![\"Lioudmila](\"http:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/files\/2017\/11\/Lipetskaia-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lioudmila Lipetskaia, MD, MSc, FACOG<\/a> <\/p>\n Q: What are pelvic floor disorders?<\/p>\n A: Pelvic floor disorders are a result of weakened pelvic muscles or tears\u00a0in the connective tissue of the pelvis.\u00a0Over time, the pelvic floor is not able to\u00a0support the organs as effectively, which can affect the function of the bowel, bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum.<\/p>\n Q: What are symptoms of a pelvic\u00a0floor disorder?<\/p>\n A: There are multiple symptoms of a\u00a0pelvic floor disorder, such as:<\/p>\n Q: Does it only affect women who\u00a0have had children?<\/p>\n A: While excessive strain due to\u00a0childbirth can lead to a pelvic floor\u00a0disorder, there are many other potential\u00a0factors such as, repeated strenuous\u00a0activity, menopause, pelvic surgery,\u00a0repetitive heavy lifting, tobacco use,\u00a0and genetics. In fact, 1 in 4 women 20\u00a0years and older suffer from one or more pelvic floor disorders.<\/p>\n Q: Will Kegel exercises help?<\/p>\n A: Pelvic exercises can stop the\u00a0progression of prolapse or incontinence\u00a0\u2014 and sometimes reverse it.\u00a0However, if performed incorrectly, they\u00a0can not only be ineffective, but possibly\u00a0make certain conditions worse.\u00a0In order to identify exercises that are appropriate and effective in meeting\u00a0your needs, it is recommended to work\u00a0with a pelvic floor physical therapist,\u00a0who is much like a personal coach for your pelvic floor.<\/p>\n Q: Is surgery the only treatment\u00a0option?<\/p>\n A: While surgery is sometimes necessary\u00a0due to the severity of a patient\u2019s condition\u00a0and overall health, there is a wide\u00a0variety of non-surgical treatment options\u00a0available as well. Non surgical treatment\u00a0options include: medications, targeted\u00a0physical therapy, behavioral and lifestyle\u00a0modifications, non-invasive pelvic support\u00a0devices, biofeedback, and nerve stimulation.<\/p>\n Q: If I ignore my symptoms, will they eventually go away?<\/p>\n A: Symptoms of a pelvic floor disorder\u00a0are not likely to resolve on their own.\u00a0Over time, they can lead to long-term\u00a0issues like chronic pelvic pain and\u00a0incomplete bladder emptying, which\u00a0can ultimately cause damage to the kidneys.<\/p>\n Q: What type of doctor treats patients with pelvic floor disorders?<\/p>\n A: Urogynecologists (more recently\u00a0referred to as Female Pelvic Medicine\u00a0and Reconstructive Surgeons) are\u00a0specially trained to diagnose and treat\u00a0women with pelvic floor disorders.\u00a0Urogynecologists complete medical\u00a0school and a residency in Obstetrics\u00a0and Gynecology or Urology and then\u00a0additional years of training and certification\u00a0in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery.<\/p>\n To schedule an appointment\u00a0with Dr. Lipetskaia, call\u00a0856.325.6622.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lioudmila Lipetskaia, MD, MSc, FACOG Board-Certified Female\u00a0Pelvic Medicine and\u00a0Reconstructive Surgeon Ripa Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at Cooper Q: What are pelvic floor disorders? A: Pelvic floor disorders are a result of weakened pelvic muscles or tears\u00a0in the connective tissue of the pelvis.\u00a0Over time, the pelvic floor is not able to\u00a0support the … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-rmineo","4":"post-271","6":"format-standard","7":"category-general"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions\/299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/thesource\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nBoard-Certified Female\u00a0Pelvic Medicine and\u00a0Reconstructive Surgeon
\nRipa Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at Cooper<\/p>\n\n
\n