Kiddipedia

Kiddipedia

The pelvic floor muscles (PFM’s) play a significant role in women’s health and quality of life. But often, it is not until we experience dysfunction, pain or lack of control that we begin to pay extra attention to this part of our body.

The PFM’s are responsible for so much more than keeping it dry and controlling the bladder. They work in harmony with the thoracic diaphragm, the muscle that facilitates breathing. The harmonious relationship between the diaphragm and the PFM’s allow for steady and continuous engagement and relaxation of the pelvic floor.  As the diaphragm moves down with each inhalation it creates an intra-abdominal pressure that further allows for the pelvic floor to widen, open and stretch and with each exhalation, as the diaphragm moves up, the PFM’s gently contract and lift.

There are many reasons why the PFM’s become weak, hypertonic or simply dysfunctional. Often it is associated with pregnancy, childbirth and perineal tears. However women (and men) who are obese, sedentary and with poor posture can also experience pelvic floor dysfunction as a result. Other things that can impact the PFM’s are physical trauma, excessive exercising and engagement of the PFM’s as well as a decline in tissue elasticity with the onset of menopause.

This can show up as;

Anatomy and Function of the Pelvic Floor

The PFM’s can be seen as the base of our inner container, our inner core that holds our digestive and reproductive organs in place. They connect from the pubic bone, sit bones and to the tailbone like a hammock. Together with the thoracic diaphragm, the deep abdominal muscles, deep back muscle and fascial lines, they work to support the spine and maintain a healthy relationship between the pelvis and the spine.

The pelvic floor muscles also play a key role in controlling bladder and bowel contraction and relaxation while supporting proper emptying and regular bowel movements. The movement of the pelvic floor also assists with lymph and blood circulation and the ability to drain fluids and toxins from the pelvis to prevent pelvic congestion. Another aspect is a woman’s sexual health, where the PFM’s can impact sexual sensation, arousal and pleasure.

Simple tools to maintain a healthy pelvic floor

We often hear that in order to improve our pelvic floor we need to tone the PFM’s.

I like, to some extent, to disagree with this statement. This because a weak pelvic floor is not always the issue we are dealing with. A hypertonic pelvic floor and the inability to relax the PFM’s can create just as much of a dysfunction, pain and disruption to a woman’s life. Often we also see there is a disconnect from this area of our bodies that further can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction or the inability to heal. Therefore I’d like to share some of my top tips to enhance and facilitate healthy pelvic floor function.

Learning how to strengthen, stabilise, stretch and soften the pelvic floor is essential to create a foundation for other movements of the body.

* If you are dealing with severe pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction, I highly recommend seeing a women’s health physiotherapist that can give you personalised support and advice on how to heal and improve your pelvic floor.

  • Visualisation

Visualisation can be a powerful tool to start improving the awareness and connection between the mind and the body, in order to sense and feel the presence of the pelvic floor and how it moves in relation to the diaphragm.

A simple practice is to lie down on your back, simply do a slow body scan, fully submerging yourself into the internal movement of your body. Sensing the breath moving and meeting other parts of your body. Resting your awareness by the base of the pelvic floor. Trying to sense the tailbone, the pubis bone and the sit bones. Visualising the breath moving all the way down to the pelvic bowl and bones with each inhalation, then visualising the breath moving up towards the heart with each exhalation. Creating a synchronized movement between the breath and the pelvic floor.

  • Pelvic Breathing

As mentioned previously, the pelvic floor work in harmony with the diaphragm. However, shallow breathing, (only breathing towards the upper parts of the chest) inhibits the natural movement of the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. This can lead to a weakened ability to sense the movement, to engage and relax the PFM’s.

Pelvic breathing is a gentle and efficient way to regain this connection and improve one’s awareness of the pelvic floor. It can be done sitting on a deflated pilates ball, bolster or cushions underneath the base of the pelvis. This support will provide feedback for us to feel and sense the subtle movement of the pelvic floor as we breathe.

This practice may assist with gently improving the receptivity of the muscles, nerves and tissues to respond to the movement of the diaphragm and to train the body and pelvic floor to respond in this way automatically.

  • Pay attention to your posture

The way we sit, stand and move can also affects the functioning of the PFM’s. Poor posture can make the PFM’s weak. Therefore, paying attention to our posture when we sit, stand and move  and how we position ourselves in a natural, relaxed state can be a wonderful tool in building awareness of your body.

  • In a natural standing position start by paying attention to your natural posture. Where do you tend to keep more weight, towards the heels or the toes? Is the weight equally balanced between the two feet?
  • Start moving the weight towards your toes and notice how this changes the sensation in your pelvic floor muscles. Then do the opposite, moving the weight towards your heels. Notice the difference.
  • Find a stable posture with the weight equally distributed over both feet, rooting your feet down. Unlock the knees, relax your abdomen, lengthen through your spine and the crown of your head. Practice the pelvic breathing in this position, paying attention to how this feels for you.

These practices are simple tools to help improve the awareness of your pelvic floor muscles, breathing and understanding your body. I highly recommend combining these with a pelvic floor exercise program provided by your physical therapist or trainer.

Summary

A healthy and functional pelvic floor can play a key component in how a woman rates her quality of life. These practices are not only to be practiced when we experience any of the above mentioned issues, but also as a way to prevent future injuries, pain and dysfunction. Working with the pelvic floor building body awareness and enhancing the body-mind connection is a wonderful way to improve our pelvic health and general wellbeing.

 

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not to be used as medical treatment or treat any underlying conditions. Please consult your physician and physical therapist for personalised advice and treatment.

 

References:

 Park, H., & Han, D. (2015). The effect of the correlation between the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles and diaphragmatic motion during breathing. Journal of physical therapy science, 27(7), 2113–2115. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.27.2113

 Radzimińska, A., Strączyńska, A., Weber-Rajek, M., Styczyńska, H., Strojek, K., & Piekorz, Z. (2018). The impact of pelvic floor muscle training on the quality of life of women with urinary incontinence: a systematic literature review. Clinical interventions in aging, 13, 957–965. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S160057

 Szumilewicz, A., Kuchta, A., Kranich, M., Dornowski, M., & Jastrzębski, Z. (2020). Prenatal high-low impact exercise program supported by pelvic floor muscle education and training decreases the life impact of postnatal urinary incontinence: A quasiexperimental trial. Medicine, 99(6), e18874. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000018874

 Zachovajeviene, B., Siupsinskas, L., Zachovajevas, P. et al. (2019). Effect of diaphragm and abdominal muscle training on pelvic floor strength and endurance: results of a prospective randomized trial. Sci Rep 9, 19192 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-55724-4

https://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au/

 

About the author:

Matilda Andersson, Integrative Women’s Health Coach.

BSc (Biomed. Ex.) Pre-and-postnatal trainer, yoga teacher and movement coach.

Matilda has been working with the body and movement as a personal trainer, yoga teacher and movement coach for over a decade. Her passion in women’s health and guiding women to reconnecting and healing through their bodies has led her to the journey of becoming a certified Integrative Women’s Health Coach and a Fertility Awareness Educator and is currently expanding her knowledge in Naturopathic Nutrition.

 Matilda is part of the practitioner team at Happy Healthy You with a vision to support and guide women towards a healthier, happier and more balanced life.