if there’s one that’s not mentioned here, consider it too.

Once you find out what triggers you, the next step is to take action to get better results.

Final Thoughts

Certain lifestyle changes are vital to evade the reoccurring migraine. Your action may include abstinence and control, depending on the reason that most applies to you.

Of course, sacrifice and resolve are necessary!

If frequent migraine pain is still there, and you have already tried everything that is under your control, check with your healthcare provider.

They can provide alternative treatment suggestions, and if required, prescribe medication.

Migraines are common to people, but they can sometimes just drastically make our lives worse.

Our health and overall well-being should always be one of our main priorities, so start understanding and listening to your body more.

Do your best to keep frequent migraines away so that your days aren’t ruined by a pesky headache.

Pelvic Floor Muscles: Why They’re Important

These pelvic organs may sag down into the vagina if the pelvic floor muscles are weak. This can cause not only discomfort but also urinary incontinence.

The pelvic floor in women may weaken due to factors such as pregnancy, childbirth, aging, and being overweight. To help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, you can do Kegel exercises discreetly at any time.

You may begin by learning how Kegel exercises can help you and then following the steps laid out below to contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles.

Why Should You Do Kegel Exercises?

Your pelvic floor muscles act as support to your uterus, vagina, and rectum. Similar to any muscles in the body, they also need exercise to improve strength and ensure proper functioning.

There are many factors that can negatively affect your pelvic floor muscles.

For women, this includes pregnancy, vaginal childbirth, surgery (caesarian section), being overweight or gaining weight, chronic constipation, frequent sneezing, coughing, or laughing, and natural aging.

If you have any of the following symptoms, then Kegel exercises could be beneficial for you:

• While sneezing, coughing, laughing, or running, you let out a few drops of urine (stress incontinence)
• When urine leaks soon after you get a strong, sudden urge to pee (urinary incontinence)
• Inability to control bowel movements, causing involuntary stool leak (bowel incontinence)

Kegel exercises can also be performed during or after pregnancy to help prevent incontinence and improve bladder and bowel management.

However, Kegel exercises may be ineffective for women who experience significant urine leakage during physical activity (severe stress incontinence).

Kegel exercises may also be ineffective for women who are not able to properly empty a full bladder (overflow incontinence).

How to Do Kegel Exercises for Women

It can be challenging to find the right set of muscles when you first try your Kegel exercises. One method is to insert a clean finger into your vagina and tighten the vaginal muscles around your finger.

You can also find the right muscles by stopping your urine mid-flow, an action performed by your pelvic floor muscles. Once you do this, learn to recognize how the muscles should feel when they contract and relax.

Although, note that this method should only be used for learning purposes.

When you have a full bladder, you should not frequently start and stop your urine or do Kegel exercises.

Incomplete bladder emptying can increase your risk of a urinary tract infection (UTI).

If you’re still unsure whether you’ve found the right muscles, consult your gynecologist. They may advise you to use a device known as a vaginal cone.

You will need to insert a vaginal cone and secure it in place using your pelvic floor muscles.

After you’ve located your pelvic floor muscles, you can perform the following Kegel exercises in any position, You can do them while sitting or standing, though lying down may be the most comfortable at first, especially if you have weak pelvic muscles.

Learn the proper techniques to perform Kegels.

For best results, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Do not hold your breath while doing the exercises and be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs, or buttocks.

Kegel Exercises

Seated Fast-Twitch Kegel Exercise

Your muscles have two types of tissue: fast-twitch and slow-twitch. Fast-twitch muscles react quickly and are responsible for preventing urine leakage during a sudden coughing fit, for example.

To perform a seated fast-twitch Kegel exercise, follow these steps:

Step 1: Sit on a chair and focus on your pelvic floor muscles.

Step 2: Clench your pelvic floor muscles as if you’re squeezing something between your thighs.

Step 3: Hold the squeeze for two seconds, then release.

