What Does The Pelvic Floor Do?

Feb 21

Have you heard about pelvic floor therapy but maybe find yourself asking “what does the pelvic floor do?” and “why does it even matter?”.

The pelvic floor actually has several functions, some of which you might be able to guess but others that you might not have known about!

What Is The Pelvic Floor?

It is made up of a group of muscles, ligaments and connective tissue that are in the pelvis (hint, thats the bony structure I’m holding in the picture!!).

What Does The Pelvic Floor Do?

Support: The pelvic floor provides support to the pelvic organs which includes the bladder, uterus (in females) and rectum. The pelvic floor helps to hold these organs in place and provide stability.

Bladder and Bowel Control: The pelvic floor muscles work to keep you continent. The muscles coordinate through contract and relax in order to allow urine and stool (and gas!) to pass. This is why it is important to have a full range of motion of these muscles.

Sexual Function: The pelvic floor muscles contribute to erectile function in males and support vaginal tone and sensation in females. Muscles that are not only strong but also able to fully contract and relax help to enhance sensations and achieve the big O! (You can also let your partner know that this can enhance penis pleasure during vaginal penetration as a strong pelvic floor can contract and increase pleasure for them!)

Core Stability: The pelvic floor muscles are part of the core! The core also includes the abdomen, back and glutes. These muscles work together to provide stability to the spine and pelvis. They also help with posture, balance and movement.

Childbirth Support: The pelvic floor muscles help to support the growing baby during pregnancy. They also need to be able to relax during labor to allow the baby to pass through the vaginal canal.

Venous and Lymphatic Drainage: The pelvic floor plays a role in drainage in the pelvis. This helps facilitate circulation and lymphatic flow.

So how'd you do?? Are you now able to answer the question "what does the pelvic floor do?" Did you know that the pelvic floor has so many roles in the body or were any a surprise to you?

Problems With The Pelvic Floor

Dysfunction in the pelvic floor muscles can cause a break down in any of the functions mentioned above. This can look like:

lack of coordination
decreased strength
decreased range of motion OR
a symptom of an issue somewhere else in the body such as tight hips, weak feet or a wide rib cage.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Help

Having a pelvic floor evaluation will help narrow down the cause of your symptoms and help get your pelvic floor back to fulfilling all of its responsibilities!

I work with adult women/vulva owners and pediatrics in Lancaster and Columbus OH.
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