What is your pelvic floor, what does it do, and why is it important?

Most of us have heard of Kegel exercises and the importance of strengthening the pelvic floor. But do you know what actually goes on with those muscles and why proper functioning is important? Let’s find out!

Your pelvic floor is a bowl-shaped group of muscles sitting at the bottom of your pelvic girdle. The front and back barriers are your pubic bone and tailbone, respectively, and the barriers to the side are your hip bones. There are three layers of your pelvic floor muscles, and each layer has a different job, but they need to all work together to make sure everything is working correctly.

“The 5 S’s”- What your pelvic floor does:

• Support of your pelvic organs: bladder, uterus (for vulva owners), and rectum.
• Sphincter control: closing off and relaxing your urethral and rectal openings.
• Stability of your joints (hip, sacroiliac/SI, pubic, and lumbar): your pelvic floor muscles work in conjunction with core, hip, and low back muscles to stabilize these joints.
• Sexual: your pelvic floor muscles have to have enough strength and lengthening/relaxation for proper functioning.
• Sump pump: your diaphragm and pelvic floor work synergistically. When you inhale, your diaphragm lowers and flattens, and so should your pelvic floor. When you exhale, the diaphragm lifts and so does the pelvic floor. This piston-like motion helps with lymphatic and fluid movement throughout the body.

What can happen when your pelvic floor muscles aren’t working properly

When one or more of the jobs of the pelvic floor are not performing the way they should, dysfunction can occur. We will go over a few possible dysfunctions that can occur with each “job” of the pelvic floor.

1. Support. When your muscles can no longer support the pelvic organs effectively, (this can be from multiple vaginal births, use of a vacuum or forceps with delivery, constipation, or repeated heavy lifting) we can get what’s called a pelvic organ prolapse. This can be when:
   • The bladder falls backward into the vaginal canal (cystocele)
   • The rectum falls forward into the vaginal canal (rectocele)
   • The uterus can come down the vaginal vault (uterine prolapse)
   • The rectum can come out of the anal opening (rectal prolapse).
2. Sphincter. These specific muscles have to contract so you don’t pee and poop when you don’t want to, but they also have to relax to allow the bladder and bowel to fully empty. If you have issues coordinating these muscles, you may have incontinence or difficulty emptying your bladder and bowels completely.
3. Stability. A muscle imbalance that happens in between the pelvic floor, core, hip, and low back muscles can cause chronic hip, low back, or pelvic pain.
4. Sexual. Your pelvic floor muscles need to have the strength for the ability to have an orgasm, but also be able to relax to allow for pain-free penetrative intercourse. Sometimes when there is a dysfunction of our pelvic floor, we can have pain with either or both intercourse and orgasm. Our muscles don’t discriminate of penis vs vulva owners, so anyone can experience this pain.
5. Sump pump. This piston-like motion helps with lymphatic and fluid movement throughout the body. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system. It keeps body fluid levels in balance and defends the body against infections. Working the diaphragm also helps stimulate the vagus nerve, which is a great nervous system regulator and can help with anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain management, and so much more!

Your pelvic floor has a lot of different jobs! Don’t worry if you feel like you can’t check all the boxes on adequate functioning. Many individuals may have issues with their pelvic floor, and they don’t know it! And it makes sense – most people don’t walk around thinking about what our pelvic floors and genitalia are doing during the day.

If you feel like your pelvic floor isn’t working the way you want it to, or want to make sure it is working properly, find a pelvic physical therapist to help! Renue has pelvic floor therapists available in Caro, Frankenmuth, Midland, Oscoda, and Saginaw. We offer free 15-minute consultations if you’re unsure if pelvic floor therapy will be right for you. Contact us to get started at www.renuept.com.

The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.