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Do you experience any of these symptoms: incontinence (loss of bladder control/leakage), bowel incontinence (loss of bowel control/leakage), lower back pain, pain with intercourse, premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction. 

These are all symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.   

Your pelvic floor muscles are part of your core muscles.  Which also include abdominal muscles, back muscles, and diaphragm (the muscle that controls breathing). Together, these muscles attach to your pelvis and spine, creating stability throughout your body's center.

Each of these muscles has influences over specific organs, glands, and body parts.

In my practice I see a lot of people with pelvic floor dysfunction.  This video describes it perfectly.

The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, uterus, bowel, hips, and pelvis. They prevent incontinence of bladder and bowel, prolapse and are also important in sexual function.

There are two different types of Pelvic floor dysfunction.

• Hypotonic
• Hypertonic

Hypotonic Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

This is when the pelvic floor muscles are weakened by pregnancy, childbirth, prostate cancer treatment, obesity, seen more in people 50yrs and older and the straining of chronic constipation.  

This can lead to problems related to your hips, pelvis, bladder, bowel, low back, sacrum, coccyx, tailbone, or sexual function.

This is referred to as Hypotonic Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.  A condition where the pelvic floor muscles are lengthened at rest, demonstrate poor motor power and/or are inadequate to respond to voluntary contraction) and/or are too weak.

Hypotonic Pelvic Floor Symptoms Include:

• Urinary incontinence
• Bowel incontinence
• Orgasm dysfunction
• Vaginal laxity
• Pelvic organ prolapse: bladder, rectum, intestines, uterus
• Sexual dysfunction: erectile dysfunction

You can also have problems with your pelvic floor muscles if they are working too hard, or overactive.

Hypertonic Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Hypertonic pelvic floor is a condition that typically affects people aged 20-49 yrs. old.  It’s where the muscles in your lower pelvis are in a spasm or state of constant contraction. This can be temporary or constant. When your pelvic floor muscles are in this state, they can’t relax and coordinate the control of certain bodily functions. This causes pain (either constant or with certain activities), problems with urination and bowel movements as well as sexual dysfunction and painful intercourse.

These symptoms can greatly impact quality of life.

Hypertonic Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Symptoms

• Bladder pain
• Pain while urinating
• Frequent urination
• Difficulty starting or maintaining a urinary stream
• Difficulty starting a bowel movement
• Feeling like you’re unable to empty completely
• Pain during or after bowel movement
• Pain with passing gas
• Constipation
• Unexplained lower back pain
• Unexplained sacral, coccyx and or tailbone pain
• Pain during or after sex.
• Inability to achieve orgasm.
• Erectile dysfunction or pain with erection or ejaculation.
• Premature ejaculation
• Chronic prostatitis

However, there are solutions.  There are pelvic floor exercises designed to improve muscle strength if you have hypotonic (weak pelvic floor muscles) or hypertonic (tight pelvic floor muscles).

Hypotonic Pelvic Floor Exercises

For Women 

For Men 

Hypertonic Pelvic Floor Exercises

For Women 

For Men

Let me know if you found this info helpful in the comments.

If you are interested in learning more about Core Muscle Strengthening.  Click here for my Core Strengthening Workshop on Sat Oct 12.