You can repeat this exercise up to ten times per set, for three sets a day.

Seated Slow-Twitch Kegel Exercise

Slow-twitch muscles are also important. Your slow-twitch pelvic muscles help support your internal organs during endurance activities like running or cycling.

A seated slow-twitch Kegel exercise is similar to the fast-twitch exercise above, but you need to hold the contraction for longer.

Step 1: Sit on a chair and focus on your pelvic floor muscles.

Step 2: Clench your pelvic floor muscles as if you’re squeezing something between your thighs.

Step 3: Hold for five to ten seconds, then relax.

You can repeat this exercise up to ten times per set, for three sets a day.

Horizontal Kegel Exercise

Remember that Kegel exercises can be practiced in any position. Some people may even find it more comfortable to perform Kegel exercises while lying down.

Step 1: Lie flat on the floor or on your bed. You may bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor or bed if that feels more comfortable for you. Place your hands on your stomach.

Step 2: Find your pelvic muscles and squeeze them together. Your stomach muscles should not be working at all.

Step 3: Hold the squeeze for five to ten seconds and then release.

You can repeat this ten times per set for up to three sets per day.

Standing Kegel Exercise

If you have a problem with incontinence while standing, you can also practice Kegels while standing up. To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1: Stand upright and focus on your pelvic muscles.

Step 2: Squeeze your pelvic muscles up and in. There may be some tension in your thighs, but the stomach muscles should be at rest.

Step 3: Hold the squeeze for up to ten seconds, then relax.

You can repeat this ten times per set, and try three sets per day.

Be careful not to use Kegel exercises to start and stop your urine mid-stream. Doing Kegel exercises while emptying your bladder can lead to incomplete emptying, which increases the risk of a UTI.

When to Do Kegel Exercises

Incorporate your Kegel exercises into your daily routine. Whether you’re sitting at your desk or relaxing on the couch, you can perform these exercises privately at any convenient time.

Before performing Kegel exercises, always empty your bladder. Find a quiet, private place to sit or lie down.

When you first begin doing Kegel exercises, tense your pelvic floor muscles for three seconds, then relax them for three seconds. Repeat this up to ten times or whatever is comfortable.

Over the next few days, practice your Kegel exercises for longer and for more repetitions, in the morning and at night or up to three times a day.

Kegel Exercisers

In case you don’t have the time or motivation to exercise on your own, a Kegel exerciser can increase the efficiency of your exercises.

These handy exercise devices can help to strengthen your pelvic muscles while you go about your daily activities.

They are also fairly simple to use and discreet enough to allow you to exercise anywhere at any time. All of these advantages demonstrate why a kegel exerciser is worthwhile for those looking to improve their overall well-being.

How do Kegel Exercisers Work?

Kegel exercisers target your pelvic floor muscles, training them to contract and release, and helping improve strength. Some Kegel exercise devices use internal probes to train your muscles how to do Kegels.

There are also external Kegel devices that only stimulate your muscles to do the exercises for longer than you could on your own.

Kegel Weights

Kegel weights are inexpensive and easy and simple to use. They come in the form of balls, cones, or egg shapes. One thing to note, though, is these devices do require uninterrupted time and privacy.

Also, because they are vaginally inserted, they have a higher risk of infection, so be careful to buy only FDA-approved weights.

To perform Kegel exercises, squeeze the weights using your pelvic floor muscles.

Once you find the right muscles, it will be easier to perform Kegels anywhere on your own.

Kegel Trainers

If you’re not sure how to perform Kegel exercises properly, you may also find a device with biofeedback technology that will measure the strength of your contractions as you squeeze around the device.

Most of these vaginally inserted probes are synced to mobile apps so you can track your progress and know how well you’re doing the exercises.

Kegel trainers may also have a risk of infection and require dedicated time and privacy.

Most are not FDA-approved for incontinence. Also, be reminded that the fit can be uncomfortable at first.

