Pelvic Floor 101

 Your pelvic floor is a community of muscles, nerves, vessels (lymph/blood) and ligaments/fascia. It connects from the pubic bone at the front and the tail bone at the rear. It additionally is connected to your sit bones on the sides. It is like a woven fabric or hammock that has multiple functions we often don't think of until something is awry.  Additionally, the pelvic floor works reflexively with the deep core of the abdomen, the diaphragm and the supporters of the spine.

Your pelvic floor is one part of your amazing and intricate body! We will work together to get your WHOLE body working well together!

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When working optimally, it has five functions:

1.) Support of pelvic and abdominal organs

2.) Sexual function support

3.) Stabilization

4.) Sump pump for lymph and blood

5.) Sphincter control for hold and release of urine, stool and gas

Image used with permission of Pelvic Guru

How is your pelvic floor function??

Use the checklist below to assess your own pelvic floor health

Bladder

·         Do you leak urine with any activity or exercise?

·         Do you go to the toilet more than once every 2-4 hours?

·         Do you experience a strong urge to go to the bathroom and have difficulty holding on?

·         Do you have difficulty starting the stream of urine?

·         Are you unable to completely empty your bladder?

Bowel

•         Do you experience difficulty holding stool in? Leaks or smears of stool?

•         Do you have any trouble getting everything out?

•         Do you experience constipation and require to strain to empty your bowels?

Sexual

•         Do you have ANY pain with sexual activity? Keep in mind that 'pain' can range from mild discomfort to intense, sharp burning pain.

•         Do you struggle to reach orgasm?

Pain

•         Do you have any discomfort or pain around the genitals ?

•         Do you experience any pain with the use of tampons or during a pap smear?

•         Do you have any pain with urinating or bowel movements?

•         Do you have any sharp stabbing pains into the rectum OR abdomen?

Other

•         Do you feel any heaviness or pressure in the vagina or rectum?

•         Have you noticed a bulge into the vagina or the feeling of something 'falling out'?

•         Do you have tailbone pain lasting more than one month?

•         Do you have pain in your pubic bone, sacro-iliac joint (SIJ), lower back, hip or groin that doesn't respond to regular treatment?

•         Do you experience a lot of abdominal cramping pain with periods?