Let’s talk about the pelvic floor – An evidence-based blog
Did you know that the terms ‘pelvic floor’ and ‘pelvic floor muscles’ are technically two different things?
It’s true. They’re actually not interchangeable terms.
In 2017 a bunch of researchers from two different associations (International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) and International Continence Society (ICS)) came together to create a report that would clear up the terminology related to female pelvic floor dysfunction.
Why do I need to know this? Let me just do my kegels and get on with it.
Let me ask you a question. Imagine if after having a baby, you experience a bulge down there; would you panic? You’d know it might be that thing called a prolapse that you’ve heard your mum talk about with her friends over tea, but aren’t you too young for this? Wouldn’t you wonder about what the heck was going on down below and how in the world to fix it? I guarantee you would do all of the above. So please, do read on!
Back on topic now. Let’s look at how they defined the ‘pelvic floor.’
‘Pelvic Floor’ is defined as ‘structures located within the bony pelvis, ie urogenital and anorectal viscera, pelvic floor muscles and their connective tissues, and nerves and blood vessels.’
So NOT just muscles, it appears. Sounds complex. Let’s break it down.
Urogenital and anorectal viscera
Here we are talking about three things:
Bladder and Urethra
Uterus and Vagina
Rectum and Anal Canal
Pelvic floor muscles and their connective tissues (the important stuff that you really need to know about):
Endopelvic Fascia - fibres made up of collagen and elastin that hold the pelvic organs in place
Deep pelvic floor muscles
Superficial pelvic floor muscles
These muscles provide upward support of the pelvic organs, protecting the endopelvic fascia from downward intra-abdominal forces (cough/sneeze/laugh)
They also pull in different directions in order to assist with faecal control (pooping) in combination with the anal sphincters
Finally these muscles support the bladder neck to maintain a high position (stop you from wetting yourself) during increases in intra-abdominal pressure
Nerves and blood vessels
The nerves that enable the pelvic floor muscles to function (contract/relax/sensation). These nerves originate from the sacral spine (the lowest part of the spine).
So during pregnancy we bang on about ‘strengthening the pelvic floor.’ Really, we are talking about strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. This is because you’re about to have a watermelon-sized human life sitting on top of your pelvic floor for quite some time. If these muscles start to stretch (which they inevitably do, regardless of whether you have a vaginal or cesarean delivery), it will make it a hell of a lot harder for the fascia (elastic fibres) to be able to hold up your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, rectum). Cue the weeing whilst laughing. Joy!
Don’t worry, there really is no need to panic. We can work together to teach you all about how to strengthen and lengthen your pelvic floor muscles to get you prepped for labour or to help stop the leakage and dragging sensations you might be experiencing postpartum.
Go to my services page to see how we can connect.
P.s. Did you know that your pelvic floor can actually be too tight? - crazy right?!
Bo K, Frawley HC, Haylen BT, Abramov Y, Almeida FG, Berghmans B, Bortolini M, Dumoulin C, Gomes M, McClurg D, Meijlink J. An International Urogynecological Association (IUGA)/International Continence Society (ICS) joint report on the terminology for the conservative and nonpharmacological management of female pelvic floor dysfunction. International Urogynecology Journal. 2017 Feb 1;28(2):191-213.