The Pelvic Floor: what’s the big deal?
Well, let me enlighten you! I feel like many women are shocked (and maybe a little confused?) when they hear about the pelvic floor for the first time. “The what floor?” or “It’s located where?” are some common responses that I get. And for good reason! This isn’t discussed in high school health class or when you go to your yearly check up. There isn’t any mention of the pelvic floor when you’re pregnant or postpartum, and the assumption that "leaking is just a part of motherhood and/or getting older” is (sadly) incredibly wide spread. I’d say that since the explosion of social media, discussions around the pelvic floor have become more mainstream. Maybe this is just because it’s what my entire career is based off of, but it seems like more women than ever before are taking it upon themselves to become more educated about their bodies, including their pelvic floors!
But what’s the big deal, you ask? Why is there an entire section of health care and wellness careers centered around it?
Because the pelvic floor is largely ignored by most of the healthcare and wellness system, truthfully. And nothing in the body works in isolation- NOTHING. We know that every time you step, move, breathe, talk, sing, roll over in bed, pick up your kid, grab a gallon of milk off the bottom shelf, reach for something, get stressed vs relaxed, twist to look behind you, etc., etc., ETC., the pelvic floor is involved. Issues arise because women are never taught how to take care of their pelvic floors. Men have pelvic floors, too, by the way! Women are just vulnerable to problems because we have three holes instead of two (our urethra, vagina, and anus). A large majority of women will also undergo pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, which is a particularly challenging time for the pelvic floor.
And my “hot take” is that if you never were intentional about rehabilitating yourself after pregnancy/postpartum, you’re very likely struggling with the pelvic floor problems associated with that time period, no matter if it’s been 2 months or 20 years since postpartum (as a side note, plenty of problems can arise without ever being pregnant/postpartum.) These issues, such as prolapse, bladder leaks, pelvic pain, constipation, hemorrhoids, hip/low back pain, pain with intimacy, etc. don’t just go away or fully get better with time (although time is incredibly helpful in that initial postpartum period when coupled with appropriate rehab).
So, again, what’s the big deal? The big deal is that there’s millions of women all over the world struggling with their pelvic floors who don’t know any of this! And because the pelvic floor is essentially connected to every thing you do, these issues can grow and affect other body parts. For example, I mentioned low back or hip pain above. We know that these can be highly associated with pelvic floor issues! The big deal is that most of the “standard” health care providers aren’t educated in this area, not because of ill intentions, but that’s not where their specialty lies (this even applies to OBGYNs.) Evaluating your health requires a good look at your whole body- including your pelvic floor.
That’s why I’ve chosen to devote my career as a Doctor of Physical Therapy to women’s health. As a movement expert who has undergone additional education to further my knowledge on this subject, this is my specialty! I feel that I need to shout this info from the rooftops so that all women can become educated and know that there’s hope! Again, your pelvic floor is truly involved in most everything you do, and I want to make sure that it gets the attention and care that it deserves. Because, girl, YOU are a big deal, too.
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