Anatomy: The Female Pelvis

I can't take credit for drawing this one but I did label it! This shows the bony features of the female pelvis and where the pelvis floor muscles are located. 



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Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Part 1

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The risk of Pelvic Organ Prolapse can increase with pregnancy and vaginal delivery, however may occur even without any pregnancies and can even happen to men! What is it?  'Prolapse' comes from the latin word prolabi which means "to fall out". Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) involves the descent of the pelvic organs; the bladder, bowel or uterus, into the vaginal space.  The degree of prolapse is measured on a scale of 0-4, determined by how much the organs have moved toward the opening of the vagina or if they are protruding outside the body. This may be observed by your family doctor, OB/GYN, birth professional or pelvic health physiotherapist by asking you to cough or hold your breath and bear down for 8 seconds to determine the extent of the prolapse.  The female pelvic anatomy (larger pelvic outlet and open space of the vagina) combined with our upright posture makes women particularly vulnerable to this condition. However, men can also experience similar ...
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Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Part 2

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See Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Part 1 for information on what a prolapse is and some of the causing factors.  What can be done about it? !!Prevention!!:  As the support of the muscles underneath the pelvic organs decreases, the strain on the ligaments holding them increases and they eventually stretch beyond the point of no return. Ensuring good body alignment and m aintaining pelvic health and function of the muscles is key at any stage of life, but essential  during your pregnancy and leading up to delivery. Restoring optimal function of the core abdominal muscles and learning how to properly relax the pelvic floor muscles for bowel movements can help to decrease the overall pushing and strain required. Preparing your body for pregnancy to increase the space in the pelvic outlet (obstetrical conjugate) and yield of the pelvic floor muscles can help to decrease the amount of force required to get the baby out ( read less Valsava-ing ), as well as prevent perineal tea...
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Healthy Feet, Healthy Pelvic Floor

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Historically, pelvic floor treatment has focused solely on the pelvic floor muscles. We now know that in order to have an optimally functioning pelvic floor, we have to look at the bigger picture - the entire body starting from the feet up.  The feet are particularly important because whatever happens at ground level determines the forces and load affecting the body all the way up to your neck. Many women that I have seen for pelvic floor dysfunction also have a foot problem of some kind, the most common being bunions. The two conditions, although not physically close, have some similar contributing factors and continue to feed into one another due to tension patterns running from the feet, the back of the legs and up to the pelvis. The biomechanics that contribute to foot issues, also contribute to changes in positioning and muscle action at the pelvis.  Bunions Bones respond to   load   or   pressure . The more pressure applied to a particular part of...
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