What Exactly Is Your Pelvic Floor?
Dec 16, 2022
It amazes me that we know so much about space, yet the female body is still such a mystery. Did you know that the clitoris was only represented in anatomy books in recent years, and women have only been included in sports & exercise science to assess the impacts on our menstrual cycle on training & nutrition in the last 5-years?! Crazy!
The intention for this blog is to give you a basic understanding of what your pelvic floor is, and what it is used for. Knowledge is power, and the more we can learn & understand about our body, the better equipped we are to care for it. And this is why I am also creating my Pelvic Floor & Core Foundations Program for women like you to have the support you need & deserve.
Firstly, I don't like the name 'pelvic floor', because the word floor implies that it is a hard immovable surface. But it is far from that! I prefer the term 'Pelvic Diaphragm', because, like your respiratory diaphragm, the muscles are constantly moving up and down. In fact your pelvic & respiratory diaphragms work in unison together (more on that later).
Your pelvic diaphragm (pelvic floor) is a collection of muscles & connective tissue (fascia) that form a sling system in the base of your pelvis...kind of like hammocks, that move up and down as you breathe (see the image).
Here are the main functions of your Pelvic Diaphragm (it does a lot!):
- Supports your pelvic organs (bladder, bowel, reproductive)
- Bladder control
- Bowel control
- Sexual intercourse & pleasure
- Helps to regulate the pressure inside your core
- Helps to control your lumbar spine & pelvis (lower back)
- Contributes to posture & breathing functions
Here are 7 questions you can ask yourself to see if you may have any pelvic floor dysfunction:
- Do you leak urine or faeces when you cough, sneeze, run or jump?
- Do you ever feel like you have to rush to the toilet to empty your bladder or bowels?
- Do you ever leak urine or faeces on the way to the toilet?
- Do you have pain with sexual intercourse?
- Do you have pain in the pelvic region?
- Do you ever feel heaviness or dragging in the pelvis or vagina?
- Do you ever feel a lump or a bulge in the vagina?
Did you answer YES to any of the questions?
If you feel comfortable doing so, I recommend visiting a women's health physiotherapist you trust (feeling safe with someone is VERY important with this area of the body!), for an assessment first. It can be easier to treat if we know exactly what we are dealing with.
Then working with someone like myself, a womens health exercise physiologist, can really help you rehabilitate, and improve your strength, fitness and overall quality of life. You can also come straight to someone like myself, and I can screen you and let you know if I think you need to see a physiotherapist.
Important note: This is the most sacred area of your body, and if you have ever experienced any trauma, whether it be sexual, birth or injury, having someone poke & prod down there could be more harmful than helpful. If this is you then please reach out. I am trauma informed, and am able to work with you and your body in a way that keeps your nervous system feeling safe. We don't need to start with the pelvic floor to get results!
Don't forget to register your name on the waitlist for my Pelvic Floor & Core Foundations Program, which will be launching early in 2023! The program will be $97, but those on the waitlist will receive it for only $79!
