Pelvic Floor Therapy + You

As a Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner, I often have the privilege of walking with women through many different seasons of life—adolescence, the childbearing years, postpartum recovery, and menopause. Each of these seasons brings its own beauty, but also unique challenges to the body. One area in particular to highlight is pelvic floor. Now I know what you might be thinking. “Only women who have serious dysfunction go to pelvic floor” or maybe you’ve heard that pelvic floor is “only for married people.” While I do like addressing false beliefs about various things, I will keep this aspect short. What I want to highlight is the importance of pelvic floor therapy at any stage of life: in particular the mindfulness it can help cultivate about your body, awareness and control of your muscles, integration, healing, and reconnecting with your body.

Before I begin, let’s talk about what your pelvic floor is. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that support the bladder, uterus, and rectum. These muscles play a vital role in core stability, bowel and bladder control, and having sex. When the pelvic floor isn’t functioning properly—whether it’s too tight, too weak, or out of balance—it can lead to discomfort, pain, incontinence, or other issues that quietly (or in some cases not so quietly) disrupt life.

Pelvic floor therapy helps to correct and address these dysfunctions. Often, you will work one on one with a provider (not in a public space) to help manually work on muscles that need manipulation. This does NOT mean that anything has to take place internally or that any internal examinations automatically have to happen. While it may help your pelvic floor, you may always decline any internal work (and you won’t be the first to politely say or decline the option). Then, based on assessment and current needs you will work someone who gives you a customized set of exercises to help address your issues. This could be elevator Kegel exercise, clam shells, or others. They will help address your form, change plans if any pain is induced, and help support you through the exercises to progress you through your goals. They also teach you breathing exercises to do in tandem with your exercise to optimize strengthening and relaxing of pelvic floor mucles. While both men and women have pelvic floors and can go to pelvic floor therapy, I will address some of the issues/reasons it could make sense for a lady to go to pelvic floor therapy.

-inability to use a tampon

-bowel movement issues

-urinary incontinence

-constipation

-pelvic pain (sometimes noticed during sports)

-evaluation of pelvic floor before marriage

-and others

-pain during intercourse

-preparation for labor

-pain/discomfort during pregnancy

-pain/discomfort after pregnancy or postpartum strengthening and recovery

-sciatic nerve pain

-others

While this list is not exhaustive, it is a good start. Another aspect of pelvic floor therapy is they combine breathing techniques and exercises that are really helpful in creating mindfulness and reconnecting with your body. It’s an opportunity to slow down and be in touch with what you are experiencing and feeling in your body in a meaningful way. Your whole person matters and is important - including your pelvic floor functionality! Caring for your pelvic floor is more than a physical exercise—it’s an act of stewardship and self-respect. Whether you are a young woman learning about your cycle, a new mother healing from birth, or a woman navigating the changes of menopause, pelvic floor therapy can be a gentle and powerful ally in restoring balance and wholeness.

If you have questions about how pelvic floor therapy may be of benefit to you, don’t hesitate to ask your FertilityCare Practitioner.

Resources:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22729-pelvic-floor-muscles