Female pelvic floor problems are too often accepted as part of ‘’being a woman’’. Many of us are embarrassed and uncomfortable discussing pelvic floor issues with our partner or a doctor, and years go by before we seek help. Also, the pelvic floor remains a mystery to a lot of women, so they do not have the confidence to discuss treatment options with health care professionals.
I encourage you to get to know your anatomy. Knowledge is power!
The pelvic floor is a complex area with a span of muscles, tendons, nerves , blood vessels, ligaments and fascia (connective tissue). The muscles sit in the base of the pelvic girdle bones which join at the pubic symphysis in front and the sacroiliac joints in the back. The pelvic floor muscles attach underneath the pubic bone and join into the pelvic sidewalls, sitting bones and the coccyx bone at the base on the spin. Think of them as muscles in a bowl shape, with a trampoline-like action, providing lift and hold for pelvic organs to close the sphincters and prevent loss of fluid, wind and solids. Just like a trampoline lifts on recoil, these muscles can be voluntarily lifted ( known as the Knack), before the additional load of sneezing, running or lifting a weight.
The role of healthy pelvic floor muscles is maintaining continence, preventing internal organ descent, enhancing sexual pleasure, supporting the growing uterus and working with other muscles to support the spine and pelvis. As you can see, these ‘down under’ muscles are multitasking achievers coordinating various tasks every day of our lives.
Please, leave you comments below if you have any question about your pelvic floor.
Mariola❤