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The Pelvic Floor Muscles
While it might not be a desirable topic to discuss, it’s a fact of life that we all have these muscles and couldn’t live without them. The group of muscles known as the pelvic floor are the basis of our core, helping to support the pelvis and low back. They are the layer of muscles stretching from the tailbone to the pubic bone and from one sitting bone to the other. They effectively form a strong cradle for the organs housed here like the bladder and bowels; hence these important muscles help maintain continence in both men and women.
For women in particular, the pelvic floor muscles provide support for the growing baby during pregnancy and assist in the birthing process. These muscles can get strained and weakened by pregnancy and childbirth which can lead to issues with continence or organ prolapse.
What else can weaken these muscles? Straining on the toilet, chronic coughing, heavy lifting, high impact exercise, age and obesity are other factors which may contribute to pelvic floor muscle impairment. Basically, no one is immune, and that’s why it is so important to maintain the pelvic floor.
Thankfully there’s help out there. If you have symptoms of a weak pelvic floor, there are a number of options to get the muscles back in shape.
There is a talk this Thursday, 26 September, at Thrive Health to learn how you can improve your pelvic floor. A Woman’s Health Physiotherapist will give the talk and provide free pelvic floor and abdominal assessments. RSVP today!
