How Chronic Digestive Disorders Affect the Pelvic Floor

Chronic digestive disorders refer to conditions that are long-lasting (chronic) and affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The GI tract includes your small intestines, large intestines, rectum, stomach, anus, and other areas.

Chronic conditions that affect the digestive system can cause significant effects to many areas of the body, including the pelvic floor. 

The pelvic floor is a group of many different muscles found in the pelvis. This group of muscles is incredibly important, as it controls a variety of functions that are essential in daily life—including bowel movements. Unfortunately, these functions can be disrupted when the pelvic floor becomes too tight, weak, inflexible, or uncoordinated (known as pelvic floor dysfunction). 

So, what does the pelvic floor have to do with chronic digestive disorders? Well, many of these disorders can have significant impacts on the pelvic floor, intestines, rectum, and anus. They can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction, which can lead to worsened symptoms of each condition.

Some common chronic digestive disorders that can impact the pelvic floor include the following:

• Irritable bowel disease (Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis)
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Celiac disease
• Chronic constipation

Each type of digestive disorder can have varying symptoms that affect more than just the GI tract. However, to better explain the connection between these symptoms and the pelvic floor, we’ll focus on the more common digestive symptoms below:

Irritable bowel disease (Crohn’s Disease)

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Anal pain
• Incontinence

Irritable bowel disease (Ulcerative Colitis)

• Rectal pain
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Urgency
• Frequent bowel movements

Irritable bowel syndrome (can vary by type)

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Pain or cramping
• Urgency
• Incomplete bowel movements

Celiac disease

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Bloating or gas

Chronic constipation

• Pain during bowel movements
• Infrequent bowel movements
• Incomplete bowel movements
• Hard or painful stool

How do these symptoms cause pelvic floor dysfunction? The pelvic floor is a complex web of muscles, ligaments, nerves, and other structures. It indirectly and directly affects many parts of the body, even some that you may not consider at first.

It can affect the hips, lower back, abdominals, genitals, rectum, anus, and much more. Due to this interconnectedness, the pelvic floor both affects and is affected by these areas of the body.

So, when individuals with the above-mentioned conditions experience frequent and extreme symptoms (pain, constipation, diarrhea, trouble with bowel movements, and more) the pelvic floor is impacted, too. These symptoms can significantly contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction, which can worsen the previously-mentioned symptoms over time.

Let’s look at an example. Conditions like chronic constipation or IBD can cause pain. When your body experiences pain, its natural response is to tense up. When you frequently experience pain and therefore tense up your body often, the pelvic floor also becomes tense.

Over time, this tension can worsen and worsen, making the pelvic floor struggle to perform and therefore worsen your symptoms of constipation, pain, and more. This is applicable to many other symptoms, too.

Unfortunately, chronic digestive disorders aren’t curable. However, these symptoms and pelvic floor dysfunction can be better managed with pelvic floor physical therapy, which we’ll discuss next!

Chronic conditions can be a huge struggle for many. Luckily, pelvic floor physical therapy can provide significant relief and improve your quality of life by reducing the severity and frequency of your symptoms! 

I’m here to help you better understand your pelvic floor, how it works, and how it is affected by your chronic condition. With a comprehensive care plan, we can decrease your symptoms by reducing tension, building strength, and restoring coordination in your pelvic floor.

Rest assured that for each and every one of my patients, I create a unique care plan that is catered to their individual needs, pelvic floor health, and comfort level. Therefore, I will first identify your pelvic floor’s needs with a thorough evaluation and an examination if necessary.

Examinations are only done with your consent, as my number one priority is your comfort! After finishing your evaluation, I’ll be able to create a treatment plan that includes a variety of suitable treatments.

Throughout your care plan, you can expect treatments such as manual therapy, exercise, and stretching, which help improve bowel motility and tissue mobility in the pelvic floor and other areas. Manual therapies and stretching can even relieve pain by reducing tension in your pelvis. I can also teach you breathing techniques to help you further reduce tension and better manage stress!

Other common treatment methods for digestive disorders or pelvic floor dysfunction include neuromuscular re-education and biofeedback, which allow you to better understand and regain control over your pelvic floor muscles. Learning and understanding the contraction and relaxation of these muscles will help with reducing tension, building strength, and restoring coordination.

It’s also important to know that I always incorporate education and long-term strategies into every care plan. I do this because I want to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to manage your chronic condition at home, too!

This can include things like correcting your posture, identifying triggers of your condition, exploring behavioral modifications (such as restroom habits), and more.

If you’re ready to start managing your symptoms and taking control of your condition, go ahead and book an appointment with me! I offer both virtual and in-office sessions. If you still have questions, you can consider trying a discovery call first.