Internal Stimulation

Electrical stimulation (e-stim) contracts your pelvic floor muscles to do Kegel exercises for you. Although the term “electrical stimulation” may scare you, it’s completely safe.

Your brain signals your muscles to move via electrical currents.

These kegel exercisers are originally only found in doctor’s offices but can now be used at home, though they still require dedicated time and privacy, and also has a risk of infection.

These devices can be quite strong—they contract your pelvic floor muscles for you, but the internal stimulation may give you a feeling of being violated which may not be ideal for some.

External Stimulation

This type of electrical stimulation contracts your pelvic floor muscles through the skin, doing the Kegel exercises for you.

The FDA created a new category to treat incontinence, so these external Kegel exercisers are new on the market.

Although similar in functions to the vaginal e-stim, these Kegel devices provide better comfort and safety due to the external application.

Some are gel pads worn like a thin sanitary pad, so you can still perform other activities during your sessions.

There are also others that are wearable and use a similar technology better than vaginal devices, but they are not discreet and require sizing and standing or sitting still.

Magnetic Chairs

There are also magnetic chairs used for pelvic floor strengthening or Kegel exercises.

During a session, you will sit on the chair as a high-intensity electromagnetic field causes the pelvic floor muscles to contract upwards.

This type of therapy is usually administered in a doctor’s clinic over six sessions.

However, some studies suggest that this therapy is less effective than electrical stimulation. It is also quite expensive for a kegel exerciser, with extra maintenance costs to consider.

Cautions When Doing Kegel Exercises

If you experience pain in your abdomen or back after a session of Kegels, then you’re probably not doing them properly.

Remember to keep your abdominal, back, buttocks, and side muscles relaxed as you isolate and contract your pelvic floor muscles.

Don’t be afraid to seek assistance if you’re having difficulty performing your Kegels.

Your doctor or other health care provider can provide critical feedback that will assist you to locate the correct muscles and perform the exercises.

Different Kegel exercisers such as vaginal weighted cones or biofeedback technology can also help you.

Some exercisers you can simply hold in place with pelvic muscle contractions even as you continue with your daily activities.

Others may be more invasive and require more privacy and time.

For example, during a biofeedback session, a pressure sensor will be inserted to measure your pelvic floor activity as you relax and contract your muscles.

Final Thoughts

For best results, make Kegel exercises a part of your daily routine. If you do them regularly, you can expect results within a few weeks or months.

However, whether you need an external exerciser or you can do them on your own, remember not to overdo your Kegel exercises.

Just like any other muscle in your body, if you overwork your pelvic floor, it will become too tired and unable to function properly.

Stop Suffering From Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a secret most of us will hide. There are a lot of reasons that cause it. Thankfully, there are also a ton of ways to remedy it and avoid the awkward bladder leak.

Thanks to studies, user reviews, and recommendations from people suffering from urinary incontinence, we were able to come up with this list. We understand that no one solution works for everyone, so we prepared five for you to try on.

You might be suffering from urinary incontinence due to weak pelvic floor muscles, infections, old age, or just because your bladder is weak. If you are at the early stages of your urinary incontinence, you have a higher chance of correcting it.

Unfortunately, urinary incontinence affects females as twice as much as males. Women are more susceptible as they experience pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.

Now, let us get to know more about these five “must try” to check which of these solutions will work perfectly for you.

Kegel Exercise

Kegel Exercise is a specific type of routine where you tighten and contract your pelvic floor muscles. You must maintain it for a few seconds, then just repeat it multiple times.

What makes it great is you can do it anytime, anywhere.

Studies showed that Kegel Exercise can prevent and control urinary incontinence. It basically strengthens your pelvic floor muscles, which support your bladder.

As for the actual routine, there is no difference between the Kegel Exercise done by men and women. To start, you must ensure your bladder is empty. Then, find a place to sit or lie down.

