Pelvic Floor: The Foundation to Overall Strength

The misunderstood link

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, February 26, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Samantha Moon, DPT
Good strength training requires engaging many sets of muscles. There is one key muscle group that most women don’t include in their training program, unaware that its functionality is vital to overall health.

Meet the muscles of the pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor muscles form the base of the group of muscles, commonly called the ‘core.’ These muscles work with the deep abdominal and back muscles and the diaphragm to support the spine and control the pressure inside the abdomen. The deep layer supports the organs, while the superficial and middle layers help control urine evacuation.

When healthy, the body has good control over these muscles, but they are susceptible to change because of pregnancy, surgery, or the aging process. When pelvic floor muscles aren’t firing right, there may be trouble with urine leakage under stress, as in the case of coughing, laughing, sneezing, or leakage with urgency.

The pelvic floor is also what helps lift objects, tightening involuntarily when the brain sends a signal that it is about to pick up something. If the pelvic floor muscles aren’t firing correctly, the body will have trouble tightening other muscle groups, including the hips and lower back. It will be hard to make gains in strength training.

If the pelvic floor isn’t functioning properly, the symptoms include lower back pain, hip pain, and the control issues mentioned above. When these essential small muscles don’t contract as they should to help lift, the large muscles are more at risk for sprains and strains.

Even very fit athletes can have a dysfunctional pelvic floor. It’s common in those who focus primarily on intense workouts and have strong abdomen muscles (gymnasts, dancers, CrossFit athletes, military members.) Focusing only on the abdominal core and not the pelvic floor can actually cause dysfunction. The analogy is squeezing a tube of toothpaste hard enough from the middle. Eventually, the pressure will blow the toothpaste out both ends. All these muscle groups are connected and must stay balanced to support the body throughout its lifetime.

Pelvic floor muscles reflect our emotions as well. We carry a lot of stress in those muscles, so it’s possible that firing them over and over during the day makes them tense and dysfunctional through overuse. Becoming aware of these muscles and learning to work the entire core effectively will help the body become stronger, perform better, and control essential functions.

The Good News
The good news is if someone is experiencing symptoms of a dysfunctional pelvic floor, in most cases, they can be mitigated or even fixed entirely. A physical therapist who specializes in women’s care can teach exercises and techniques to strengthen these important muscles in the body. It’s not necessary to live with leaking, pain with sex, or worse, prolapse. Getting educated can increase the quality of life.

To learn more about the pelvic floor, visit MyInnerStrengthPT.com

About the author:
Samantha Moon, DPT
Nocatee, Florida

Dr. Moon has over 15 years of experience with a passion for helping both men and women feel in control of their lives and bodies. She is formally trained with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Ohio State University. She went on to complete her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from University of Delaware. Certifications earned included Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercises, the Graston Technique, and Kinesiotaping. She can be reached at [email protected] or 904-544-5152

Samantha Moon
Inner Strength Physical Therapy
+1 904-544-5152
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