21 Surprising Facts About Your Pelvic Floor

Your pelvic floor is a (somewhat) rarely discussed part of the human body.

It helps us urinate, has a role in intercourse, helps with bowel movements, and stretches quite a bit during pregnancy and giving birth. The latter of which is why many of our clients reach out. 

How can we coordinate the pelvic floor to reduce pain during sex, stop leakage, and “get back to normal”? Physical therapy helps! And, we recommend seeing a PT before getting pregnant (if possible), during, and definitely after pregnancy to properly strengthen this vital set of muscles. 

Did you know? 

1. The pelvic floor is made up of layers of muscles and other tissues

2. It’s shaped like a hammock, from your tailbone to your pubic bone

3. Exercises can help reduce the need for surgery for pelvic floor dysfunction

4. Passing wind from the vagina when bending over can be a sign of PFD

5. Pelvic floor issues can affect both men and women 

6. If you’re experiencing chronic jaw soreness, your pelvic floor could be why

7. Pelvic floor work is part of strengthening your core

8. Doing Kegels on your own is not recommended (ask a professional - these could actually harm you!)

9. Pain when inserting a tampon or having sex is not considered “normal” and could be a pelvic floor issue

10. Overexercising your pelvic floor can also lead to problems

11. The pelvic floor is controlled by the brain and nervous system

12. Pelvic floor dysfunction can cause lower back pain

13. The stronger your pelvic floor… the stronger your orgasms (yes, truth!)

14. Lower estrogen levels can result in weakened pelvic floors

15. You can experience pelvic floor issues even if you had a C-section

16. Caffeine and alcohol can negatively affect your pelvic floor as they are diuretics and cause your kidneys to create more urine (if you can, try to switch to decaf as much as possible!)

17. Pelvic muscle spasms can be attributed to pelvic floor dysfunction

18. A frequent need to urinate could be a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction

19. Almost one-quarter of women face pelvic floor disorders

20. Women and men who are overweight or obese may have more pelvic floor issues

21. You can fix many, many problems associated with your pelvic floor through targeted, specific exercises and PT!

Both Lea and Katie of Klein Physical Therapy in Denver, Colorado can treat pelvic floor issues. It doesn’t have to be something you “just live with.” Life can be more enjoyable with a healthy pelvic floor. Join us in-person and virtually with pelvic floor workshops and education, as well as one-on-one sessions with either of our specialized physical therapists.

Living With Pain and Injuries

(And Why You Shouldn't Put Off Trying Physical Therapy)

“And when I go like this, it hurts,” says the patient. So the doctor says, “Don’t do that.” Yet, the physical therapist says, “how about trying this, so that you can still do that.” 

When Doing the Things You Love, Hurts

No matter the activity, running, yoga, “momming”, cycling, climbing… when you injure yourself and have to stop, it has devastating results. Not just physically, but emotionally too. And, it can spiral to where you stop trying to be active, because the pain keeps coming back. 

Our bodies are interconnected in amazing ways. Take acupressure for example. Have a pounding headache? Squeezing the area between your thumb and pointer finger can reduce the pain. Similarly, with physical therapy, we use modalities to strengthen parts of the body that support other “weaker” parts. In short, physical therapy can reduce pain by helping you get stronger, diversifying the muscles you’re using, and reducing strain. 

Living With Pain Might Not Have to Be Your Only Option

“I’m fine,” you tell yourself. But are you really? Maybe for most of the day until you bend in that one particular way or come down hard on that knee during a run. Ouch. There it is again. What if you didn’t have to feel so much pain? What if it could be reduced so that you really could enjoy the activities you love? Cue physical therapy. 

“Have you tried __________________ ?”

If you’re someone who has been living with an injury, pain or chronic pain, you’re probably straight up sick and tired of (well-meaning) people asking you if you tried this or that. Yes, yes, I’ve tried that med, that herb, that stretch, that modality… you might say. 

But simply because you’ve tried a lot, doesn’t mean you’ve tried it all. It could simply be that you haven’t been matched with the right person, or that the timing of that particular remedy was off. Please, don’t give up. You do not have to live with gripping pain each and every day of your life. 

Worried that Physical Therapy Might Not Work? 

It’s an investment, simply put. Yet, it could be the one thing that (finally!) pays off. We offer a complimentary 30-minute Discovery Session so that you can try out physical therapy without risk or detriment. You are worth it. 

Come on “in” - virtual sessions available! Or, come on in to our Denver office to meet us (safely) in person.