Your pelvic floor muscles sit like a hammock in the bottom of your pelvis. Their primary functions supporting our pelvic organs, including the bladder and bowel, and maintain your continence so you are not leaking. These muscles play a crucial role in our ability to empty our bowels and bladder.
People often think of pelvic floor dysfunction meaning weakness. However, the pelvic floor not working correctly is often associated with tightness of the muscles or a combination of weakness and and tightness coexisting. Pelvic floor dysfunction can be caused or exacerbated by stress or trauma to the pelvic floor area from giving birth, chronic bowel issues and straining, and pelvic related surgery. Tightness and weakness of the pelvic floor can lead to discomfort and disrupt health of your gastrointestinal (GI) system.
Bowel Conditions
If you are experiencing dysfunction of your pelvic floor muscles, you could face a wide range of conditions or symptoms related to your bowels.
Fecal Incontinence - Being unable to hold stool leading to leakage.
Chronic Constipation - Having trouble emptying your bowels and needing to strain can be caused by difficulty relaxing the muscles needed to have a bowel movement.
Incomplete Evacuation - A feeling of not being able to completely empty your bowels.
Rectocele - Lowering of the rectum, often into the vaginal canal after chronic straining.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - Diarrhea, constipation, or a combination of both has multiple causes, and pelvic floor dysfunction can make the symptoms worse.
Pelvic Pain - Tightness pelvic floor muscles leading lead to pain with sitting, defecation, or random spasms of the muscles.
Treatment for GI Dysfunction
Many don't realize the positive impact that pelvic floor therapy can have when treating GI related dysfunctions. Bowel function is a vital part of your overall health. Pelvic PTs are equipped with tools and techniques to help you manage your symptoms and pain.
Improving Bowel Movements: We can help strengthen or relax your pelvic floor muscles as needed to help you achieve regular and comfortable bowel movements.
Reducing Pain: We teach relaxation techniques and exercises to reduce the muscle tension that causes pelvic pain.
Enhancing Coordination: We can improve the coordination between the pelvic floor muscles and the abdominal muscles through targeted exercises to help with bowel movements.
Manual Therapy: We can use hands-on techniques to mobilize your pelvic floor muscles and surrounding tissues to help with both pain and function.
Behavioral Strategies: We can provide tips and techniques on proper bowel habits and lifestyle modifications to improve and maintain your GI health.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can help you by addressing the underlying muscle and nerve function of the pelvic floor. Assessing the strength, weakness and coordination of your pelvic floor muscles will allow us to develop a proper treatment plan to help you manage and improve various GI issues, leading to better overall digestive function and health.
If you have pelvic health concerns and would like to see how our therapists at
Embrace can help, follow the link to schedule your free discovery call.
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