What the heck is the pelvic floor and why should I care?
The pelvic floor is a group of overlapping muscles that form something like a hammock at the base of your pelvis. Everyone has one and it’s considered the base of the deep core system.
Its main jobs are:
controlling elimination of bowel and bladder
sexual function
supporting the pelvic organs
it also plays a role in postural stability
The organization of muscles can vary based on the anatomy of your genitals. The muscles of the pelvic floor also move in coordination with breath. You can think about a trampoline softening to accept the impact of gravity and then rebounding to its original form.
When the pelvic floor is working properly, it’s an important part of your overall health and well-being. However, like any other muscle group, it can become weak, stiff, or dysfunctional due to things like long-term habits, pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, trauma, or even stress. When this happens, it can lead to issues like urinary leakage, pelvic pain, or symptoms of sexual dysfunction like pain with penetration or erectile dysfunction.
Pelvic floor therapy can help address these issues by strengthening muscles, working on coordination, teaching optimal loading strategies, and addressing habits or routines. It can be tricky to know if the pelvic floor is contributing to symptoms because sometimes it looks like hip pain, chronic low back pain, or limitations in hip mobility, and may not seem like an issue directly caused by the pelvic floor muscles. If you’re experiencing any discomfort or dysfunction in or around the pelvis, it’s important to seek support from a trained pelvic floor therapist who can assess you and help restore balance and function.
FUN FACT: your dog also has a pelvic floor and you can easily see their pelvic floor respond to pressure when they bark if you look at their butthole. We can think of this as the dog equivalent of coughing. Think about the trampoline imagery and understand why humans sometimes have urine leakage when they cough if the pelvic floor is on a coffee break.
Want to learn more? Book your free discovery call with Soft Power and see if we’re a good match for treatment.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your qualified medical provider for an individual assessment or plan of care.
