Pelvic floor muscles play an important role in the body. They:

• provide organ support - The pelvic floor muscles support important abdominal organs, for example the bladder, uterus and rectum, against gravity and any downward pressure.

• support skeletal stability

• help sphincteric function - A sphincter muscle is a ring-shaped muscle that relaxes or tightens to open or close a passage or opening in the body.

• impact sexual function and arousal

• support proper circulation

What is Pelvic floor strengthening?

Pelvic floor strengthening, or pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) is defined as exercise to improve pelvic floor muscle strength, power, endurance, relaxation, or any combination of these. The pelvic floor is important for a variety of daily-living functions. Because of this, it is important to maintain pelvic floor strength and coordination - not to over-contract or over-relax pelvic floor muscles.

Over-contracted muscles can cause:

• urinary leakage during exertional activities such as exercise, lifting, coughing 

• a feeling of heaviness and prolapsed organs (organs that are displaced from their normal position)

• fecal leakage

• a feeling of heaviness postpartum

• pushing for a long period during labor and delivery 

Over-relaxed pelvic floor muscles can cause:

• urinary leakage

• prolapsed pelvic-floor organs

• fecal incontinence

• lack of sensation during sexual activity

Pelvic floor strengthening can be done standing, sitting or lying down. You can contract the pelvic floor by:

• actively stopping the flow while urinating (only try this once, to see what the sensation is)

• while sitting, picturing your Sitz bones coming together. (Sitz bones are at the bottom of your pelvis. You feel them when you sit and weight is pressed onto that part of the pelvis.)

• squeezing to stop the passage of gas

After contracting the pelvic floor, it is important to relax the muscles. You can relax the pelvic floor by:

• relaxing the muscles of your thigh, abdomen and bottom region

• picturing water flowing out of your bottom

• visualizing a flower blooming out of your perineum 

If you have difficulty engaging pelvic floor muscles, A pelvic-floor therapist can develop a program that engages “overflow muscles” to help activate the pelvic floor.  Overflow muscles- adductors, gluteus muscles and abdominal muscles – are activated when, for example:

• Squeezing a ball between your legs helps pull your pelvic floor in

• Engaging your core to pull your pelvic floor muscles in

• Performing a glute squeeze to pull your pelvic floor

Pelvic floor strengthening requires more than Kegels.

A pelvic floor strengthening programs is more than you think. Performing Kegels only is like doing repetitive bicep curls. They may strengthen the muscle but may not improve the function or action of the muscle in your everyday life. 

You will experience the most pelvic floor strength improvement when a therapy program is tailored specifically to your needs, and when it is monitored by a professional. A pelvic-floor-strengthening program should focus on strengthening and improving functionality. You will learn to:

• engage your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor so they work in harmony

• use pelvic floor and core muscles simultaneously when you cough, sneeze or laugh to avoid leakage or a feeling of heaviness

• use pelvic floor and your core muscles to lift heavy items 

• use core and pelvic floor muscles to exhale when landing jump-maneuvers
  

At Solstice Physiotherapy, we will assess your pelvic floor function and tailor an exercise program to meet your specific needs. If you have questions and would like to speak with one of our physical therapists, email us at info@solsticept.com or call (929) 269-2505 to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation.