Pelvic Floor Therapy

Pelvic Floor Therapy

Pelvic floor therapy is recommended for conditions where the pelvic floor and core system is not functioning optimally. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and its related conditions can be caused by many different things. These can include:

• Infections
• Pregnancy or childbirth
• Poor posture
• Trauma
• Chronic back pain
• Surgery

However, PFD can also seem to have no cause and present itself with a host of painful symptoms. In some women, the cause of PFD can be a result of postpartum diastasis recti. The pelvic floor is made up of muscles and other tissues which form a sling from the pubic symphysis to the tailbone. Many cases of PFD stem from a lack of sufficient support from the pelvic floor. These pelvic floor muscles assist in maintaining correct posture, abdominal and pelvic organ support, and aid in bladder and bowel control as well as sexual activity. If these muscles become overactive or overused (hypertonic), the results can be quite painful and function can decrease significantly. Less often, the pelvic floor muscles are hypotonic–lacking sufficient resting tension to perform their jobs. Yet, due to the complexity of the anatomy and functions of the pelvic region, the underlying cause of pain can be difficult to determine. In this case, the whole body must be treated and physical therapy including pelvic floor exercise can greatly aid in men and women in their healing process and recovery.

Why do I need pelvic floor therapy?

(POP) or pelvic organ prolapse is a type of pelvic floor dysfunction in which one or more pelvic floor organs (i.e. bladder, rectum, small bowel, uterus, etc) shift toward or down into the vaginal canal. This most commonly happens with conditions like diastasis recti, which create an imbalance of muscle and ligament tension supporting the pelvic floor; many people who have POP also have a DRA. Women who experience a pelvic organ prolapse sometimes describe the occurrence as feeling like a “stuck tampon,” a heavy pelvic floor, or as bubbles in the urethra. Some other symptoms present may include:

• constipation
• pelvic pain during sex
• urinary/fecal incontinence

Most fitness gurus try to educate their clients with core exercise routines that engage the pelvic floor and the core together. They believe that if you engage your core in any activity, you should also engage your pelvic floor. However, I believe there is a lot wrong with this routine and practice.

As a trained and educated professional, I never, ever attempt to teach pelvic floor muscles to engage in exercise. Rather, it is important to train the pelvic floor to lift and release appropriately depending on the exercise and the weight. This is what I teach in my 13-week program, Restore Your Core.