What Are the Pelvic Floor Muscles?

Your pelvic floor muscles lie in a bowl or hammock shape at the base of your pelvis. They are responsible for bladder, bowel, and sexual function. All muscles have a range of motion that they work through. Your pelvic floor muscles will relax (lengthen) when you urinate or have a bowel movement, and they will contract (shorten) when holding in urine or stool. They also contract to help stabilize your spine and pelvis! Just like any other muscle, you can develop a dysfunction in these muscles. Common times for dysfunction to occur are during pregnancy or postpartum, during or after menopause, or after trauma to the pelvis (example: a fall on your tailbone). Symptoms can present as: pelvic pain, low back pain, hip pain, urinary leakage, urinary urgency/frequency, constipation, pelvic heaviness, etc. Some of these symptoms may be familiar to you as they are very common in the times mentioned above. However, it is important to address these symptoms with a qualified provider in order to improve your pelvic floor muscle function!