Pelvic Floor Muscles and Health Conditions

Common Muscle Affected (related to pelvic floor and pelvic health condition)

• Musculoskeletal factors contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction
• Full course of pelvic floor dysfunction is unknown
• Pregnancy and childbirth can affect pelvic floor muscles
• Pelvic Surgery can damage pelvic floor muscles
• Traumatic injuries to the pelvis (e.g., car accidents) can cause pelvic floor dysfunction
• Being overweight and advancing age can weaken pelvic floor muscles
• Dysfunction of Pelvic Floor Muscles (PFM) can lead to:
  • Sphincteric dysfunction, causing urinary incontinence, painful urination, and pain in defecation
  • Abdominal scar pain, weakened pelvic floor muscles, and weakened abdominal muscles
  • Pelvic floor muscle tension, incontinence, and varicosities of the leg, vulva, or rectum
  • Pronation of the feet related to ligamentous softening and strain of the rectus abdominis

Causes of Pelvic floor Dysfunction

• Musculoskeletal factors, including:
  • Pregnancy and childbirth
  • Pelvic Surgery
  • Traumatic injuries to the pelvis
  • Being overweight
  • Advancing age
• Dysfunction of PFM, leading to:
  • Sphincteric dysfunction
  • Abdominal scar pain
  • Weakened pelvic floor muscles and abdominal muscles
  • Pelvic floor muscle tension
  • Incontinence
  • Varicosities of the leg, vulva, or rectum
  • Pronation of the feet related to ligamentous softening
  • Strain of the rectus abdominis

Supportive Dysfunction

• Weak PFM can fail to support pelvic organs, leading to Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)
• Too tight PFM can create tightness and adhesions in the pelvic area, affecting organ function

Sexual Dysfunction

• Too loose pelvic floor muscles can cause:
  • Weak superficial muscle fibers, poor blood supply to sexual organs, and low sexual sensitivity
  • Difficulty with erections and weak pubovaginalis
  • Involuntary reflexes affected
• Too tight pelvic floor muscles can cause:
  • Tightness around the vaginal opening, making penetration difficult or painful (dyspareunia)

This quiz covers the common muscles affected by pelvic floor and pelvic health conditions, including musculoskeletal factors, pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, and more. It also explores the dysfunctions of pelvic floor muscles and their impact on urination and defecation.