Hongwei Chinese Medicine Clinic is specialised in Pelvic Floor Dysfunction with Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD)
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Many people have problems with the group of muscles in the lower pelvic area and develop conditions called pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). Treating PFD may be very helpful in reducing symptoms and pain, most patients see improvement after several weeks of therapy. Acupuncture is one of the unique therapies for PFD.
What is the Pelvic Floor?
The “pelvic floor” refers to a group of muscles ligaments and connective tissue in the lowest part of the pelvis. That attach to the front, back, and sides of the pelvic bone and sacrum (the large, fused bone at the bottom of your spine, just above the tailbone). Like a sling or hammock, these muscles support the organs in the pelvis, including the bladder, uterus or prostate, urethra, rectum, and vagina (in women). The pelvic floor prevents these organs from falling down or out of your body. It also helps the organs function properly.
What Causes PFDs?
In general, a pelvic floor disorder is due to weakened pelvic muscles or tears in the connective tissue. A damaged pelvic floor cannot continue to provide the support that your organs need to work effectively. As this structure weakens, normal functioning of the bowel, bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum can be affected.
There are many causes of PFDs. In addition, research is ongoing.
Symptoms of PFD include:
- Urinary urgency, frequency, hesitancy, stopping and starting of urine stream, painful urination, or incomplete emptying
- Constipation, straining, pain with bowel movements
- Unexplained pain in the low back, pelvic region, genital area, or rectum
- Pain during or after intercourse, orgasm, or sexual stimulation
- Uncoordinated muscle contractions causing the pelvic floor muscles to spasm
Did you know?
- Your brain controls the pelvic floor muscles by nerves.
- Health conditions or injuries that affect the nerves (such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, back surgery, spinal stenosis, or childbirth) can weaken the pelvic floor muscles.
- ¼ of women (25%) 20 years or older suffer with PFDs. Most struggle with one or more PFDs-POP, urinary incontinence (UI), and faecal incontinence (FI—also called anal incontinence or accidental bowel leakage).
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction can vary in symptoms according to each organ; each with their own individual characteristic. Acupuncture can positively affect the incoming and outgoing signals from the pelvic floor nerves, thus treating each diseased organ or muscle or ligaments.
Sacral foramen (Baliao) acupuncture and scalp acupuncture can have distinctive beneficial effect and significant advantages in treating pelvic floor dysfunction. However, the difference in depth, angle and direction of the needle can vary from traditional usage. Thus, the acupuncturist needs to have a certain level of skill and experience, this is gained from specialist training and years of clinical practice.
Sacral foramen (Baliao) acupuncture with electric needles is similar to sacral stimulation therapy that has emerged in recent years. However, electric needles treatment can stimulate or inhibit nerve pathways, thereby specifically affecting the corresponding organs e.g. the bladder, urethral sphincter, sexual organs or pelvic floor. This treatment allows the patient to have high level of safety, less trauma and is especially suitable for diabetic patients, thus should be more widely promoted as the advantageous conservative therapy.
Dr Zunli Guo, not only has many years of clinical experience, but has also gone through copious training and learning in relation to pelvic floor diseases and Sacral foramen (Baliao ) acupuncture. Dr Guo has undergone PhD training at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine; involving research and training for more than 3 years. Thus, has acquired the knowledge and special needle methods that can specifically and successfully treat pelvic floor dysfunction.

