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Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness

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Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness

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Created OnSeptember 18, 2019
byPHS Team

Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness

Underactivity/hypotonicity, or weakness of the pelvic floor muscles may contribute to urinary and fecal incontinence, as well as pelvic organ prolapse.

The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that attach to the front, back, and sides of the bottom of the pelvis and sacrum. They are like a hammock or a sling, and they support the bladder, uterus, prostate, and rectum. They also wrap around your urethra, rectum, and vagina.

These muscles must be able to contract to maintain continence and to relax allowing for urination, bowel movements, and penetration.

How to Treat Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness

When the pelvic floor muscles are weak, they need to undergo a structured strengthening program that does not include just doing a few Kegels at the kitchen sink or at the stop sign. Based on the principles of strengthening, you need to fatigue muscle, in order to get hypertrophy (make it bigger). On the opposite side of the scale, patients are also told that they need to do up to 1000 repetitions per day, which has no basis in exercise science. 

Please follow this to get a written description of how to perform pelvic floor contraction if you identify as a female or a male. However, please remember that the majority of people cannot find these internal muscles without at least one consultation with a physiotherapist. There are an increasing number of Pelvic Health Physiotherapists available in Canada that have the training to assess the pelvic floor through internal palpation.

Once an assessment of the pelvic floor is conducted, an individualized strengthening program will be designed for you based on the objective findings.

The research strongly supports that physiotherapists with specialized training in pelvic floor rehabilitation (using internal examination to teach the exercises) should be the first step of treatment, before surgical consultation, for stress, urge, and mixed incontinence in women.

In Britain, the National Institute of Health has declared that every person considered for surgical correction of stress incontinence should first be seen by a pelvic health physiotherapist for conservative care. Only those that cannot successfully resolve symptoms with physiotherapy are considered candidates for surgery.

  • For the Patient
    • For The Patient
  • What is Pelvic Floor Health Physiotherapy?
    • What is Pelvic Floor Health Physiotherapy
  • Why Do We Do an Internal Exam?
    • Why Do We Do an Internal Exam?
  • The Biopsychosocial Approach
    • The Biopsychosocial Approach
  • Incontinence – Urinary and Fecal
    • Incontinence: Urinary and Fecal
    • Facts and Myths About Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening (Kegels) for Females (Or If You Have a Vulva/Vagina)
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening (Kegels) for Males (or if you have a Penis)
    • The Knack
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Bladder Irritants
  • Overactive Bladder (OAB)
    • Overactive Bladder
    • Bladder Irritants
    • Nocturia
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)
    • What is Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)?
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening (Kegels) for Females (Or If You Have a Vulva/Vagina)
    • The Knack
    • Constipation
    • Pessary
  • Bowel Dysfunction
    • Bowel Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening (Kegels) for Females (Or If You Have a Vulva/Vagina)
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening (Kegels) for Males (or if you have a Penis)
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Constipation
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
  • Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening (Kegels) for Females (Or If You Have a Vulva/Vagina)
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening (Kegels) for Males (or if you have a Penis)
    • The Knack
  • Pelvic Floor Tightness
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
  • Persistent Pelvic Pain
    • Persistent Pelvic Pain
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Pudendal Nerve Irritation
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Endometriosis
    • Endometriosis
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Dysmenorrhea (Painful Periods)
    • Dysmenorrhea (Painful Periods)
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Vaginismus
    • Vaginismus
    • Accommodators and Dilators
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Lubricants and Moisturizers
    • Vulvar Care
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Sleep
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Vulvodynia
    • Vulvodynia
    • Vulvar Care
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Dyspareunia (Painful Penetration)
    • Dyspareunia
    • Vulvar Care
    • Accommodators and Dilators
    • Lubricants and Moisturizers
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Interstitial Cystitis and Bladder Pain Syndrome
    • Interstitial Cystitis (IC) and Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS)
    • Diet Modification for IC/BPS
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Pudendal Nerve Irritation
    • Pudendal Nerve Irritation
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy
    • Postpartum
    • Breastfeeding
  • Rectus Diastasis
    • Diastasis
  • Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
    • Pelvic Girdle Pain
  • Tailbone (Coccyx) Pain
    • Tailbone (Coccyx) Pain
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Sleep
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD)
    • Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD)
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Sleep
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Menopause
    • Menopause
    • Vulvar Care
    • Lubricants and Moisturizers
    • Dyspareunia
  • Lubricants vs Moisturizers
    • Lubricants and Moisturizers
  • Chronic Non-Bacterial Prostatitis
    • Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis
    • Bladder Irritants
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Self-Treatment Techniques for Foam Rolling
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Prostatectomy
    • Prostatectomy
  • Paediatrics Pelvic Health
    • Pediatric Pelvic Physiotherapy
  • Transition Related Surgeries
    • Ways a Physiotherapist Can Help With Preparation and Rehabilitation for Transition-Related Surgeries
  • Preparing for Pelvic Surgery
    • Preparing for Pelvic Surgery
  • Post Pelvic Cancer Rehab
    • Post Pelvic Cancer Rehab
  • Post Breast Surgery Rehab
    • Articles coming soon
  • Lichen Simplex, Sclerosis, and Planus
    • Lichen Simplex, Sclerosis, and Planus
    • Accommodators and Dilators
    • Lubricants and Moisturizers
    • Vulvar Care
    • Pelvic Tissue Dysfunction
    • Pelvic Floor Muscle Tightness
    • Deep Breathing Exercises
    • Reverse Kegels (Pelvic Floor Drops)
    • Sensitive Nervous System
    • Types of Pain
    • Understanding Pain Better
    • Laughter
    • Sleep
    • Nutrition and Persistent Pain
    • Connective Tissue Dysfunction
    • What Are My Myofascial Tender Points?
    • Pain Education in a Nutshell
    • Catastrophization
  • Breastfeeding
    • Breastfeeding
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Incontinence: Urinary and Fecal
September 18, 2019

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Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening (Kegels) for Females (Or If You Have a Vulva/Vagina)
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