Signs My Pelvic Floor is Dysfunctional
Pelvic Floor Mini Series
Part One: Signs My Pelvic Floor is Dysfunctional
Part Two: How to Tell if My Pelvic Floor is Tight or Weak
Part Three: What Causes Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?
Part Four: 3 Daily Habits That Damage Your Pelvic Floor Without You Knowing
Part Five: Can Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Be Cured?
Have you ever found yourself leaking during a workout, rushing to find a bathroom everywhere you go, or feeling pain during intimacy? Many women dismiss these kinds of common discomforts as "just part of motherhood" or "normal aging." However, they are red flag signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, which can get even worse if left untreated.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction often goes untreated because it is mistaken for other problems such as spine issues, menstrual irregularity, digestive issues, bladder problems, and various presentations of pain. Often the importance of the pelvic floor muscles are overlooked in these conditions, and therefor complete healing cannot occur. When the pelvic floor muscles are healed and resume their optimal function, problems like back pain, period pain, infertility, leaking, bloating, tailbone pain and pelvic pain finally resolve.
Since pelvic floor dysfunction can be sneaky in its presentation, its helpful to educate yourself on the signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, so that if you are experiencing any of theses, you can skip the guesswork and take the necessary steps to heal.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction presents itself in 2 ways:
1. Through some sort of Pain Presentation
2. Through a decline in Function
In this blog, we will dive into the details of each. When pelvic floor dysfunction is presenting as pain- it typically shows up somewhere in the pelvis, tailbone, SI joints, low back and hips. So any pain in these regions is a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction. When pelvic floor dysfunction is presenting as a decline in function, it will be related to bladder, bowel, uterine, and intestinal function. So any issues with bladder, bowel, intestines, or uterus is a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Symptoms You Didn't Know Were Pelvic Floor Related
It might surprise you how many symptoms are connected to your pelvic floor! Here’s a list of some of the most common symptoms women experience that you might not realize are connected to your pelvic floor function.
- You automatically cross your legs when sneezing
- You've given up running or high-impact exercises because you leak
- You feel constant heaviness or pressure in your pelvis
- Sex has become painful or less pleasurable
- You're dealing with digestive issues like bloating or constipation
- Your lower back aches by the end of the day
- You have tailbone pain or SI joint pain that wont go away
- You struggle with a low belly pooch
- Your periods are painful and/or irregular.
- You have recurrent UTIs or yeast infections.
- You have trouble reaching orgasm, it takes a really long time, or you are completely unable to.
- You have varicose veins, and/or swelling in the lower legs.
- You have pain anywhere in your pelvis
Let's break down these common symptoms into those 2 types presentations of pelvic floor dysfunction we discussed previously: 1) Pain and 2) Function.
When Pelvic Floor Dysfunction presents as Pain
When pelvic floors dysfunction presents as pain it can show up anywhere in the pelvis, abdomen, lower back or hips. The pain might occur with certain activities like sitting, exercise or sex. The pain might just show up at the end of the day, or it might be random shooting pains through out the day. Pelvic floor pain might occur during ovulation or bleeding, or both.
Where is Pelvic Floor Pain Located?
Pelvic floor pain doesn't always feel like it's coming from your pelvic floor. This is why it can be harder to identify the source of your discomfort.
Pelvic Floor Pain can show up as:
- Low back ache that intensifies throughout the day and doesn't respond to typical treatments.
- Tailbone pain when sitting
- Abdominal discomfort that feels like constant pressure
- Sharp shooting pains in your pelvis or abdomen
- Hip discomfort that limits your movement
- Pelvic pressure or heaviness that worsens with standing
- SI joint pain, or pelvic alignment issues
- Pain during or after sex
When your pelvic floor muscles aren't functioning correctly, they can refer pain to the surrounding areas, making you think the problem lies elsewhere. Many women spend years treating symptoms like back pain or hip pain without addressing the actual cause- their pelvic floor!
When Pelvic Floor Dysfunction presents as a decline in Function
When Pelvic Floor Dysfunction presents as a decline in function, it will be related to bowel, bladder, uterine and intestinal function since those are the main organs the pelvic floor muscles support.
Before going further, let's establish a clear understanding of what your pelvic floor does. Anytime pelvic floor dysfunction is present, one or more of these functions are impacted. Here’s a comprehensive list of the functions of your pelvic floor:
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Sphincter Control: Your pelvic floor prevents leaking and allows you to efficiently empty your bladder and bowel.
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Sensation of Urgency: Your pelvic floor signals urgency to your brain and lets you know it’s time to empty your bladder or bowel.
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Support: Your pelvic floor supports all of your internal organs (uterus, bladder, bowel, intestines), your hips, AND your spine.
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Circulation and Immunity: Your pelvic floor acts like a pump to circulate blood and lymph from your legs back to your heart and it helps bring oxygen, hormones, neurotransmitters and immune factors to your abdominal and pelvic organs.
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Respiration: Your pelvic floor works with your respiratory diaphragm to bring fresh air into your body, and expel used air.
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Sexual Function: Your pelvic floor provides sensation during sex, brings necessary blood flow for arousal and helps orgasm occur.
So if anything goes wrong with our pelvic floor muscles, any or all of these functions can be affected- resulting in in a variety of frustrating symptoms related to pelvic floor dysfunction.
