What is Pelvic Dysfunction?
Symptoms:
- Urinary or fecal incontinence
- Urinary urgency
- Increased urinary freqency
- Pelvic pain
- Sexual pain
- Constipation
- Bladder or uterus prolapse
- Difficulty urinating
- Inability to completely empty the bladder or bowels
- Pain from gynecological surgery
Causes:
In men and women, pelvic pain and dysfunction can be the result of trauma to the pelvic floor, asymmetries in the structures of the pelvis, increased or decreased muscle tone, and inefficient muscle coordination. In women, the pelvic floor can be damaged during childbirth or pregnancy. Asymmetries are often due to bony malformations or fractures, scar formation, and muscle discrepancies between one side of the body and the other.
Damage to the integrity of the muscles, nerves, or fascia can result in pain, incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is a compound structure composed of bones, muscles, ligaments, fascia, and skin. The pelvic floor provides support to the organs of the abdomen and pelvis. The muscular portion of the pelvic floor is composed of four muscles that form a sling at the base of the pelvic bones which carries the weight of the abdominal and pelvic organs. The openings to the rectum, vagina, and urethra run through the pelvic floor. If the integrity of any component in the pelvic floor is compromised the support system for the organs may fail.