What are your pelvic floor muscles?
Your pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that form a sling or hammock across the bottom of the pelvis. They stretch from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone at the back. They’re a bit like a bowl sitting within the circular bony pelvis.
What do your pelvic floor muscles do?
Your pelvic floor helps support the organs in your pelvis – your bladder, rectum and (if you have one) your uterus. They help close off the bladder and bowel to stop leakage, and they control your urge when you need to go to the toilet.
We need them to be strong and functional to do this, but at the same time we need them to be able to relax at the right time for emptying.
They also play an important role in sexual response and orgasm.
So we need them for peeing, pooping and sex. They’re also part of your core – working with your abdominals, back muscles, gluts etc to provide trunk support.
What happens if it all goes wrong?
In our clinic we see around 100 patients a week – that’s a lot of pelvic floor problems! Pelvic floor dysfunction is common, but sometimes people don’t realise all that we can help with. We see people of all genders and ages, including children.
And we can help with all the following:
Bladder problems
- poor control of your bladder
- frequent use of the toilet
- wet pants e.g. when coughing, sneezing or exercising
- urgency (sudden strong urge to empty the bladder)
- urge incontinence
- pain or difficulty emptying the bladder
Bowel Problems
- loss of control of the bowel, or having accidents
- escape of wind at the wrong time
- pain associated with the bowel
- difficulty fully emptying the bowel
- constipation and straining
- bloating
- urgency (having to get to the toilet in a hurry)
Prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the pelvic organs (bladder, bowel and / or uterus) slip down. Symptoms include a heaviness or dragging sensation in the pelvis or back, or a bulging or heavy feeling at the vaginal entrance.
Sexual Dysfunction
- Pain with intercourse/penetration
- Difficulty getting an erection
- Pain or problems with ejaculation
- Reduced sensation with sexual activity
Pelvic Pain
- Vaginal/penile/scrotal/perineal or anal pain
- Tailbone/sacroiliac joint/pubic symphysis pain
- Pain that interferes with sitting and exercise
- Pain that radiates to the abdomen/buttocks/thigh
- Chronic pelvic pain associated with conditions such as
-
- vulvodynia / vaginismus
- prostatitis
- endometriosis
- pudendal neuralgia
- interstitial cystitis / bladder pain syndrome
When do pelvic floor muscle problems typically happen?
Well, the answer is… anytime! But there are times in our lives when we may be more at risk.
Weakness in the pelvic floor can happen:
- during pregnancy
- after childbirth
- as we age
- around perimenopause and menopause
- with certain types of exercise
- after surgery – eg gynae surgery or removal of the prostate
Sometimes the pelvic floor muscles are too tight. This can occur:
- in association with pelvic organ pathology e.g. prostatitis, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome
- when we are anxious or stressed
- when we are in pain
- after infection or irritation to the genital area
- related to back or hip pain
Summary
Pelvic floor problems are common, but they are NOT normal, you don’t have to put up with them. Help is available.