Does your standing posture affect your pelvic floor?

Does how you stand and move matter if you have pelvic floor issues?

The short answer is it depends. Your pelvic floor does not just work by itself, it works with a bunch of the surrounding muscles and joints and how you position all of those makes it easier or harder for your pelvic floor to react to movements and pressure changes. Each person responds differently if one muscle is tight or not doing its job well putting more stress on the system as a whole and for some people that ends up in dysfunction.

Your pelvic floor is the bottom of your core. . . Wait there is a bottom of your core? Most people just think your abdominal muscles make up your core but really it is much more than that. Your pelvic floor is the bottom, and your diaphragm is the top. Your abdominal muscles make up the front and the side and then your multifdi (muscles in between your vertebra make up the back). Way more is involved than you think it terms of keeping your body stable! These all need to work together to help make your core work efficiently. When your core works efficiently you put less stress down into your pelvic floor and less stress through your abdomen (which is really important if you have a Diastasis Recti or pelvic floor issues).

So how does posture factor into all of this? All of your core muscles are connected anatomically to each other. So if you change the position of one, you will alter the ability of everything else to be able to react appropriately which can lead to dysfunction.

Positioning your body with your pelvis in a neutral position with your rib cage stacked over that is optimal. This allows for an appropriate length tension relationship between all of your core helping everything to respond appropriately.

What we explained above is generally way easier said than done and it is not something you have to pay attention to at all points in the day, that would get exhausting. However working to bring intention into some of your daily movements and standing positions can help improve you posture and therefore potentially decrease pain or issues that you may be having.

If you are currently experiencing any pelvic floor related issues or are unsure if you are please reach out to us either through social media @empowerptandwellness, email: Hello@WeEmpowerPT.com or give us a call or a text at 678-413-5587. You are not alone in what you are experiencing and we would love to help guide you to achieve everything you want!

Empower Physical Therapy and Wellness

1061 Cambridge Square Suite D

Alpharetta GA 30004

678-413-5587

hello@weempowerpt.com