“How much do you know about your pelvic floor?” When I ask most clients this question, the answer is generally, “Not a lot!” I didn’t either, until I started my women’s health training and discovered just how important these muscles really are…
What is the pelvic floor?
If we start with the pelvis which is a bony structure shaped like a ring or cylinder. Inside the female pelvis we have 3 major organs: the bladder, uterus and bowel.
I was taught to think of the pelvis like a can of soup with the top and bottom cut off. The pelvic organs represent the contents of the can. If we didn’t have anything across the bottom, all of our organs would simply fall straight out.
But, if we had bone across the bottom, we wouldn’t be able to empty our bladder or bowel or birth babies vaginally. So the body needed something that was strong enough to hold the organs in but also stretchy enough to let a baby out…and that’s where the pelvic floor comes in.
The pelvic floor essentially forms the floor of the bony pelvis. It is made up of both muscles and connective tissue.
The muscles stretch like a hammock from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone at the back and from one side of the pelvis to the other.
There are 2 layers to your pelvic floor muscles: a superficial and a deep layer.
The superficial layer is a finer layer of muscles which wrap around the entrances to the vagina and anus. When they contract, they constrict the entranceways, helping to hold in wind and bowel motions. They also play an important role in sexual sensation and function.
The deep layer is a thick layer of muscles which help to lift and support the pelvic organs.
How do the muscles work?
The pelvic floor muscles are always switched on a little to help keep you continent and support your organs. When there is a rise in intra-abdominal pressure (say when you cough or sneeze) the muscles will automatically contract to provide more support and prevent you from leaking. They also need to be able to relax so you can empty your bladder and bowel and have comfortable vaginal penetration.
the pelvic floor and the core
The pelvic floor forms part of our deep core system alongside our diaphragm, abdominals and back muscles. Together, these muscles help to stabilise our spine and control the pressure inside our abdomen.
The diaphragm and the pelvic floor are connected by the breath. As we breathe in, the diaphragm moves down and the pelvic floor lowers. As we breathe out, the pelvic floor and diaphragm lift back up. Opposite to what you would think, the pelvic floor muscles relax on the inhale, not the exhale.
What is the role of the pelvic floor?
Overall, the pelvic floor has 5 main functions:
- Support the pelvic organs
- Maintain continence
- Facilitate emptying of the bladder and bowel
- Enable sexual function
- Pelvic stability and intra-abdominal pressure control
If the muscles aren’t working effectively and can’t carry out their normal function, that’s when symptoms can develop. I’ll be going through the common signs of pelvic floor dysfunction in a future blog post.
Courtney x