Once comfortable, tighten your pelvic floor muscles for at least three to five seconds. Then, you may relax the muscles. Proceed to repeat the steps at least three times. Do it every morning, afternoon, and evening.

You can start seeing results after 12 weeks of consistent Kegel Exercise or even earlier!

Medication

There are instances that exercises might not be enough to improve your urinary incontinence. So, medicine might be a great addition to it.

It is highly recommended to pair your medications with other routines and techniques for long-term effects. There are a lot of medications available in the market, depending on your need.

So, here is a list of medication and their benefits for you to weigh which will work for you.

Anticholinergics

The first one on our list is Anticholinergics. It helps to calm your overactive bladder, lessening the possibility of bladder leaks. To ensure you receive a positive result, use it consistently for 12 weeks.

However, some new Anticholinergics drugs show to reduce symptoms after two weeks of use. Unfortunately, this medication is not an over-the-counter one.

Your doctor might need to conduct a thorough exam to determine if this is the appropriate medication for you.

Mirabegron

The second medication on our list is Mirabegron, which only works for certain types of urinary incontinence. It works by relaxing your bladder muscle and can potentially increase your capability to hold more urine.

Mirabegron can also assist in completely emptying your bladder with urine. Similar to Anticholinergics, Mirabegron requires a doctor’s prescription.

This medication will usually work around four to eight hours after intake. However, it might take four to eight weeks before any noticeable improvements can be seen. So, consistent use of this medication is recommended.

Topical Estrogen

The last medication on our list is Estrogen. A lot of older women experience urinary incontinence once they are in menopause. There will be a drop in estrogen levels in their body, weakening the supportive tissues around the bladder.

To ease the problem, a low dose of topical Estrogen can help. It comes in a variety of forms, such as vaginal cream, patch, or ring. However, this is not safe for people who have a history of breast cancer and uterine cancer.

At the same time, topical Estrogen should not be confused with oral Estrogen. The latter might complicate your urinary incontinence.

Side Effects of These Medications

If you use this medication properly, you will not suffer any serious side effects. Though, the first two medications have common side effects.

Anticholinergics users can experience dryness in their mouth and constipation. While for Mirabegron, users might suffer from headaches, nausea, and irregular bowel movement.

Your medical practitioner can provide remedies to ease the following side effects.

Surgery

Surgery can be a drastic option for others. However, this is a recommended solution if you are past the early stage of urinary incontinence or suffering from serious bladder leakage.

Artificial Sphincter

The first procedure you should take into consideration is Artificial Sphincter. Essentially, an Artificial Sphincter or Valve is inserted to manage the flow of urine from your bladder to your urethra.

It is more common for males to avail of this surgery. Doctors usually recommend Artificial Sphincter for men who just undergo prostate surgery.

However, since there is a rise in women wanting to treat their urinary incontinence, Artificial Urinary Sphincter surgery for women increased.

There are no side effects to this procedure, except for potential infection and erosion if not well kept.

Sling Procedure

The second procedure you should look into is Sling Procedure. Doctors will insert a mesh or human tissue under the neck of your bladder, supporting your urethra from urine leaking.

It is a light procedure that usually takes 30 minutes to finish. Patients are encouraged to maintain it with Kegel Exercises and apply low topical Estrogen.

Some side effects reported by patients are having a hard time peeing, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and painful sexual intercourse.

Colposuspension

And the last procedure is Colposuspension. It involves placing stitches on either side of the urethra and tying them to supporting ligaments. It will then elevate the vagina.

The long-term success rate of this procedure is 85%. Unfortunately, there is a chance that the Colposuspension might not be successful or can worsen the existing condition.

Medical Devices

Medical devices are ideal if your condition is not extreme enough to require surgery but might be serious for medication and exercise. However, most of these medical devices are for women’s urinary incontinence.

Urethral Inserts

The most common is the Urethral Inserts. It is a self-administered medical device that you gently insert inside your genitalia. There are Urethral Inserts available for men and women.

