One question that I get asked a lot is “what causes the pelvic floor to tighten up”?


More often than not, the pelvic floor muscles are not so much tight as they are over active.


To better understand how or why that might happen, I think its important to first look at the functions of the pelvic floor:

• Partners with your core to provide stability for your back and pelvis

• Provides a support system for your internal organs

• Prevents leaking and allows for efficient elimination—is instrumental in healthy bowel and bladder function

• Sexual health and pleasure

Pelvic floor overactivity ​can be a result of trauma.  This commonly happens during pregnancy and/or childbirth. During pregnancy the hormone relaxin aides in getting the body ready for baby’s delivery by helping to relax your joints.  If your core (or muscles in general) is not strong prior to pregnancy, the added laxity might trigger the pelvic floor to ramp up in order to provide more stability.


Depending on the circumstances, these muscles can be significantly injured during baby’s delivery.  A significant injury, whether there is tearing, bruising, or surgical incision, can be enough to interrupt to normal functioning of the pelvic floor.  


Another thing that might result in an overactive pelvic floor is over recruitment of those muscles, or muscle guarding.  Some people have a tendency to hold certain muscles “on guard”, but they may not even be aware they are doing it!  


Over active pelvic floor muscles can result in dysfunction of any or all of the four areas mentioned above.  The good news is that it is completely treatable! In fact, a pelvic floor physical therapist specializes in recovery for pelvic floor dysfunction and can help anyone dealing with these issues find real, lasting solutions!


At Inspire Physical Therapy we look at the body as a whole, realizing that you can not isolate and treat one body part without considering the impact to the rest of the body. If you are not sure if pelvic floor physical therapy can help you, reach out to us and make an appointment today—it could make all the difference in the world!

Learning and implementing appropriate breathing strategies is foundational to support our body’s systems. 

The diaphragm & PF move together when we breathe:  both lengthen (relax) during inhale and shorten (contract) with exhale.

Good breathing patterns create intra abdominal pressure to protect our spine.

Breathing can change our stress hormones through the sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous systems. The nervous system interprets shallow breathing patterns to mean something is wrong, cueing the body to be on high alert, thus triggering the sympathetic nervous system. On the other hand, if breathing allows for good expansion of the diaphragm, the parasympathetic system is alerted and you can relax. 

Breathing is intrinsically linked to your nervous system—your body has no choice but to calm down if you are breathing well.

Good breathing patterns help to promote healing & tissue repair by increasing oxygen.

Appropriate breathing strategies facilitate lateral rib expansion, which eccentrically loads the transverse abdominis (TrA)—the deepest abdominal muscle—and increases core strength and stability.

Appropriate breathing reduces the infrasternal angle of the ribs, reducing unwanted stresses to the linea albea between the rectus abdominis which can contribute to diastasis recti.
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If you are not sure if you are breathing in a way that supports your overall health and wellness, make an appointment Inspire Physical Therapy today—it could make all the difference for helping you reach your health and fitness goals!

There are a lot of changes that take place during pregnancy, and hormones play a HUGE role in those changes.  

Here are a few of the main players:

• Estrogen
• Progesterone
• Relaxin
• Oxytocin
• Prolactin

Estrogen is probably the most well-known hormone, and it is very important throughout all the phases of woman’s life.  However, during pregnancy you’re body is flooded with estrogen—increasing up to 30x the normal levels!  Its main job during this time is to help stimulate uterine growth, but it will also increase blood flow to other parts of your body.  Have you ever heard of anyone getting nose bleeds during pregnancy?  Estrogen was probably to blame!


Progesterone is another very important hormone that works very hard during pregnancy--your ovaries go into overdrive during the first 7 weeks of pregnancy producing lots of progesterone.  This hormone is super important for maintaining the endometrial layer that your growing baby will be attach to, as well as helping to maintain a healthy pregnancy (low levels of progesterone put you at increased risk for a miscarriage).  High levels of progesterone during pregnancy is one of the main causes of morning sickness.


Progesterone is very busy throughout your pregnancy also helping the body to store fat as baby’s growth progresses.  Another one of its responsibilities is to prepare mom’s body for milk production so baby will have lots of yummy breastmilk upon arrival. High levels of progesterone help to relax the surface of the uterus, but this aspect of progesterone can also impact other parts of the body, like the lower esophagus, resulting in increased heartburn during pregnancy.


Speaking of relaxing…relaxin helps to inhibit or stop premature uterine activity and helps to soften the cervix.  One of the most common myths about relaxin is that it is 100% responsible for relaxing all the ligaments in a pregnant body, but that is NOT entirely true.  However,  it does help to relax your joints, including the public symphysis to help get ready for baby’s delivery.


Oxytocin increases at the end of pregnancy and during labor. Because oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions, progesterone suppresses it during pregnancy, but it shows up for the big moment, and it will continue to work after baby is born to help uterus contract to expel the placenta. Oxytocin is sometimes used to induce labor or to help it progress—it is more commonly known by its brand name:  Pitocin.  Oxytocin also helps stimulate the milk-ejection reflex that is necessary for breastfeeding.


Breastfeeding is possible because of a feedback loop involving oxytocin and prolactin.  Oxytocin allows milk to let down and then prolactin is responsible for milk production.  


Prolactin will lead to enlargement of the mammary glands…as a result, each breast can increase by one pound each!  That is one reason new moms may notice more back or neck pain.


Inspire Physical Therapy helps women prepare for pregnancy, labor and delivery, and all stages of postpartum recovery.  If you want or need help optimizing your musculoskeletal health, before, during, or after pregnancy, please give us a call—we would love to help!!