Pelvic Health & Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Addressing your questions about pelvic, women's, and musculoskeletal health. Health is a journey. Movement is healing!
Overall the bladder is pretty impressive. November is a time to recognize the bladder and different ways the bladder can be affected. We don't really think about how the bladder functions until something isn't functioning the way we want it to. So this month I am going to blurbs about the bladder and conditions that can change how the bladder functions. Let's begin with a crash course on the anatomy of how the bladder functions. The kidneys are connected to the bladder by ureters. The kidneys are responsible for filtering particles out of the urine before it passes to the bladder. The bladder functions as a storage unit for the fluid waste exiting your body. The bladder is hollow, it gets bigger as you drink. The bladder has a protective inner layer to protect it from the fluid inside. The muscles around the bladder and nervous system work together to store and release urine. The detrusor muscle surrounding the bladder relaxes to store urine and contracts to release urine. The detrusor muscle works with the urethral sphincters and pelvic floor musculature to properly release urine. The sphincters are circular openings surrounded by muscles, the muscles contract to close and relax to open. The bladder connects and empties into the urethra, the tube-like structure which allows for urine to leave your body. Now for men things are a little bit different as they have some extra anatomy around the urethra, the prostate. When the bladder becomes full it sends a message to the brain that it is full and needs to use the restroom. When the bladder sends the signal we make the conscious decision whether we want to use the restroom or put it off for a bit longer. So we have voluntary control over the bladder.
There you go! Now you have a summary on how the bladder functions! References: Image 1: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ap2/chapter/gross-anatomy-of-urine-transport/ Image 2: http://slideplayer.com/slide/3408814/ 12/25/2017 01:00:33 am
Caitlyn
12/30/2017 06:34:26 am
Thanks so much! I appreciate your input! Comments are closed.
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AuthorHello! I am Caitlyn, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board Certified Women's Health Physical Therapist working in St Louis, Missouri. Faculty in developing residency program. Endowarrior Categories
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