It is one of the most common, yet often whispered-about, frustrations that many people, especially women, experience. The sneeze that causes a leak, the feeling of pelvic weakness, or the fear of jumping on a trampoline with your children.
The go-to advice is almost always the same: “Have you been doing your Kegels?”
While these exercises can be helpful, they are only a tiny piece of a much larger puzzle. Focusing solely on Kegels is like trying to fix a leaning house by repeatedly opening and closing a window. To truly solve the problem, you have to look at the foundations.
Your pelvic floor is not an isolated muscle group. Think of it as the responsive, trampoline-like base of your core.
Its health and function are directly connected to what’s happening above and below it. Namely, the position of your ribcage, the alignment of your pelvis, and even the way your feet meet the ground.
A healthy pelvic floor is not one that is permanently tight. It is one that is dynamic—able to contract, relax, and move in response to your body’s demands. Squeezing it over and over again doesn’t necessarily make it more functional.
The problem with relying only on Kegels is that they don’t address the underlying reasons why the pelvic floor may have become weak in the first place.
Our modern, sedentary lifestyles are often the primary culprit. When we sit in chairs for hours, our pelvis is often tucked under, forcing the pelvic floor into a less-than-optimal position. If your alignment is off, your pelvic floor can’t function properly, no matter how many isolated drills you perform.
Your pelvic floor thrives on natural, whole-body motion. It is designed to respond dynamically to the movement of your hips and spine.
As biomechanist Katy Bowman explains, activities like walking (especially on varied terrain), deep squatting, and climbing are the true exercises for the pelvic floor. Each step you take, each time you bend correctly, you are toning and nourishing these tissues in an integrated, functional way.
When you move your whole body as it was designed to, you create a system where loads are distributed evenly. The pelvic floor can then do its job as part of a coordinated team.
This is where chiropractic care is so important. The pelvic floor muscles attach directly to the bones of your pelvis. If your pelvis is tilted, twisted, or restricted, it changes the tension and mechanics of the muscles attached to it.
A chiropractic adjustment can help restore proper alignment and movement to the pelvic bones, particularly the sacrum. This creates a level, stable foundation, allowing your pelvic floor to function from a position of strength.
By addressing your body’s overall structure and encouraging more natural movement, we can tackle the root cause of pelvic floor issues, not just the symptoms. It’s about rebuilding the entire house, not just focusing on the window.
Ready to build a stronger foundation for your pelvic health? Book your appointment with us today.
Ewell Chiropractic
9A Cheam Road, Ewell, Epsom KT17 1SP
Our practice is next to the central car park in the Ewell village if you travel by car. And just a 10-minute wander from both train stations in Ewell.
Website design by theshapingbay.com