If you’ve ever worked with a physical therapist for back pain, hip issues, or even stress incontinence, you’ve probably heard us talk about your core. But as someone who works at the intersection of orthopedics and pelvic health, I want to zoom in on two (often-overlooked but absolutely vital) players in your core system: the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. These two structures live at opposite ends of your torso, but they function as a team.

When most people hear "pelvic floor," they often think Kegels. And when they hear “core,” they picture six-pack abs. But as a pelvic health physical therapist, I can tell you it’s way deeper than that, literally and figuratively.‍ One of the most common things I hear from clients is: “I had no idea the pelvic floor was part of my core.” And honestly, I get it. Most of us grew up doing crunches in gym class, not learning how to breathe or engage our pelvic floor. But let’s change that.

Posture can absolutely influence the function of your pelvic floor muscles. When people think about posture, they often focus on their shoulders, neck and back. But one of the most overlooked aspects of posture is how it affects the pelvic floor. Whether you are struggling with incontinence, pelvic pain, core weakness or any other sign of pelvic floor dysfunction, your posture may be playing a bigger role than you realize.

Endometriosis affects 1 out of 10 women. Typically it starts out as painful periods, but can progress to chronic pelvic pain, abdominal pain, painful intercourse, and/or bowel and bladder issues. It can even lead to infertility. ‍It is common for people to have signs and symptoms of endometriosis for years (and sometimes decades) before being formally diagnosed with it. This prolonged process leads to unnecessary suffering, feelings of embarrassment and isolation, and reduced quality of life. That is why awareness is key.

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, many of my clients are female. But I have specialized training to help males too! Equipped with the most advanced tools and techniques in the industry, like Visceral Manipulation, Low Pressure Fitness, and the Redcord suspension system, I can help you overcome pain and pelvic floor dysfunction, regardless of your gender.

Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA), also commonly known as abdominal separation, is a condition in which the connective tissue (linea alba) between the right and left side of the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscle) is widened. It typically occurs during pregnancy, when natural separation must occur to accommodate the growth of the uterus and fetus. This separation affects up to 70% of postpartum females.

Visceral manipulation is a gentle type of manual therapy treatment focused on the organs and associated connective tissue. As a pelvic health physical therapist, I use it often to treat a wide variety of conditions across all ages and genders. Some common conditions that Visceral Manipulation helps includes: musculoskeletal problems like lower back pain, sciatica, and neck pain...

If you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, Low Pressure Fitness (LPF) may be the answer to your problem. LPF is a holistic movement system that combines breathing, posture, and low-impact exercises to improve core strength and pelvic health. The practice uses "hypopressive" breath techniques, which involve controlled breathing phases that create a suctioning effect, activating deep core muscles and the pelvic floor.

Whether you consider yourself an expert on the pelvic floor or you are just exploring what the heck goes on “down there,” it never hurts to have a better understanding of the essential functions of the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is more than a complex network of ligaments, muscles, and connective tissue (fascia). This dome-shaped structure has five extremely important “S” functions.

I love Pilates! So naturally, I think that it is an awesome modality for most physical therapy diagnoses. But it has been shown to be especially beneficial for people with scoliosis. I was trained by Polestar Pilates and their principles are: breath, axial elongation, movement integration, organization of head, neck and shoulders, spinal articulation, centering, control, flow and precision.