Pelvic Floor Info

What is the pelvic floor and why is

it giving me so many problems?

What is the pelvic floor?

Your pelvic floor is made up of the layers of soft tissues (muscles, connective tissue, nerves, blood vessels) that are at the bottom of your pelvis. Your pelvic floor muscles attach from your pubic bone in the front of your body to your tailbone in the back. The muscles also run from side to side forming a muscular sling.

What is the function of the pelvic floor muscles?

Your pelvic floor muscles are important in bladder, bowel, and sexual function and supporting your pelvic organs.

These muscles will relax when the bladder and bowel are being emptied and at other times function to keep you dry.

They also play an important role in bowel health. Issues like constipation and straining during a bowel movement are indicators that your pelvic floor should be looked at.

Your pelvic floor muscles are also involved in sexual function. Issues like painful intimacy or inability to climax are indicators that your pelvic floor needs some attention.

Along with other muscles, the pelvic floor muscles form the core unit and help to keep your core stable.

Your pelvic floor muscles also provide support for your bladder, bowel, and uterus, acting as a hammock of support to keep your pelvic organs in place.

How can I tell if I have a pelvic floor that needs attention?

Without a well functioning pelvic floor, you can experience problems like leaks and needing to use the bathroom a lot or urgently, pain in the pelvic area or in the low back, heaviness in the pelvic area, constipation or straining, or an unstable core.

If you have any of these symptoms, your pelvic floor likely needs some attention. If you have gone through pregnancy/birth, your pelvic floor muscles have undoubtedly undergone some stress. These stressors can make your pelvic floor muscles weak and/or tight, which can cause you issues like the ones mentioned above.

For some people, they may develop weak and/or tight pelvic floor muscles for other reasons outside of pregnancy/birth and also experience the same issues.

There are also huge hormonal shifts during perimenopause/menopause that contribute to changes that may include leaks, dryness, painful intimacy, urgency and frequency of urination.

Although we often hear of issues like leaking (especially post-pregnancy) as common for women, they are not necessarily normal and women do not have to live with them! A pelvic floor physiotherapist can help you greatly with these issues!

What is pelvic floor physiotherapy?

Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a specialized form of physiotherapy where the muscles and function of the pelvic floor are assessed and treated. A pelvic floor physiotherapy assessment involves a postural assessment, an assessment of the spine and hips, a look at how the core is functioning, and an external and internal examination of the pelvic floor muscles.