Leaky Bladder, Pelvic Floor, UTIs, & Constipation: Dr. Rena Malik Gives Solutions To Get Control

What is the pelvic floor? You said this is a very important part of your anatomy that we don't talk about enough that has an impact on everything from normal urinary function, normal, like, pooping, your orgasm, all of it. Like, is it like a- a- a hammock down there? Like, what is it?

It's sort of like a hammock. Yeah, it's a bunch of different muscles, and there's actually layers to it. So the pelvic floor is actually part of your core. So people don't realize this. They think of core, they think of abdominal muscles, but it's actually a bowl of muscles that sits in the pelvis that holds up your organs. You're always using them, right? But it's a matter of, like, are they going through their full range of motion or are they tight or are they weak and you can't really put them through their full range of motion?

Well, this was my story. This is why I wanted to talk to you, because I just thought there was this wildly embarrassing thing that was happening to me. Like, it started to profoundly impair the quality of my life.

I can't tell you the number of women who wait years. Like, you ask them, "How long have you had this for?" "20 years, 40 years."

You're not some weirdo-

Mm-hmm.

... if you're having issues with leaking or with constipation, but your body is designed to function in a better way.

Exactly.

Hey, it's your buddy Mel. Thank you so much for being here with me today. I'm so excited that we are having this conversation, because this is an issue that I have dealt with personally, literally for over a decade. It's something that I wish I would have faced head-on sooner in my life. It would have improved my quality of life. And so I am really excited that you and I are going to learn a lot more about improving our pelvic health, because Dr. Rena Malik is here today. She is a board-certified, fellowship-trained urologist. She's a pelvic surgeon and a sexual health expert. She specializes in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery and sexual medicine. Now, she runs a really busy medical practice that offers patient-focused care in bladder health, sexual health, and hormone management, with a particular expertise in urinary incontinence, which means leakage and accidents, and an overactive bladder. Dr. Rena is a medical powerhouse. She is known for her no-shame, science-backed YouTube videos that have over 300 million views. She has also published over 80 peer-reviewed research articles, and her extraordinary contributions to the field of urology earned her the distinguished title of the 2023 American Urological Association Young Urologist of the Year. Now, this is a topic that I care deeply about, and so does Dr. Rena. Like 40% of you, I have dealt with bladder issues, and I suffered in silence for years about it, and I will not let you do the same. Dr. Rena is here to help you and your loved ones, and she's gonna tell you exactly what you need to know and what to do about it in a no-shame, matter-of-fact, medically accurate way. So, let's jump into it. Dr. Rena, I'm so excited that you are here and that we're gonna talk about pelvic floor issues, and I wanna start by having you speak directly to the person who's listening. What can they expect to change about their life based on what they're gonna learn from you today?