What is the Pelvic Floor and How Can Exercise Help to Improve It?
What is the Pelvic Floor?
The “pelvic floor” is a term that you may have heard from other people, or maybe you came across it one day and want to learn more about it. Keep reading to know what it really is.
You can think of the pelvic floor as a group of muscles that run from your tailbone at the back of your body to your pubic bone at the front of your body.
This group of muscles is found in all genders and is basically a basket of muscles that support your internal pelvic organs like your bladder, uterus/prostate, and rectum.
These muscles work together with your stomach muscles, your back muscles, and your breathing muscles to control the pressure inside your body and protect your spine.
What else does the Pelvic Floor do?
Most people don’t realize the large role that the pelvic floor has on our everyday lives. Here are the top 3 more obvious functions:
- Control bladder and bowel functions
- Sexual function
- Pregnancy
But did you know…
It also has a large role to play in:
- Controlling your breathing
- Stabilizing your trunk and hips
- Managing low back pain
…and more!
Is My Pelvic Floor Working Properly?
Like any set of muscles in your body, the pelvic floor is vulnerable to dysfunction or injury. This dysfunction can lead to some commonly experienced symptoms that you might not know are related to these issues.
If you check off one or more of these symptoms, you could have an issue related to the pelvic floor.
- You sometimes leak urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, jump, run, or lift weights
- You have pain with intercourse
- You find yourself going to the bathroom before your leave the house… “just in case”
- You haven’t made it to the bathroom in time on one or more occasions
- You have low back pain, tailbone pain, or pubic area pain
- You suffer from chronic constipation
- You feel like your abs are separated
- You’ve noticed that you feel heavy or uncomfortable around your pelvic region
Even though these symptoms are commonly experienced, they are NOT normal. If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, you know first-hand that they can lead to feelings of embarrassment, pain, and a decrease in your quality of life.
Why Do I Have These Symptoms?
Your pelvic floor muscles can be too tight or too weak, which can lead to symptoms like urinary leakage, pain or discomfort around your pelvic region or low back, and pain with intercourse.
Some experiences that you may have had that contribute to this tightening or weakening of your pelvic floor include pregnancy, childbirth, injury, stress, or trauma.
Despite these factors, there are steps you can take to manage and fix your symptoms to live a more confident, pain free, and better life.
What Can I Do to Fix These Symptoms?
If you’ve been experiencing these symptoms, then Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy could be the solution that you’re looking for. Pelvic floor physiotherapy is administered by highly trained professionals known as Pelvic Health Physiotherapists.
These experts are specialized in treating dysfunction and symptoms related conditions. A Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist will assess the state of your pelvic floor muscles and guide you through a treatment plan so you can get back to your symptom-free self.
The treatment plan may include pelvic floor exercises, education about your condition, and manual therapy.
Check out our Health Newsletter to learn more about the different ways physiotherapy could change your life!
Should I Be Doing Kegel Exercises to Help with My Symptoms?
In the past, Kegels have been thought to be the number one exercise to treat pelvic floor related issues.
However, with advances in research, Kegels are proven to not be the right treatment for everyone. This is because Kegels require practice and pelvic floor professionals to teach you how to perform them properly.
If you’re not performing Kegels with proper form, your symptoms may not improve and could even get worse.
In addition, pelvic floor dysfunction can result from your muscles being too tight, and these tight muscles are likely to be overworked and tensioned even more with strengthening exercises such as Kegels.
What Pelvic Floor Exercises Should I Be Doing Instead of Kegels?
As mentioned earlier, your pelvic floor and breathing muscles work closely together to control the pressure inside your body and protect your spine.
It is not uncommon for people such as yourself to have a breathing pattern that is less than optimal. This altered pattern of breathing could impact the function of your pelvic floor and lead to pelvic floor related symptoms.
You can check if you’re breathing in an optimal way right now with the following steps:
- Place one hand on your chest and the other hand at the bottom of your rib cage.
- Take a deep breath in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.
- Notice which hand was moving the most throughout that breath. Was it your hand over your chest or over your ribs?
Breathing through your ribs rather than your chest allows for more airflow to the bottom of your lungs to allow for you to breathe better. Let’s try that again to help you achieve a more optimal breathing pattern.
- Place both hands at the bottom of your rib cage (one on each side)
- Take a deep breath in through your nose and try to send this breath to the bottom of your rib cage by expanding your ribs into your hand.
- Exhale through your mouth. Your rib cage and hands should return to its resting position.
If you don’t get it right away, don’t worry. This is a breathing exercise that requires time and practice, but the effort is worth it. This type of breathing, known as diaphragmatic breathing, can lead to improved pelvic floor function and decrease your symptoms.
Check out this guided breathing activity that you can try on your own!
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Click here to learn about the 6 Exercises to Improve Your Pelvic Floor Right Now!
What Else Can I Do to Improve My Symptoms?
You can check our Special Program “Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy” to help you with your pelvic floor conditions. You can also check out this link for two more physiotherapy-based strategies that you can try at home to improve your pelvic floor function.
Learn more about our licensed Pelvic Health Physiotherapists Michelle and Lauren who are both trained to help you with your specific conditions.
If you want to know more about what specific condition you have and what you can do to improve your symptoms, book an appointment with a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist today to take charge of your situation and prioritize your best self.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We’re here to help you.
This blog was written by Anna Zhang, a Physiotherapy student at the University of Toronto
FAQ
How much does Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy cost?
The cost of physiotherapy treatment can vary from clinic to clinic. At PhysioPlus Health Group, you’ll be pleased to know that most extended health insurance plans cover the cost of these pelvic health physiotherapy services at our clinic.
However, it’s important to note that each insurance plan is different, so be sure to call your insurance company to confirm any details about your coverage. In addition, our office manager would be happy to help you with any questions you may have and can be reached at (437) 747-9236.
What can I expect from my first visit for Pelvic Health Physiotherapy?
At your initial pelvic health physiotherapy appointment, you can expect a thorough assessment from a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist to identify your symptoms and discuss goals that are important to you.
Because pelvic floor muscles are inside your body, an internal exam may be conducted to provide the most accurate information about your pelvic issue in order for the Physiotherapist to design the most effective treatment plan to address your needs. However, if you do not feel comfortable with an internal exam, that’s perfectly ok. Pelvic Health Physiotherapists are trained in many other external techniques that can help them accurately assess and treat you.
After the assessment, the Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will go over your treatment options and plan in order to improve your pelvic health symptoms and lead you to a better quality of life.
How many Physiotherapy sessions do I need to improve my Pelvic Floor issues?
The number of sessions that are required to help improve your pelvic floor issue depends on factors such as what your specific condition is and the severity and complexity of the condition. During your first visit, your Pelvic Health Physiotherapist will determine and explain your individualized plan of care and the number of visits that you require to help manage your pelvic floor condition.