Login
Register

Home

About Us

Diagnoses

Treatments

Classes

Resources

Media

Testimonials

Blog

Account

Media
Register
symptoms of a weak pelvic floor
Image by Trevor Raab
As they mention on their website, Runner’s World provides inspirational tales from the trail, race advice, and more. When Laura Williams Bustos, M.S. wanted to learn more about the connection between running and a healthy pelvic floor, I was glad to offer my insights as a licensed Physical Therapist. Here are some excerpts from the article interspersed with my own commentary, along with a link to the full article at their website.

Heather Jeffcoat, DPT

3 Surprising Symptoms of a Weak Pelvic Floor

Experts explain why a strong pelvic floor is so important for runners, plus what to look for to make sure your muscles can withstand mileage.

Few things demand as much of your pelvic floor as running, and whether you run competitively or just to stay in shape, having a strong and healthy pelvic floor will make your running routine both more beneficial and more enjoyable.

As Laura states:

Having a weak pelvic floor can negatively affect your life—and the enjoyment of your sport. It’s important to know what symptoms to look out for so you can identify any pelvic floor problems and then take steps to correct them.

Urinary incontinence is the most common symptom that has been well documented, but there are others too, and that is the focus of this article as it looks at three lesser known symptoms.

So just what are these three symptoms? Read on!

1. Injuries

Pelvic floor injuries can arise from a number of causes, from childbirth complications to sports mishaps and even during sex! And as the article states:

If your pelvic muscles are weak, and your trunk is less stable, you’re going to be more likely to have inefficiencies in your biomechanics or muscular compensations that negatively affect the way you move. One bad or awkward movement, or chronic muscle or joint compensations that place increased stress on areas that aren’t intended to support such movements could be the reason you end up injured.

If you've experienced a pelvic floor injury, perhaps it's time to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed physical therapists who specializes in the pelvic floor.

2. Pain

As I mentioned in the aritcle, pelvic floor muscle weakness can contribute to orthopedic conditions. Most people aren’t aware of this very important connection. When your pelvic floor is weak, it can contribute to low back pain, hip pain, and pelvic girdle pain.

It’s important to reflect on how your activities impact these symptoms, especially if you notice they get worse. It’s a red flag for pelvic floor dysfunction, and a work-up with a urogynecologist and pelvic floor physical therapist are your next steps to developing a solid treatment.

3. Gastrointestinal Problems

If you’re constantly dealing with constipation, or you can’t keep yourself from passing gas, these may also be symptoms of pelvic floor weakness.

We've got lots of great articles that cover constipation on our site. Long story short, any type of gastrointestinal problem has the potential to cause pelvic floor issues if not addressed effectively. It's always wise to consult with your doctor and/or nutritionist to get these issues corrected in order to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

Now that you know the three symptoms outlined above, perhaps you'll want to continue to the full article at Runner's World where they cover the topic more in depth, including:

  • Why Runners Should Take Note of Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles
  • Populations Most at Risk of Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles
  • What Should You Do About a Weak Pelvic Floor

So head on over to the full article at Runner's World to get the full story on symptoms of a weak pelvic floor, and if you're suffering from pelvic floor weakness, we can create a specially tailored plan that will help you get back on track (pun intended ;-)

Featured on InstaGram

What Our Patients Have to Say

Prev
Next

Testimonial by A.B.

Before I was referred to Heather Jeffcoat I was living in a nightmare. I had been married to my husband for three years and I was suffering from Vaginismus. That all changed when I visited my OBGYN and she said she knew of someone with a great success rate. To be honest I was hesitant at first because my first doctor had already told me that all I needed to do was order dilators from the internet and I should overcome my problem. She was wrong because I had followed the book on how to use the dilators with absolutely no advancements in my condition. However, that all changed when I went in for my first visit and Heather took the time to explain my condition and how we were going to work together to overcome it.

I remember leaving her office with a glimmer of hope that I could live a normal life. As my sessions continued I began to see immediate results. With only four sessions and a strict dedication to my home programs I was cured of Vaginismus. In the beginning of this process I was made aware that my health insurance company might not cover the costs, which was disappointing but today I can say one hundred percent that it was the best money I ever spent. Now thanks to Heather I am finally enjoying my life to the fullest with my husband. Thank you Heather, I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate all that you have done for me. I will never forget it. Those who are suffering from these types of conditions don’t be afraid because she makes you feel so comfortable and the end result is worth it. Good luck to you all and I hope you experience the success I have.
-- A.B.

Testimonial by M.M.

My husband and I were married for 5 years and unable to have intercourse, but I never knew why. After numerous awful experiences at doctor’s offices (where many doctors told me I “just needed to relax”), a surgery that didn’t fix the problem, and a year of owning dilators that didn’t get me anywhere, someone finally referred me to Heather for Physical Therapy. I finally had answers and information from someone who knew exactly what I was dealing with!

Read more: Testimonial by M.M.

Testimonial by J.B.

My husband and I were having problems with painful intercourse. My therapist recommended that I go and get a pelvic floor evaluation from a physical therapist. Having never been treated by a physical therapist, I wondered how this really was going to help me. My husband who is a physician was very supportive and agreed that a PT evaluation would be a great idea. So i made the appointment and was blown away by what I learned. I had no idea that pelvic floor muscles could get tight and have trigger points just like any other muscle in the body. I'm a massage therapist and very familiar with tight muscles, and this new thought really amazed me. Heather's program to help relax and strengthen these muscles made such a difference. I can say that I am 100% pain free during intercourse now. Yippee! Going to the PT appointments and doing the at-home exercises was definitely a discipline, but it's 100% worth it! The rewards are amazing.

-- J.B.

Testimonial by M.M.

A personal journey and testimonial from one of my patients:

My husband and I were married for 5 years before we were able to have intercourse due to my vaginismus. There was nothing traumatic in my past but for some reason, even though I wanted sex, I mentally avoided "that area" of my body and didn't even admit to myself that there was a problem for a long time, even though I was never able to put tampons in. Once I finally opened my eyes up to the fact that I had a problem, I had a surgery that was supposed to fix the issue.

Read more: Testimonial by M.M.

Testimonial by Y.L. (mom of 2)

After having my second baby via C-section I searched for months to try to find help for my lower back pain and separated abdominal muscles. I finally came across Heather Jeffcoat via a mommy blog. I reached out to her via email and set my first appointment. My first appointment went amazing … she listened to what my symptoms, check my separation and explained to me in detail what the next steps would be. Not only did my abdominal separation go from 3 to about 1 -1/2 but my back has pain has significantly reduced. I’m personally recommending all my mommy friends to Heather!

Y.L. (mom of 2)

Testimonial by T.H.

I started seeing Heather in October 2014. For more than two years, I had been suffering from painful urinary tract infection type symptoms after my bartholins gland surgery which included constant burning and urinary frequency sensation that led to more and more painful intercourse. I had made multiple visits to internist, obgyn and urologist's offices, went through a range of treatment with UTI and bladder frequency medication that included antibiotics, vesicare, estrogen cream, but nothing worked.

Read more: Testimonial by T.H.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get access to our free downloads and a 15% discount on Heather's book "Sex Without Pain"!
captcha 
I agree with the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy policy