Types of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Sexual Dysfunction
When your pelvic floor muscles are dysfunctional, your sexual experience suffers. Your pelvic floor muscles play a huge role in your sexual function because they bring all the blood flow required for arousal, lubrication, sensation and orgasm! The most common symptoms of sexual dysfunction include:
- Pain during intercourse
- Difficulty achieving orgasm
- Reduced sensation
- Taking longer to reach climax
- Decreased satisfaction
These issues don't just affect your physical health—they impact your relationship and confidence. Unfortunately, many women silently accept these changes, when the solution lies within their pelvic floor muscles!
Bladder Issues
Your pelvic floor directly supports your bladder and plays a huge role in how you feel urgency, how well your bladder empties, how much bladder control you have and whether or not you make it to the bathroom on time. Pelvic floor dysfunction often manifests bladder symptoms, such as:
- Leaking when you run, jump, cough, or laugh
- Rushing to the bathroom with sudden urgency
- Waking multiple times at night to urinate
- Feeling like you always need to go
- Experiencing recurring UTIs that test negative
The stress of planning your day around bathroom access takes a toll on your freedom and confidence. When your bladder controls your life, it limits what activities you feel comfortable participating in. What many women don't realize is that by simply restoring proper pelvic floor muscle function, their bladder issues could be a thing of the past.
Digestive Issues
Your pelvic floor plays a key role in digestive function because it allows you to eliminate fully, supports your intestinal motility, and brings the circulation necessary for efficient digestion to your abdomen. Pelvic floor dysfunction can often appear as:
- Chronic bloating even when you haven't eaten
- Constipation or difficult bowel movements
- Feeling like you never completely empty your bowels
- Hemorrhoids or anal pain
- Food sensitivities that seem to be worsening
These symptoms are often misdiagnosed as IBS, food sensitivities, or dismissed as normal digestive changes after pregnancy, when the real issue lies in your pelvic floor muscle function, and can be completely healed through specific breath work.
Support Issues
Your pelvic floor plays a key role in the position of your organs. When your pelvic floor muscles are dysfunctional, prolapse can be the result. The core muscles (pelvic floor, diaphragm, abdominals) should properly manage the inevitable increases in pressure we all are exposed to on a daily basis. These inevitable increases in pressure include coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting, talking, transitional movements, and certain postures and breathing patterns. If the core muscles are not "synced up". and functioning properly, these pressure increases are taken by the organs and supporting ligaments instead of the core muscles. Chronic, repetitive increases in intra-abdominal pressure, compounded by core muscle dysfunction can lead to prolapse overtime.
Prolapse symptoms can vary widely. Some individuals may not experience any symptoms at all, while others might experience significant discomfort. Prolapse caused by pelvic floor dysfunction can show up as:
- A feeling of heaviness or fullness in the vagina
- Pelvic pressure
- Urinary urgency or frequent urination
- Difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel
- A sensation of "organs falling out" during activities like coughing, sneezing, or lifting
- Pelvic and abdominal pain or cramping
- Lower back pain
- Pain with sex
You don’t have to live with pelvic floor dysfunction forever.
Pelvic floor dysfunction isn't something you should adapt to or work around. However, most traditional approaches aren’t effective at resolving it for good. The surprising truth is that in 99% of cases of pelvic floor dysfunction, the muscles are too tight—not too loose. This explains why the commonly prescribed Kegels often make symptoms worse instead of better.
Your pelvic floor is primarily made of fascia (70%) and involuntary muscle fibers (80%). This means that in order to heal the pelvic floor completely and for good, the treatment needs to target the fascia and involuntary muscle fibers. To target fascia, you must reduce the pressure in the abdomen and unload it by lifting the organs. To target the involuntary muscle fibers, you must elicit a reflex that triggers their activation. Most traditional approach miss these two key elements to true pelvic floor rehab. The Core Recovery Method® is different.
The Core Recovery Method® resolves pelvic floor dysfunction by:
- Training your diaphragm first—not your pelvic floor. Your diaphragm and pelvic floor mirror each other's movements, creating a coordinated pressure system. Your diaphragm is the gateway to the involuntary muscle fibers of your pelvic floor.
- Using specialized breathing techniques that access the involuntary nervous system, engaging 100% of your pelvic floor fibers instead of just the 20% you can consciously control.
- Reducing pressure in your abdomen to lift your organs and allow tight muscles to release, creating the space and circulation needed for proper function.
- Addressing your entire core system, not just isolating one muscle group. The muscles, nerves, fascia, bones and organs of your head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis and hips are all taken into account during training to produce healing from the inside out.
- Releasing trigger points in surrounding muscles that contribute to pelvic floor tension. Since your pelvic floor is just one part of your entire core system, restoring optimal function to it's neighbors is key.
The Core Recovery Method® works because it targets the root cause of dysfunction—pelvic floor muscle spasm—rather than attempting to strengthen muscles that are already locked in a contraction.
And when your pelvic floor functions correctly, the benefits extend beyond symptom relief. You'll experience more energy, better posture, improved confidence, and freedom to live without constantly monitoring your body's signals.
The Core Recovery Method® provides a comprehensive, at-home approach to reclaiming your pelvic floor function, resolving symptoms, and rebuilding your confidence—all in just 30 minutes a day.
