Pelvic Floor

Pelvic Floor

You won’t notice their existence until they stop functioning properly for you!


What is normal pelvic floor function?

Your pelvic floor muscles act like a hammock or trampoline, sitting underneath your organs, and providing support for your bladder, bowel and uterus. These muscles also help you control your bladder and bowels and experience normal sexual function.

Pelvic Floor dysfunction occurs when these muscles become weak or overactive.

Signs and symptoms?

  • Do you wet yourself when you laugh, sneeze, jump or are lifting?
  • Do you find it difficult to insert a tampon?
  • Do you have difficulty holding in, or releasing wee, wind or poo?
  • Do you feel that you are not fully emptying your bladder or bowel when you go to the toilet?
  • Is your poo coming out skinny and short?
  • Do you experience pain during intimacy?


If you have answered yes to any of the above questions then it is likely that your pelvic floor muscles are not performing as they should! They may be weak or overactive.

Common signs of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction?

  • Bladder or bowel leakage
  • Difficulty emptying your  bladder or bowel 
  • Urinary or bowel urgency
  • Vaginal heaviness, aching or bulging
  • Pelvic pain (pain in the lower abdomen, vulva or vagina)  or sexual pain

How can we help?


Physiotherapy help for your pelvic floor muscles?

Your physiotherapist can teach you how to activate your pelvic floor muscles to either strengthen them, if weak or relax them if they are overactive.

Cues and tailored exercises can improve your pelvic floor

A treatment plan usually includes:

  • Helping you identify the three parts of your pelvic floor muscles – front, middle and back
  • How to active your pelvic floor muscles
  • An exercise plan to increase pelvic floor muscle strength if they are weak and advice on how to build this into your daily activities
  • A relaxation plan to release tension if your pelvic floor muscles are overactive before and during your strengthening regime


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There are so many wonderful elements experienced during pregnancy and we do our best to be healthy throughout. We remember to take our prenatal vitamins to ensure our body and bub are getting enough of what's needed. We stay clear of certain foods to avoid infections. We keep our body active by exercising but we don't always remember to care for our pelvic floor. During pregnancy, muscles of your pelvic floor are stretched and weaken. These muscles help to control your bladder. When your pelvic floor muscles are weak, they can't always stop your bladder from leaking. This leaking happens mostly when you cough, laugh, sneeze, lift or exercise. You may also find holding in a wee difficult, like when putting a key in the front door, suddenly the urge is greater. By performing pelvic floor exercises, you can strengthen the muscles. Pelvic floor muscle training will assist the body to cope with the growing weight of the baby. Stronger muscles before bub is born will help to reduce or avoid stress incontinence after pregnancy. It's never too early to start doing pelvic floor exercises, but the earlier and more regularly you practice them throughout pregnancy, the greater the benefits. If you're unsure if you're performing pelvic floor exercises correctly or would like some guidance, we can help!
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Find out more about your pelvic floor muscles

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