WTF is the pelvic floor, anyway?!

Hi hi hi!

I was inspired to post this video by a reader named Goergie, who had this excellent series of questions:

What, precisely and with labeled diagrams/drawings (like the ones that come with a new vacuum cleaner) is the pelvic floor? Is there a pelvic ceiling (the diaphragm between the thoracic and abdominal cavities? Something else?)? Why is it called a floor? What parts of it have nerve endings and what parts don’t? What parts are under my direct control, and what parts are not (example from the diaphragm: no nerve endings or direct control, in spite of what my high school choir teacher told us)? What exactly do I need to do about/with/for it? How will I know when I have achieved success? What makes dealing with this area of the female body practical and useful? Where should it fall in my list of priorities for dealing with my body?

Thanks 🙏 as you can see I have Many Questions 😵‍💫☺️😆🙏

Thank YOU, Goergie!

I think it’s so real and normal to have these questions. We live in a culture where the pelvic floor isn’t discussed, and so much of this space is associated with shame, regardless of gender. (Fun fact: the pudendal nerve that we’ll talk about translates to parts to be ashamed of in Latin. So, that’s cool.)

But there’s truly nothing shameful about having a body, and all bodies have vulnerabilities! It’s my personal belief that these vulnerabilities become exacerbated when we don’t acknowledge or tend to them, so education and information is key for both prevention and treatment.

So! Come with me on this journey as I explain all the basics of the pelvic floor and attempt to fully answer all of Goergie’s questions!