Common Causes Of Pelvic Foor Dysfunction

How often do you think about the health of your pelvic floor?

For many people, the answer to this question is simply never.

Some people aren’t even sure what their pelvic floor is, where it’s located, or what bodily functions it helps manage.

Don’t worry if you fall under this category; it’s never too late to learn about your pelvic floor.

Simply speaking, your pelvic floor sits at the bottom of your pelvic region and includes a collection of muscles and ligaments.

It acts like a sling that supports many important organs, such as your:

• Rectum
• Large intestine
• Bladder
• Anus
• Uterus
• Prostate

Pelvic floor injuries can lead to dysfunction in the pelvic floor muscles.

At our physical therapy clinic, we see countless clients, both men and women, with pelvic floor dysfunction each year.

So, we thought we’d write this article to help spread awareness about this condition.

What Is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a broad term for conditions that interfere with the contraction and relaxation processes of your pelvic floor muscles.

These processes play a crucial role in numerous bodily functions, such as bowel movements, urination, and sexual intercourse.

Some people with pelvic floor dysfunction have too much tension in their muscles, whereas others have too little tension.

Thus, the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction can differ from person to person.

For instance, if you have too much tension in your pelvic floor muscles, you might experience symptoms such as constipation, painful urination, as well as painful sexual intercourse.

Conversely, people with too little tension in their pelvic floor muscles often live with urinary and/or bowel incontinence.

Pain is also a common symptom of pelvic floor dysfunction.

You might feel this pain in a variety of areas, such as your:

• Lower back
• Genitals
• Pelvic region
• Rectum
• Hip

Pelvic floor dysfunction can also cause a variety of other common symptoms.

Examples include:

• Either a lack of sensation or a heavy feeling in the vagina
• A noticeable lump in the opening of the vagina
• Having tampons frequently fall out
• Pressure in the pelvic or rectum regions
• Muscle spasms, particularly in the pelvis
• Painful bowel movements

Without intervention, pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to more serious complications, such as colon damage or infection.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Causes

Many different factors can play a role in pelvic floor dysfunction.

Some people experience pelvic floor dysfunction due to another illness or condition.

Others develop this condition because of certain types of injuries.

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most common causes of pelvic floor dysfunction.

1. Childbirth

Our survival as a species depends on certain reproductive processes, such as procreation and childbirth.

But despite this necessity, childbirth comes with many different risks and potentially serious complications.

Many expecting mothers worry about certain well known childbirth complications, such as excessive bleeding, possible infection, and placenta abruption.

Fewer think about the risks to their during and after labor.

Childbirth puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body, and your pelvic floor sustains the brunt of this stress.

During labor, the muscles in the pelvic floor stretch to allow for the passage of the baby through the birth canal.

This process can cause tears and connective tissue damage.

Some people also experience a prolapse of their pelvic organs.

Your risk for developing these complications increases with certain factors, such as use of forceps during deliver as well as a bigger birth weight of the baby.

But regardless of the cause, pelvic floor injury is a common complication of childbirth.

According to the University of Michigan, approximately 10% of women who perform vaginal childbirth experience pelvic floor dysfunction.

If you fall under this statistic, postpartum pelvic floor physical therapy can help.

We can provide both diagnostic and therapeutic services that’ll help your pelvic floor recover from childbirth in no time.

RELATED ARTICLE: Physical Therapy Treatments For Pelvic Floor Dysfunction In Women

2. Surgery In Your Pelvic Area

Postoperative pelvic floor dysfunction is a potential complication following certain types of surgeries.

Most people undergo surgery to help correct or manage various medical conditions.

Unfortunately, with surgery new problems can sometimes arise.

Scar tissue formation sometimes plays a role in the development of postoperative pelvic floor dysfunction.

Your body creates scar tissue over areas it sustained damaged, such as by your surgical incision site.

The closer your incision site is to your pelvic region, the higher the chance this scar tissue will interfere with your pelvic floor function.

Once healed, you can massage this scar tissue to help promote blood flow and minimize the effects of postoperative pelvic floor dysfunction.

Certain types of surgeries pose higher risks to your pelvic floor than others.

