The Basics on Pelvic Floor Therapy
Before we get too far into our discussion, pelvic health therapy is often referred to as pelvic floor therapy. So, where is the pelvis/pelvic floor located and what is it? The pelvis is in the center of your body – place your hands on your hips and you are touching the top of your pelvis. Both hips and the low back are closely connected to the pelvis, and hip and low back pain can often be related to pelvic floor dysfunction.
The pelvic floor is sometimes also called the pelvic bowl because it literally looks like a bowl! The “floor” is the bottom of the pelvis and consists of all kinds of muscles and ligaments – all supporting the internal organs that are nestled in the bowl. The pelvic floor additionally contains the urethra, or “pee hole”, and the anus, or “poop hole.” And, as you might imagine, our sexual organs are located here as well. Pelvic floor issues are often associated with vagina owners, but did you know that penis owners can also experience pelvic health dysfunction?
The pelvic floor is an amazing pressure management system that serves the following five functions: support, sphincteric, sexual, stability, and “sump pump.” Learning how to properly move our diaphragm and allow relaxation into our pelvic floor is my first line of defense for any and all of my clients. Before I get into the mechanics of breathwork, let’s expand our mind model of the pelvic floor and include several other key components. This will help us understand how the pelvic floor does not function in isolation – it is a part of a system!
I think of the pelvic floor as the bottom of a canister. This canister includes the abdominal wall, back (spine and including musculature), and the diaphragm. This is what I often refer to as the “core” canister. Can you see how it is more of a system now? Let’s focus a bit on breathing mechanics for a moment in order to better understand how this all works. Your diaphragm, which is your large respiratory muscle, is located at the base of your ribs. I think it looks like a large open umbrella. When you inhale, your diaphragm drops down toward your pelvis. Ideally, as the diaphragm drops down, your belly will expand out with your breath and your saddle area (aka pelvic floor) will relax. Seems pretty simple, right? Yes and no.
