What is the Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor is something that you’ll hear a lot about on social media, from your doctor, or your maybe even your friends and family, but do you actually know what it is or why we have it?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that attach from the tailbone to the pubic bone. These muscles have the ability to contract and relax, which is important for continence (holding in urine or stool), using the restroom, having babies, having intercourse, or simply supporting your organs during the day.

Weaving in, around, and through these muscles, you have many nerves, arteries, veins, and lymph vessels that are vital to your urinary, bowel, and sexual function.

My favorite part of the pelvis is what it contains! Just above the muscles, nestled between the bones of your hips, the pelvic floor supports the bladder, rectum, and the prostate if you have male anatomy, or the uterus and ovaries if you have female anatomy. The body loves to protect these organs and they are vital to your function. The pelvic floor muscles have a large role in protecting the organs as well!

The abdominal muscles support the pelvic floor and the organs it contains. The “core” is what we use to refer to the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, lower back, and the muscles of the buttocks. These muscles help with pressure management, stabilizing your spine, allowing movement of our trunk, and even breathing!

So why is any of this important?

These muscles are small but mighty! These muscles respond to movement, exercise, stress, anxiety, stretch, and injury. We should have the ability to move these muscles voluntarily to be able to use them to their fullest potential.

For example, we should be able to hold in urine, even when we are jumping, running, or belly laughing with your girlfriends! We should be having regular bowel movements without pushing, straining, or pain! And sex should never be painful!

If you experience any dysfunction that you think could be related to your pelvic floor or want to learn more about Breeze Pelvic Health, give us a call! Dr. Ashley would love to answer your questions and get you pointed in the right direction! :)