Signs & Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Are you someone who is experiencing a “strange symptom” that you’re kinda embarrassed about and don’t want to discuss with anyone else? Are you someone who has seen multiple providers for a pelvic or core issue and no one has been able to give you answers to where it came from or how to fix it? Well, know you are not alone, this is very common, and there are answers! I aim to clear up the misunderstandings surrounding pelvic floor and core dysfunction and provide people with easy to implement strategies to resolve it for good.

Last week on the blog, we discussed pelvic floor anatomy. In part 2 of this 4 part series, we will discuss the signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. To really understand the signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, we must first discuss the roles of the pelvic floor.

Roles of the Pelvic Floor

First, it’s important to have clear understanding of what your pelvic floor does. Here’s a comprehensive list of the functions of your pelvic floor:

• Sphincter Control: Your pelvic floor prevents leaking and allows you to efficiently empty your bladder and bowel.

• Sensation of Urgency: Your pelvic floor signals urgency to your brain and lets you know it’s time to empty your bladder or bowel.

• Support: Your pelvic floor supports all of your internal organs (uterus, bladder, bowel, intestines), your hips, AND your spine.

• 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.

• Respiration: Your pelvic floor works with your respiratory diaphragm to bring fresh air into your body, and expel used air.

• 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 pelvic floor dysfunction. In almost all cases of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, there is one common underlying cause.

The Most Common Pelvic Floor Muscle Problem

The most common pelvic floor muscle problem is muscle spasm.

A muscle spasm is when a muscle gets stuck in a contraction and can’t relax on its own. The technical term for this is pelvic floor hypertonicity. Another way to say it is a pelvic floor that is “too tight”. During pelvic floor muscle spasm, the pelvic floor muscles are essentially frozen; they can’t move up and they can’t move down. They also have difficulty closing and opening around the sphincters. A muscle with a shortened range of motion like this is weak and unable to function properly. When the pelvic floor muscles are weak, the pelvic fascia becomes chronically loaded, and it weakens as well.

In over a decade of treating people with pelvic floor dysfunction, I have come to see that 99% of people with pelvic floor dysfunction have a pelvic floor that is too “tight”. I know what you’re thinking - “Don’t we want a tight pelvic floor? Isn't a tight muscle stronger?” The answer is NO. If a muscle is too “tight” or stuck in a contraction, also known as a spasm, then it does not get as much blood flow, it cannot move through its full and necessary range of motion, and is therefore much weaker.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the roles the pelvic floor plays in your body, and that it’s most common problem is that it gets “too tight” - let’s discuss the signs of pelvic floor dysfunction so you can see how pelvic floor muscle spasm can show up in your body.

Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction manifests in so many different ways that you may not even realize are connected to your pelvic health! Here are the top symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction:

1. Hip, back, pelvic, abdominal or tailbone pain

2. Leaking of bladder or bowel

3. Difficulty emptying bladder or bowel

4. Urgency or frequency

5. Constipation

6. Prolapse

7. Varicose veins in the legs or perineum

8. Bloating

9. Recurrent UTIs

10. Recurrent yeast or bacterial infections

11. Painful periods

12. Menstrual irregularities and fertility issues

13. Asthma or chronic coughing

14. Pain with sex

15. Difficulty achieving orgasm