Do I Need Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

Pelvic floor physical therapy is beneficial for all women. Whether they have had children or not. The pelvic floor is essential to our daily functions, and dysfunctions can begin in childhood. Knowing the status of your pelvic floor early on in adulthood can help prevent issues but also give you a baseline of the quality of these muscles so that if problems arise, a cause is more straightforward to determine.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is joint in women who:

• We’re active as a child in activities like gymnastics, other sports, horseback riding, etc.
• Experiences chronic urinary tract infections
• Experienced sexual trauma
• Were raised in an environment where sex was shamed
• They had a severe injury
• Struggled with constipation
• Stressful environments

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the bottom of our abdomen, and these muscles support our internal organs by keeping them inside our bodies. The pelvic floor also absorbs the force we exert during physical activity. Stress also causes the pelvic floor muscles to tighten. The pelvic floor is the base of our core strength and supports the skeletal system. Because both natural and environmental factors can affect the pelvic floor in females, starting at a young age and continuing for the rest of their lives, it is essential to ensure the pelvic floor functions properly.

Once a woman is sexually active, the pelvic floor plays a part in penetrative sex as well as the ability to achieve orgasms. A tight pelvic floor which is prevalent in women who had any of the previously stated experiences, often report discomfort with intimacy, vaginal dryness, and inability to achieve orgasm. Contrary to popular belief, a tight pelvic floor is a weak pelvic floor. Tightness within the pelvic floor muscles creates a lack of blood flow and movement within the muscle. A healthy pelvic floor should be able to relax in a neutral position, contract during physical activity, and bulge for bowel movements and vaginal birth.

Because a tight pelvic floor is so common during pregnancy, those muscles become even more strained, supporting the skeletal system, developing the fetus, and holding the internal organs. Suppose the pelvic floor is tight going into pregnancy and tightens further during pregnancy. In that case, this drastically affects the possibility of a vaginal birth because these muscles are so dehydrated that relaxing and bulging isn’t possible without immense strain on the body. The lack of opening of the pelvic floor leads to an increased risk of c-section.

Birth trauma, whether vaginal or cesarean, leads to scar tissue that further dehydrates and immobilizes the pelvic floor leading to chronic pain and pelvic floor issues like pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence. All of which are “common postpartum” issues. But these issues are common because:

• Girls don’t receive enough information regarding their bodies.
• Young women believe that specific issues are typical and that a tight pelvic floor is healthy.
• Women get pregnant with this lack of information and a tight pelvic floor.
• The pelvic floor is overworked in pregnancy and not optimized for birth.
• Birth occurs and causes trauma to the pelvic floor.
• Postpartum issues are normalized.
• Pelvic Floor issues continue to progress.
• Solutions offered include medications, injections, and surgeries with side effects.

You need pelvic floor physical therapy; regardless of where you are in life, pelvic floor matters. If you don’t have children, issues can arise just from environmental factors. Get an internal assessment from a pelvic floor physical therapist. It’s never too early to learn more about your body and health. Request A Free 30-minute Discovery Visit with a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist At Body Motion Physical Therapy.