These inserts must be removed before peeing as it is technically block everything, not only bladder leakage.

Unfortunately, Urethral Inserts can be uncomfortable. Worse, there are chances you might experience infection, abrasion, and irritation.

So, it is not ideal to wear them for a long period. You might want to use it during the time you need to go out.

Pessary

The next medical device is Pessary. You insert it inside your genitalia, which will support your bladder, vagina, uterus, and rectum.

People with pelvic organ prolapse usually avail of this medical device. Unlike Urethral Inserts, Pessary is comfortable and soft to use. It does not have serious side effects besides occasional vaginal irritation and extra discharge.

Botox

The third medical device on our list is Botox. Although popularly known for facial cosmetic procedures, Botox is effective in controlling your bladder leakage.

Research shows that its success rate is around 70-80%. You might start noticing results two weeks after the procedure. It is recommended that you set up a six-month re-treatment plan to ensure the effects last longer.

However, if the symptoms of urinary incontinence start to show, consult your practitioner. You can have a re-treatment, provided there has been a lapse of 12 weeks between your next treatment from your first.

Radiofrequency Therapy

Last on our list is Radiofrequency Therapy. It is different from surgery as it is not an invasive process. Instead, the tissues in your lower urinary tract are heated using nonablative levels of RF energy.

It will stabilize and contract your endopelvic fascia, strengthening your urethra and bladder neck support. Radiofrequency Therapy might be the safest medical advice as it does not have any side effects.

Absorbent Pads

Absorbent Pads are the safest option out there. It is great for people scared of surgery and medical devices. It offers support while you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles with Kegel Exercise and take your supplements.

It should not be confused with adult diapers, although they offer the same result. The latter are bulkier and more expensive. It can be uncomfortable for daily use and can be noticeable under your clothes.

It makes adult diapers not ideal for people working or studying. Absorbent Pads tend to be thinner and smaller. It can look bulky on fitted clothes. So, it is recommended to size up, especially on jeans.

Absorbent Pads are also cheaper than adult diapers. You can use it for at least three to four hours a day. If this is an issue for you, there are choices when picking your Absorbent Pads.

There are reusable Absorbent Pads that look like regular napkins. You can just toss them on your washer when it needs cleaning.

To wrap it up…

There is no one bladder leak solution for your urinary incontinence. Make sure to try the ones you are comfortable with and mix the following to optimize the results.

Lateral Exercises: Do They Work?

Exercise remains one of the best activities that can extend our lives. The most common exercises all often have one thing in common. They ask us to move in a linear way.

Running, cycling, deadlifts, squats—the common recommendations for training routines often only tasks us to move linearly. Lateral movements are rarely involved despite the benefits and importance they offer.

Linear movement training is common because they are effective. But it does not make lateral movement training any less effective and important.

Ahead are the things you need to know about lateral movement training: its importance, benefits and ways to implement it in your daily training regiment.

What is Lateral Movement Training?

Lateral Movement Training are exercises that consist of primarily moving the body side-to-side or using it sideways.

Because of its nature this type of movement training occurs in the frontal plane of motion instead of the sagittal plane where you will see the most common exercises: running, walking, deadlifting, pressing etc.

What are the planes of motion?

We live and move in a three-dimensional world. Each and every of our activities can involve our bodies moving forward, backward, side-to-side, and/or rotation of itself.

Fitness lingo describes these types of movements to be happening in planes of motion. Each plane has different functions they govern and exercise to stimulate them.

These planes of motion are: the sagittal, frontal (or coronal), and transverse planes. To visualize them easier let us imagine each plane dividing the body to perpendicular segments.

The sagittal plane is responsible for the division of the body towards left to right.

The frontal (or coronal) plane is responsible for the division of the body from the back towards the front. This is the primary plane where lateral movement training occurs.

And the transverse plane for up and bottom halves of your body.

How does Lateral Movement Training utilize the planes of motion?

