What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor refers to a group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that form a supportive hammock-like structure at the base of the pelvis. Stretching from the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis to the tailbone at the back, it plays a crucial role in supporting the pelvic organs, including the bladder, uterus in women, and rectum.
The pelvic floor is essential for maintaining urinary and bowel continence and preventing pelvic organ prolapse. In particular, the pelvic floor muscles help control the openings of the urethra, vagina, and anus, while also preventing the pelvic organs from descending into the vaginal canal. They work in coordination with other core muscles too, to stabilise the pelvis and spine, particularly during standing, walking, and lifting; and they play a role in sexual function, contributing to arousal and orgasm.
What causes a weak pelvic floor?
A weak pelvic floor is a condition where the group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that make up the pelvic floor become lax or lose strength. Several factors can contribute to it, including:
- Pregnancy and childbirth: The strain placed on the pelvic floor during pregnancy and the stretching that occurs during childbirth can lead to muscle weakness, especially after multiple pregnancies.
- Ageing: The pelvic floor muscles weaken, losing tone and elasticity with age, leading to issues such as incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
- Hormonal changes: Changes in hormone levels, particularly in women during menopause, can impact the strength and elasticity of pelvic floor tissues.
- Chronic constipation: Straining during bowel movements over an extended period can contribute to pelvic floor muscle weakness.
- Obesity: Excess body weight can place additional strain on the pelvic floor muscles, contributing to their weakening over time.
- Chronic coughing: Conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or persistent coughing can strain the pelvic floor too.
- Prostate surgery: While men are less prone to pelvic floor issues, certain medical conditions can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction, including prostate surgery.
- Genetics: Some individuals may also be genetically predisposed to conditions that weaken the pelvic floor.
How to tell if your pelvic floor is tight or weak?
Pelvic floor weakness can commonly manifest as symptoms such as urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, or sexual dysfunction. However, it’s important to note that experiencing these symptoms – which are explained in more detail below – could also be caused by other factors, so if you experience them, you should speak to your doctor to discover if a weak pelvic floor is the true root cause.
Urinary incontinence: This is the involuntary leakage of urine – which can range from very mild to severe. When linked to a weak pelvic floor, it can become most apparent during activities that increase abdominal pressure (aka stress incontinence). That’s why you may ‘leak’ after coughing, sneezing, laughing, or lifting. Frequent or urgent urination can be a related symptom too.
Bowel issues: Another sign of a weak pelvic floor is fecal incontinence, the inability to control bowel movements, and difficulty emptying the bowel completely.
Pain: Alongside other symptoms, pain or discomfort in the pelvic and lower back regions can be a sign of a weak pelvic floor too.
Pelvic organ prolapse: If pelvic floor muscle laxity is severe it may lead to pelvic organ prolapse – the descent of the pelvic organs into the vaginal canal. This can be characterised by a feeling of pressure or bulging in the region.
Sexual dissatisfaction: Finally, a weak pelvic floor can lead to sexual dissatisfaction. This may include pain or discomfort during sex, and reduced feelings of arousal.
TWEAKMENT
The Tweakments Chatbot