What is The Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and fascia that supports your organs, aids in core strength and stability, assists in urinary and fecal continence, contributes to sexual function, stabilizes connecting joints, and acts as a venous and lymphatic pump for the pelvis.
Injury, weakness, tightness, or incoordination of the pelvic floor may result in pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, bowel or bladder incontinence, low back pain, hip/tailbone pain, pelvic organ prolapse, pregnancy-related pain, sexual dysfunction, and many more conditions.
To Protect Your Pelvic Health:
- Exhale with exertion
- Breathe out with every effort. Never hold your breath or pull your stomach in strongly during exercise.
- Do not push when you go to the bathroom
- Do you suffer from constipation? Do you feel the need to “push” your pee out? Excess strain with urination or bowel movements increases intra-abdominal pressure, which over time, will weaken the pelvic floor muscles. Increasing your water and fiber intake may help you go to the bathroom with less strain. A pelvic floor physical therapist will be able to provide additional techniques to improve your bowel and bladder function.
- Maintain a healthy body weight
- Because the pelvic floor is the base of your core, additional weight may place prolonged pressure on your floor. Maintaining a healthy weight should be included in your goals for optimal pelvic health.
- Do not “put up with” or “suffer through” pain during intercourse
- While common, pain with intercourse is not NORMAL. A pelvic health physical therapist can get to the bottom of the cause of your pain. This may or may not include an internal examination to assess the integrity of your pelvic floor muscles, any evidence of prolapse, scar tissue, pelvic floor tension, and strength. This assessment gives detailed information to the physical therapist for direction of treatment, but is ALWAYS your choice. Your physical therapist will be able to provide you with pertinent information and techniques to improve your symptoms.
If you have difficulty with any of the above conditions or suggestions, see a pelvic floor physical therapist. We happen to have two in-house professionals!
What to do next?
We complete assessments determining unique weakness and tailor a program to strengthen the area. Home care and lifestyle adjustments keep you stronger long-term!
Protecting pelvic health now prevents larger issues down the road. Call us today if any concerns around pain, leaking or prolapse arise! 307.686.8177
Dr. Brianne Kartes
PT, DPT, LAT, ATC
Dr. Brianne Kartes is one of our talented physical therapists who works primarily with athletes and pelvic health dysfunction.
Written by: Brianne Kartes PT, DPT, LAT, ATC