The frontal plane is the primary plane for Lateral Movement Training. It divides the body into back and front where these types of movement occur, running in parallel to the plane that divides it.

It includes movements such as: the separation and integration of a limb in relation to it’s midline (abduction & adduction), movement of the shoulder blades up and down (elevation & depression), and the movement of the foot inwards and outwards (eversion & inversion).

Reasons to do Lateral Movement Training

Now that you know what Lateral Movement Training is, how it occurs with your body ahead, you’ll be able to read why you need to incorporate it in your daily routine.

Lateral Movement Training reduce imbalances

Let’s face it, stumbling out of nowhere is unpleasant. Because our bodies have been conditioned to move linearly in the majority of our lives.

We stress the same linear-reliant muscle groups over time (think of the chest, hamstrings, calves while doing an activity like walking, push ups etc.), while the other support muscle groups stay underdeveloped.

This can create imbalances that can also lead to injury.

Lateral Movement Training reduces these imbalances by helping stabilize your hips and pelvis, helping your body get used to the frontal plane of motion by coordinating these body parts.

Lateral Movement Training reduces risk of injury

The imbalance that comes from the underdevelopment lateral movement training goes hand in hand with the risk of injury.

These muscle imbalances can cause the underdeveloped muscle group to degrade which only increases injury risk.

Lateral Movement Training develops muscle groups that support your joint rotation and movement, ensuring that your body is prepared for any lateral adjustments that come with our daily lives.

Lateral Movement Training makes you stronger

As stated earlier, lateral movement training helps stabilize your hips and pelvis, another result from this is that the muscle groups around that area get stimulated and trained upon doing this type of movement training.

The underutilized muscle groups get used to new types of stresses that are important in making them stronger as you progress. This increase provides you with more bounce and explosiveness as you try to change shift movements since twitch muscles are also involved.

Lateral Movement Training adds variety to your regiment

Many people do the same routine over and over. And while it yields effective results it has tendencies to lead you to boredom, or worse injuries.

The simple act of implementing lateral movement training offers a breath of fresh air to your routine.

This variety also enables the aforementioned reasons as it will be the one that enables the introduction of new stimuli, allowing underdeveloped muscle groups to get stronger that reduces imbalances which leads to the reduction of injury risk.

It gets your brain sparked and motivated, decreasing the chance of skipping and the previously mentioned boredom that leads to other potential worse things.

How can I incorporate Lateral Movement Training?

Now that we have established the importance and benefits that come with Lateral Movement Training, it is of equal importance for you to know how to actually incorporate them in your routine.

Because of its variety and accessibility, you can incorporate Lateral Movement Training in any phase of your routine (warm-up, the actual workout, and or the cooldown).

But experts recommend them for your warm-up phase to prepare the body for any and all the movements that your workout will demand.

It is recommended to combine both Lateral and Linear Movement Training to maximize the benefits. Here are some of the best movements to include in your routine you can do in any type of training space without requiring any equipment.

Jumping Jacks

Also known as star jumps, is a full-body workout that is an effective way to stimulate all the vital muscles in your buddy.

Suitable whether to you whether you are just a beginner or even experienced in exercising as it includes various low to high impact variations. If you’re just starting out or getting back into training here’s how to it:

• Get into the starting position with your feet together, along with your arms at rest on the side.
• Hop your feet apart while simultaneously bringing your arms together at the top of your head.
• After landing the hop, quickly again and bring your feet together while simultaneously bring your arms back to your side. This is 1 repetition. Repeat for the desired amount of time or repetitions.

Things to keep in mind while doing Jumping Jacks

• Try to make sure you do your jumping jacks on flat even surfaces to ensure both legs receive equal forces.
• Keep your core tight and engage to brace your body properly on each hop.
• Try to develop and maintain a breathing pattern to fully optimize the exercise and it’s cardiovascular benefits.
• And most importantly, listen to your body, take a rest if you feel something painful, lower or fasten the pace depending on if you find it too easy or difficult so you can avoid injuries but still push yourself.

