Pelvic Floor

Pelvic floor therapy is a specialized therapy completed by a rehabilitation professional with extensive continuing education and training in the pelvic floor & core anatomy and physiology.

Pelvic floor therapy involves pelvic floor muscle strengthening, relaxation and coordination to help treat pelvic floor muscle tightness or weakness and associated problems that result.

The goal of pelvic floor therapy is to improve your symptoms, empower you to be able to participate in the activities that you enjoy, and prevent recurrence of dysfunction in the future.

What is the pelvic floor?

• Dome shaped muscular sheet separating the pelvic cavity above from the perineal region below
• Supports the abdominal and pelvic viscera
• Maintain continence of urine and feces
• Allows voiding, defacation, sexual activity and childbirth

Why is it important?

• High prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI)
• 24% of women have at least one symptom of pelvic floor dysfunction
• High financial burden in the community (total national cost of $82.6B in 2020)
• Shared structure and function with trunk, lower extremities, and pelvic floor
• Women with UI are 2x more likely to have Low back pain
• Clinical evidence supports pelvic floor rehab as first-line method of treatment

What causes dysfunction?

• Pregnancy and post-partum
• Trauma to abdomen, pelvic, tailbone
• Abdominal, back, hip, pelvic surgeries
• Overuse of pelvic floor muscles
• Poor management of intra-abdominal pressures
• Poor bladder habits
• Advancing in age