Why the Pelvic Floor Matters for Women’s Health
The pelvic floor plays a vital role in women’s overall health. This group of muscles acts like a hammock, holding our pelvic organs in place. It’s also a key part of bodily functions like bladder and bowel control. Yet, many women aren’t fully aware of what the pelvic floor is or how it affects their health until problems arise.
This blog by the Pelvic Awareness Project breaks down the basics, explaining the pelvic floor, what it does, and the common issues that can occur when it becomes weak, tense, or injured. By understanding your pelvic floor, you can take a more proactive role in your overall well-being.
Understanding the Importance of Pelvic Health
It’s easy to take our health for granted until something goes wrong. For example, women don’t often think about their pelvic floor, even though it plays a key role in their overall well-being.
This group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues supports vital organs like the bladder, uterus, and rectum. The pelvic floor also plays an essential role in bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and core stability.
Several common issues can arise for women, but luckily, there are also steps you can take to protect and strengthen the pelvic floor.
Read on for all you need to know about your pelvic floor, and why it matters for women’s health.
What Is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a key group of muscles in your torso or core that supports your pelvic organs, while also assisting in bodily functions.
Here are the main functions of the hammock-like structure known as the pelvic floor:1
It supports the bladder, urethra, vagina, uterus, bowel or large intestine, rectum, and anus.
The pelvic floor coordinates with other organs to control when you pee, poop, or pass gas. Squeezing your pelvic muscles narrows these passages so that waste material can’t escape, and then relaxing the muscles allows waste to pass. These functions usually happen without having to think about it.
The structure helps with blood flow and vaginal contractions during sex and orgasm.
It supports vaginal delivery during childbirth.
The pelvic floor provides core stability by absorbing outside pressure from tasks like lifting or coughing, while protecting your spine and your organs from impact.
Why Does the Pelvic Floor Matter for Women’s Health
The pelvic floor matters for women’s health because it supports vital daily functions and overall well-being. When the pelvic floor is healthy, we can move comfortably, control our bladder and bowels, and enjoy intimacy without concern. However, when these muscles become weakened or too tight, problems can arise a condition known as pelvic floor dysfunction. Understanding how the pelvic floor works and recognizing early signs of imbalance can help women take proactive steps toward better pelvic health.
Pelvic floor conditions are common, with up to 25% of women affected by one of them. The incidence of these conditions also increases with age, with over 50% of women aged over 80 having a disorder. The most common condition is urinary incontinence, which can take several forms.2
Here are some common pelvic floor disorders, which are all caused by weakened pelvic floor muscles:
Urinary incontinence, or loss of bladder control, includes stress urinary incontinence and urge incontinence.
Fecal incontinence, when you accidentally leak stool.
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when one or more pelvic organs drop from their usual position, such as your bladder, vagina, bowel, and rectum.
Overly tight pelvic muscles are known as a hypertonic pelvic floor, which can lead to constipation, pelvic pain, back pain, pain during sex, and various urinary issues.
Want to know more about what can go wrong with the pelvic floor? Read this review of the most common pelvic floor issues for women.
Why Is My Pelvic Floor Weak?
Life stages like pregnancy and childbirth can weaken your pelvic floor muscles. But one of the biggest misconceptions is that pelvic floor dysfunction only affects women after a pregnancy.3
Muscles can also be weakened by excessive straining from heavy lifting, chronic constipation, or a chronic cough. Being overweight puts strain on the muscles.4
The natural process of aging also weakens muscles, and when women go through menopause, the loss of estrogen thins the support structures and tissue that hold pelvic organs in place.5 Surgery, including hysterectomy, can also impact the pelvic floor.
But a weakened pelvic floor is not something to be accepted as a normal part of aging. You can take steps to return to good pelvic floor health.
What To Do For Pelvic Floor Health
The best thing any woman can do for pelvic health is perform Kegel exercises regularly.
What are Kegels? Also known as pelvic floor muscle exercises, these involve contracting and relaxing the muscles in a series of repetitions.
Here are the steps to follow to do Kegels properly:
Find the correct muscles by squeezing as if you’re trying to stop peeing or hold in gas.
Tighten your pelvic floor muscles for three seconds at a time, then relax completely for a count of three. Start with 10 repetitions, working up to 15 per set.
Repeat three times a day, doing each lying down, seated, and standing.3
Research has proven that Kegels can be used as a preventative measure to keep pelvic floor muscles “fit.” They’re also an effective treatment for women suffering from conditions like stress urinary incontinence.6
Don’t Suffer With a Pelvic Disorder
About 1 in 3 women over the age of 20 reports some form of pelvic floor dysfunction, but the number could be higher.3 Some women are embarrassed to talk about symptoms like leaking pee, for example.
But pelvic floor disorders can impact a woman’s daily life and overall well-being, and should be diagnosed and treated. If you are experiencing incontinence, pelvic pain, notice a bulge or pressure in your vagina, or have another pelvic concern, see a health care provider.7
If you don’t have a doctor, you can use the Pelvic Awareness Project’s Physician Finder. This tool will help you find a doctor near you with expertise in women’s health. You can also get advice and guidance on pelvic floor muscles exercise, which can and should be performed by women of all ages. Don’t wait for an issue to look after your pelvic floor health.
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1- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22729-pelvic-floor-muscles
2- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8704638/
3- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pelvic-floor-disorder-awareness/
4- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises/art-20045283
5- https://urogyn.coloradowomenshealth.com/conditions/pelvic-floor-disorders/menopause-prolapse.html
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