Pelvic Floor

✨Your pelvic floor is very important and it’s a big deal! But why?✨

Deep inside the pelvis is where the a group of muscles called the pelvic floor lie. The pelvic floor serves the following functions including supporting the organs, sphincter control, sexual function and pelvic stability.

Supporting your organs:
- The pelvic floor, which can also be described as a hammock, runs from the front of the pubic bone to the back of the tail bone. The bladder, rectum and uterus to sit inside the hammock.

Sphincter control:
- The pelvic floor muscles wrap around the urethra, vagina and rectum to maintain continence. The muscles contract to keep bodily secretions in and relax during urination, bowel movements and during birth. Other times the muscles maintain a resting tone, which is why we should be able to run and jump without bowel/bladder leakage or heaviness in the pelvis.

Sexual function
- The pelvic floor muscles provide tone for vaginal and rectal canals and play a role in orgasms.

Pelvic stability
- The pelvic floor muscles offer stability and control to the spine and pelvis. Abdominal, low back and hip issues are connected to pelvic floor dysfunction because the core four muscles for stability are the diaphragm, transverse abdominis, multifidus and the pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor muscles, the diaphragm, multifidus (spinal stabilizers) and the transverse abdominis (deepest layer of abdominals) work synergistically in anticipation of movements during physical activity and activities of daily living. Pelvic floor dysfunction is a loss of that synergetic pattern and can lead to loss of bowel/bladder, heaviness in the pelvis or low back pain. Other signs of pelvic floor/core dysfunction include diastasis recti, feeling of “core”weakness, hip or pelvic pain.

How can your health team at Dalhousie Health and Wellness help?
Chiropractors are an integral part of treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction. Your pelvic floor muscles attach to the pelvis and sacrum, so treatment with adjustments and external muscle work can assist with rehabilitation and restoration of the pelvic floor.

If you have any questions about your pelvic floor, we are here to help!

✨Dr. Stav