How Women Can Support Their Bladder and Bowel Health from Youth to Later Years

This webinar, in partnership with Wellspect, aims to raise awareness of these issues. Originally recorded as a webinar, we decided to release it as a podcast as well. We hope you enjoy listening.

This episode will cover bladder and bowel management during the different stages of a woman's life, overcoming barriers to break the taboo in discussing such issues, the challenges and risks of becoming a mother with a spinal cord injury and the importance of a good bladder and bowel routine will have on your self-confidence all leading to empowerment and a better quality of life. 

To do this, host Ami Kivi, Global Product Manager Urology, Wellspect invites Dr Maria Gyhagen, Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sahlgrenska University at Gothenburg University and Inge Eriks-Hoogland, head of the outpatient department of the Swiss Paraplegic Centre, to shed light on this pressing women's health issue. Their groundbreaking research and advocacy work reveal the widespread impact of these disorders and pioneer new paths in care and empowerment for affected individuals.

The prevalence of pelvic floor disorders, such as incontinence and genital prolapse, severely impacts quality of life. Dr Gyhagen's research focuses on the functional dynamics of the pelvic floor, especially post-childbirth, emphasising its multifaceted effects, including compromised self-esteem and sexual dysfunction. She stresses the importance of early diagnosis and targeted support, which are often overlooked in healthcare. 

Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury Calculator https://www.sphinctercalc.com/

UR-CHOICE Pelvic Floor Disorders Risk Calculator: https://riskcalc.org/UR_CHOICE/

Dr Eriks-Hoogland's expertise in spinal cord injuries highlights the unique challenges faced by spinal cord-injured women during pregnancy and childbirth. The podcast highlights heightened risks and the necessity for informed choices and collaborative clinical approaches, ensuring active participation in health decisions. Standardised guidelines in gynaecological care play a vital role in empowering patients and improving care protocols, advocating for a more predictive healthcare approach and addressing societal taboos surrounding pelvic floor disorders through greater awareness and dialogue. 

SCI Care Guidelines https://register.awmf.org/de/leitlinien/detail/179-014

We hope you will enjoy this episode. 

The opinions of our host and guests are their own; ISCoS does not endorse any individual viewpoints, given products or companies.

You can follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn

The SCI Care: What Really Matters podcast aims to provide valuable insights and the most up-to-date information for those providing care to people with spinal cord injury (SCI) worldwide. The vision of the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) is to "facilitate healthy and inclusive lives for people with spinal cord injury or dysfunction globally".

Contact us directly with any questions or comments at iscos@associationsltd.co.uk

Chapters

• 3:09 How common are pelvic floor problems with women in general? And which women are at greater risk?
• 4:45 What would you say are the main consequences of incontinence for women?
• 5:40 The gender difference is that women can have problems with their bladder and bowel at many stages in their life, whereas statistically, men are over 70 before they have problems.
• 6:20 Variable on the Prognostic Model.
• 9:51 Risks in pregnancies with spinal cord injured women and the risks.
• 23:12 SCI Care Guidelines
• 26:00 What advice can be given to women with incontinence?
• 31:27 Final Discussion