What the Heck IS the Pelvic Floor
I bet a lot of you have heard me talking about being a pelvic floor therapy or heard about your pelvic floor and how it’s “important” to pay attention to after having babies, but I can tell you that I speak with so many clients who tell me their stories and I explain to them what I do. Then their next question is this one, “This may be a stupid question, but what exactly IS the pelvic floor?”
So you aren’t alone! I would say 1 out of 5 people don’t actually know what the pelvic floor is or what is does or even why it is so important! So I’m here to give you a little background today!
So what is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a set of 3 layers of 11 muscles that span from your pubic bone in the front to your tailbone in the back and in between your sit bones (those bones that you sit on)! This area is also called the perineum. These muscles have more superficial layers which from a triangle in the front and a deeper layer which forms the back triangle of the pelvic floor.
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What does the pelvic floor do?
You can remember the functions of the pelvic floor group as a whole by the 5 S’s:
Support: provides support to the pelvic and abdominal organs and pelvis
Sphincteric: creates closing and opening of the urethral and vaginal openings
Sexual: maintaining clitoral erection, orgasm
Stability: fixes the trunk with upper and lower extremity movements, plays a role in posture and breathing
Sump pump: muscular action helps pumps fluid out of the pelvis to be eliminated
The superficial front layers generally function more in continence (NOT peeing yourself) and maintaining clitoral erection, whereas the deep layer functions more in a supportive and stabilizing role of the pelvis. These deeper muscles help create a stable base in the pelvis/trunk upon which your arms and legs can move without causing you pain or dysfunction.
Permission to use copyright image from Pelvic Guru, LLC
How do I know how my pelvic floor is working?
You may or may not have mentioned leaking, pressure or pain to your doctor(s) and they may or may not have told you to “do your Kegels”. If you aren’t aware (which again, you would be in good company), a Kegel is a pelvic floor muscle contraction. But sometimes, Kegels are not the only answer. Sometimes, your pelvic floor can be too tight which limits how effective of a contraction you can get and can also contribute to leaking, pain and dysfunction. You want you pelvic floor to act like a trampoline which can both drop as well as lift, if you trampoline is too tight or too weak, it won’t work properly, just like your pelvic floor! But just because you may be having some symptoms doesn’t mean they can’t be helped!
Hopefully this little blog gives you a better idea of what your pelvic floor is, what it’s functions are, and why it’s important to pay attention to it! If you feel like you may need some help figuring out how your pelvic floor is functioning reach out to a pelvic floor therapist near you! Or you can contact me and I’d be happy to chat!