Examples include:

• Cervical cancer surgery
• Gall bladder removal
• Vaginal prolapse surgery
• Hip surgery and replacement

Your chances of developing postoperative pelvic floor dysfunction may also increase depending on the duration of your surgery, as well as the amount of time you spend with a urinary catheter.

RELATED: Physical Therapy For Surgery Recovery

3. Chronic Anxiety

Everyone experiences the occasional bout of anxiety.

However, people with chronic anxiety and anxiety disorders live with anxiety that is so persistent it may interfere with their everyday lives.

Many types of anxiety disorders exist, but some common examples include:

• Agoraphobia
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Specific phobias
• Substance induced anxiety disorder

Symptoms of chronic anxiety can vary depending on your specific diagnosis; however, some common ones include:

• A feeling of unease or nervousness
• Feeling as if something bad is about to happen
• Accelerated heart rate
• Hyperventilating
• Sweating
• Shaking or trembling
• Chronic fatigue
• Insomnia
• Concentration difficulties
• Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting

In addition to these symptoms, some people experience anxiety induced pelvic floor dysfunction.

Chronic anxiety takes both a physical and mental toll on your body.

Your parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for your flight or flight response, triggers pelvic floor contractions when aroused.

It’s also common to hold your breath and tighten your abdominal muscles when scared or anxious.

Overtime, these processes can interfere with the functioning of your pelvic floor.

Finally, cortisol, your stress hormone, also plays an important role in anxiety induced pelvic floor dysfunction.

Chronic anxiety uses up a large portion of your cortisol levels.

Over time, depleted cortisol levels can cause a variety of pelvic floor complications.

Physical therapy can help improve mental health that’ll help you lower your anxiety levels and manage any pelvic floor symptoms.

4. Pelvic Floor Injury

Your pelvic floor sits at the bottom of your pelvis.

Your pelvis is a bony, ring-shaped structure and consists of three main joints: one symphysis pubic and two sacroiliac joints.

An injury to any one of these parts can significantly impact your pelvic floor health.

For instance, a pelvic fracture can cause your pelvis to widen and subsequently impair your pelvic floor function.

Other types of pelvis injuries that may lead to pelvic floor dysfunction include:

• Car accident injuries
• Fall injuries
• Bone weakening diseases, such as osteoporosis
• Athletic injuries
• And much more

People with pelvis and pelvic floor injuries may experience a variety of symptoms, including:

• Pain in the groin, hip, and lower back that may worsen when walking or moving your legs
• Numbness or tingling in your legs or groin
• Abdominal pain
• Difficulty urinating
• Walking or standing difficulties

If you suspect that you might be living with a pelvic floor injury, an experienced physical therapists can provide both diagnostic and intervention services.

5. Aging

As anyone over the age of 50 can attest to, aging prompts different changes in your body.

For instance, many seniors experience pelvic floor dysfunction as a side effect of aging.

This experience is more common in women for a number of reasons.

For one, women experience a drastic shift in their hormones around the time of menopause.

This hormone shift can lead to weaker pelvic floor muscles.

People who’ve undergone childbirth at some point in their lives are also more likely to experience pelvic floor dysfunction as they age.

However, anyone can experience age related pelvic floor dysfunction.

Fortunately, there’s many preventative methods you can take to help reduce the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction as you age.

Examples include:

• Eating a diet high in fibre
• Exercising regularly
• Quitting smoking
• Performing Kegel exercises

RELATED ARTICLE: Frequently Asked Questions About Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Book Your Appointment With Our Physical Therapy Clinic Today

Pelvic floor dysfunction can impact your comfort, mobility, and overall quality of life—but you don’t have to manage it alone.

Whether it’s caused by childbirth, surgery, anxiety, injury, or aging, physical therapy can offer effective support and relief.

With clinics in both Washington, DC and Upper Marlboro, MD, at Capitol Physical Therapy, we take a personalized approach to help you rebuild strength, reduce pain, and restore function.

Our team of physical therapist will show you many different techniques to help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles as well as relieve any excess tension.

Don’t wait until the problem gets worse, act now.

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today to start improving the health of your pelvic floor muscles.