Before understanding what pelvic floor physical therapy is and what it can do for you, you first need to understand WHAT the pelvic floor is. Most people don't know what the pelvic floor is and what its responsible for- and yes all you men out there, you have a pelvic floor too! We all have a pelvic floor which is an important collection of core muscles that sit at the bottom of the pelvis. The best way to simply explain and remember what the pelvic floor is and what it does is by remembering the 5 "S"s of the pelvic floor.
The 5 "S"s
Support: The pelvic floor sits at the bottom of the pelvis like a hammock that supports the bladder and other pelvic organs in the area. It must be strong and secure to stay firmly attached to the bony parts of the pelvis as well as able to absorb downward force.
Sphincter: Urinary and bowel sphincter control
Sex: Reproduction and sexual pleasure
Stability: The pelvic floor must stabilize the pelvis, hips, and low back in order to perform daily activities such as standing, walking, lifting, and exercise
Sump Pump: The pelvic floor moves blood and lymphatic fluid between the upper and lower body and helps to mobilize the internal organs to assist with digestion and bowel movements
The 5 S's provide the most foundational information on what the pelvic floor is and its significance. However, there is much more to treating pelvic floor dysfunction than focusing on the pelvic floor in isolation. The pelvic floor is very centrally positioned in our bodies and is in close proximity to our center of gravity. It affects the entire body, head to toe, and is the foundation of our core. As an example, the jaw and neck can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction as well as the rib cage, spine, and hips. Many other body parts can be affected by the pelvic floor in addition to the short list of examples mentioned above. So, if you are experiencing any pain or difficulty with movement in these areas, you could likely benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy.
When you participate in pelvic floor physical therapy, your physical therapist will assess movement patterns and treat various body parts in conjunction with the pelvic floor depending on your specific needs. You will have your own individual goals when you seek pelvic floor physical therapy treatment. Assessing the body holistically with the pelvic floor will help you get back to the activities you love, whether that's running a marathon without leaking, or sitting long enough without pain to watch your kid's softball game. Let's discuss a few examples of the most prominent areas of the body that are strongly connected to the pelvic floor. This will help you to understand when it is most important to seek treatment with a pelvic floor physical therapist. Let's begin with the area of the body most commonly correlated with pelvic floor dysfunction, the low back.
Low back pain is the most commonly reported complaint related to pain and is the leading cause of disability world-wide. There are countless forms of treatment available for treating low back pain, but a lot of them are "hit-or-miss" due to the fact that everyone has a different root cause of their pain. Even though the pelvic floor is the foundation of the low back and pelvis, it is almost always overlooked in regard to treatment and rehabilitation for low back pain. Have you ever had chronic, persistent low back pain and nothing you have tried has worked to fully resolve it? This a sign that you may need pelvic floor physical therapy. The major pelvic floor symptoms highly correlated with low back pain include: leaking urine, frequency and urgency of urination, constipation, pain with intercourse, pelvic organ prolapse, heaviness in the pelvic region, as well as hip and tailbone pain. Even if you do not have obvious pelvic floor symptoms such as these, it does not mean you cannot benefit from pelvic floor treatment if you have low back pain. Tightness, weakness, and reduced motor control of the pelvic floor muscles can contribute significantly to low back pain. This can be the case if you do not have any accompanying, localized symptoms in the pelvic floor. There are many other areas of the body besides the low back that are correlated with pelvic floor dysfunction.
The reason so many other parts of the body correlate with pelvic floor dysfunction is due to the pelvic floor mirroring tension and pain in various areas of the body. The neck, jaw, and shoulders are a good example. These areas will often hold tension simultaneously due to the strong relationship between the shoulder girdle and the pelvic girdle. This relationship can also work to the advantage of more effective treatment. The fact that these areas hold tension together means that releasing tension in one area can help to relieve tension in the other. Postural alignment can also help by stacking the rib cage and torso over the pelvic floor to decrease tension, improve breathing, and increase overall core stability.
Hopefully this gives a foundational overview of the primary functions of the pelvic floor in addition to showing how many other symptoms in various areas of the body can be correlated with pelvic floor dysfunction.
After you have read this information and taken the screening tool provided below, you should have a better understanding of the pelvic floor and the reasons you could benefit if you choose to seek pelvic floor physical therapy.
Screening Tool for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction:
☐ I sometimes have pain in the genitals, perineum, pubic/bladder area, or
pain with urination
☐ At some point in my life I have fallen on my tailbone, lower back, or
buttocks
☐ I have experienced accidental loss of urine
☐ Incomplete emptying of the bladder or difficulty starting/stopping a
stream of urine
☐ I have to void/urinate immediately after previous void
☐ Pain or burning with urination
☐ Having to get up 2 or more times a night to urinate
☐ I sometimes have a feeling of increased pelvic pressure or heaviness
☐ I have a history of low back, hip, groin, tailbone pain, or sciatica
☐ I sometimes experience pain or discomfort with intercourse or sexual
activity
☐ I experience pain or straining with bowel movements or difficulty initiating
a bowel movement
☐ Incomplete emptying of bowels or loss of bowel control
☐ Prolonged sitting increases my symptoms
☐ I am currently pregnant or post-partum- at any age, once post-partum,
always post-partum!
Schedule your pelvic floor physical therapy evaluation today!
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