Skaters

Skaters is a cardiovascular exercise like jumping jacks but this one gives more emphasis to the lower body, mainly the quads and glutes.

A great exercise not only to get your heart rate up but also improve your stability and reduce the imbalances we were talking about a while ago. Another exercise that doesn’t require you to have equipment, here’s how to do it:.

• Get into the starting position by leaning forward and tightening your core.
• Jump to your right bringing your left foot behind you while simultaneously bringing your left arm behind you.
• Jump to your left bringing your right foot behind you while simultaneously bringing your right arm behind you. This is 1 repetition. Repeat for the desired amount of time or repetitions.

Things to keep in mind while Skaters

• Keep your back flat and core engaged as possible to prevent imbalanced landings
• Put consistent power behind your jumps for explosiveness to get used in movement inside the frontal plane.
• To get more results either fasten the pace or deepening your lean to rely more on your core.

Lateral Lunge

Taking the pace down a notch we have the lateral lunge, also known as side lunges. An effective lower body exercises for the lower body.

Effective as a warm-up and cooldown, this exercise focuses on improving your stability by stretching your leg muscle groups. To do this exercise follow these steps:

• Get into the starting position by standing with your feet hip-width apart.
• Take a big step to the right, bending your right knee, hinge your hips back and lower the knee until it reaches the ground back in a 90 degrees angle
• Push the knee back toward the starting position.
• Do the previous steps to the other knee. This is one repetition. Repeat for the desired amount of time or repetitions.

Things to keep in mind while doing Lateral Lunges

• Keep your back straight, an arching back promotes ineffective form and can lead to injury.
• Keep both feet flat as you land on your lunges. This applies equal pressure on both knees instead of unequal distribution.

Lateral Plank Walk

Now we’re giving some love to the upper body with the Lateral Plank Walk. An exercise that works your whole body but primarily targets your core and arms.

A high reward movement that improves balance, coordination, strength and reduces injury. Here is how you do it:

• Get into a push-up form as the starting position.
• Step your right hand along with your right foot laterally.
• Follow it up with the other hand and foot in the same position you originally started. Keep “walking” until you reach a desired halfway point.
• Do the previous two steps with your left hand and foot. This is 1 repetition. Repeat for the desired amount of time or repetitions.

Things to keep in mind while doing Lateral Plank Walk

• Like with any plank, maintaining good plank position each stride by keeping your core tight and back straight and consistent. Not doing so will stress unnecessary muscle groups that are not required for the workout.
• Keep your knees from bending to fully optimize the benefits of the exercise in this muscle group.

Lateral High Knees

We have already established that our bodies are conditioned into movements in the sagittal plane, with walking as the most popular exercise with running not behind far behind.

Lateral high knees stimulates our knees to move in an an unusual way, making for a great exercise for the knees. Here’s how to do it:

• Get into the starting position by standing straight and arms at the side.
• Start running in place, lifting your knees up to the height of your waist. Do this while moving laterally into one direction until you reach a desired halfway point.
• Do this in the other direction. This is one repetition. Repeat for the desired amount of time or repetitions.

Things to keep in mind while doing Lateral High Knees

• Keep smooth and consistent breathing to fully optimize the cardiovascular benefits of the movement.

Final Thoughts

Everyone recognizes the benefits of exercise, however typically most of the routines only often involve linear involvement. It is important to involve lateral movement training in our routines as well.

Lateral Movement Training gives variety in our linear movement-filled daily lives by introducing new stimuli on our overlooked muscle groups involved in the frontal plane.

This results in a stronger body that is more balanced, and less prone to injuries ready for any movement along way.

The best thing about it is the versatility of being able to be done even little to no equipment, and being applicable to any and all phases of your workout.

The next time you do one, make sure you have this movement training so that you will be prepared towards all planes of motion.