What is the Pelvic Floor?

You’ve probably heard about it from friends. As a pre-teen you may have seen it mentioned in that copy of Cosmopolitan you stole from your older sister (Hi Sarah). But what the heck is the pelvic floor? The pelvic floor is a muscular hammock that is inside the pelvis. It supports the pelvic organs: bladder, colon, uterus or prostate. 

They may lack the notoriety of the biceps or the IG selfie game of the glutes, but what the pelvic floor lacks in visibility it makes up in function and multi-tasking skills. As mentioned earlier it supports a lot of organs. All day long it is holding your bladder, colon and uterus or prostate. It doesn’t get a break. It also works with your deep abdominals and back muscles to provide postural support. 

These muscles also surround the urethra, vagina, and rectum. They make sure you don't pee your pants when laughing at a meme your BFF sent you and they keep you from farting while riding a crowded elevator. Then when you sit on the toilet they listen and help you do your business. 

But just like any other muscle of the body, the pelvic floor muscles can become impaired. They can become weak or have a difficult time contracting, relaxing or lengthening. They can become spasmodic, guarded, restricted or hypertonic (tight). Tight muscles restrict blood flow. They can irritate nerves that travel in the area and can lead to the development of muscle knots, known as myofascial trigger points. 

Since these muscles have such a close relationship with various organs, any form of muscle dysfunction may present as pelvic pain and/or bowel, bladder or sexual dysfunction. 

For instance, due to the muscles’ proximity to the bladder, sometimes the brain mistakes pelvic floor tightness or spasms as the bladder being full and needing to pee. This can be a cause of urinary urgency that seems similar to a UTI, but it is actually a case of overactive muscles.  If the muscles that surround the urethra have trouble relaxing, it can make it difficult or even painful when one tries to pee. This inability to relax can make vaginal penetration difficult or even impossible or it can make bowel movements painful.

Pelvic floor dysfunction can even present as what would appear to be an orthopedic problem, like hip or low back pain. In fact, one study showed that among patients reporting low back pain, 95% of them also had some form of pelvic floor dysfunction on examination. So, if you have struggled with back pain and your providers have been scratching their heads, it may be worth seeing a pelvic floor specialist. 

This blog will continue to highlight various conditions that impact the pelvic floor and will discuss other taboo topics. Feel free to let us know what you want to learn about via e-mail or in the comments below.