Pelvic Floor

 in Blog  tagged Pelvic Floor / Pelvic Health by

What is the Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor,  which is located inside the pelvis of males and females is a group of muscles and ligaments that runs from the pubic bone at the front to the coccyx/tail bone at the back.  The pelvic floor includes: Levator ani muscles (puborectalis, pubococcygeus and iliococcgeus), Coccygeus muscle and fascia which covers these muscles.

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What are the functions of the Pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor not only functions as a boundary between the abdominal cavity above and the pelvis below but also supports the abdominal & pelvic organs.

Furthermore, it supports urinary and faecal continence as the muscles relax, as well as preventing incontinence when contracted. They also allow for adaptation to changes in intra-abdominal pressures for example when we cough or lift heavy weights. 

What causes pelvic floor muscle weakness? 

There are many reasons why the pelvic floor muscles can be weakened. 

These include:

Constipation 

Childbirth 

Excessive coughing (repetitive strain)

Being overweight.

How can you protect your pelvic floor? 

Constipation: Straining or bearing down when you need to go to the toilet can put a lot of strain on your pelvic floor. Using something as simple as the squatty potty can put you in a better position to use the toilet and allow your pelvic floor muscles in particular puborectalis to relax and assist in defacation. 

Pregnancy/ Childbirth: The pelvic floor has an extra role during pregnancy to support the growing baby, but it also has to relax and stretch in order to assist baby being delivered vaginally. Completing pelvic floor muscle exercises may improve the strength of the pelvic floor and typically you can commence before you are even pregnant. An assessment performed by a qualified pelvic health practitioner can provide you with a personalised plan using the perfect scheme. This allows for ensuring that you can effectively contract as well as relax your pelvic floor muscles.

If you have any concerns about your pelvic floor function or need advise around reducing the risk of constipation and incontinence or performing perineal massage, Dani at Valued Health Osteopathy is more than happy to have a chat with you about your situation, perform a diagnostic assessment, provide treatment, and develop a tailored management plan. 

References:

  1. Bordoni B, Sugumar K, Leslie SW. Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Pelvic Floor. [Updated 2023 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482200/

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You do not need a referral to see one of our friendly Osteopaths at Valued Health Osteopathy. We have a very good relationship with many surrounding doctors, other health practitioners and personal trainers in the local community of Bentleigh East , Bentleigh, Ormond, McKinnon, Oakleigh, Carnegie, Caulfield, Moorabbin, Murrumbeena, Brighton, Clayton and Clarinda.

Valued Health Osteopathy offers Osteopathy, Clinical Pilates, Infant & Children Osteopathy, Pelvic Health Osteopathy, Exercise Rehabilitation and Strength & Conditioning. Valued Health Osteopathy is open 6 days a week with early morning and evening appointments.

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Valued Health Osteopathy is located at 3/658 Centre Road, Bentleigh East, Melbourne, Victoria, 3165.

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About Tom McCormick

Dr. Tom McCormick (Osteopath) is the Director and Principal Osteopath at Valued Health Osteopathy in Bentleigh East. Tom is a qualified Osteopath and Dry needling practitioner and is also a Level 1 Strength and Conditioning Coach. Tom has also completed further studies in optimal movement patterns with the FMS (Functional Movement Systems).Tom believes it is important to address the immediate issues causing pain, however feels it is equally important to improve his patient’s ongoing movement, tissue quality, muscle activation and muscle strength in order to optimize injury recovery and reduce the chance of re-aggravation. Since Tom graduated as an Osteopath he has had the opportunity to work both in Queensland and Victoria within private practice and has worked closely with sporting teams. Tom has suffered many injuries and complaints over the years due to his heavy interest in sport. From broken bones, torn cartilage, tendon and muscle injuries to even a double hernia repair, this is ultimately what led Tom into the health field. Tom has a hands on approach to healthcare by utilizing a broad range of techniques that are tailored specifically to each patient. Such techniques include mobilization, soft tissue massage, stretching, trigger point therapy, dry needling and exercise rehabilitation. Although Tom enjoys treating athletes, he also thrives on the sense of enjoyment that comes with helping his patients of all ages with many other injuries. Tom also has experience in treating headaches, back and neck pain, hip, knee and ankle injuries and shoulder and elbow pain. Here at Valued Health Osteopathy Tom will use his Osteopathic experience, coupled with his further training to assess, diagnose, rehabilitate and treat in order to get you moving better with less pain. Outside of work Tom loves to travel, watch plenty of sport, exercise and loves a good coffee.