5 Signs Your Pelvic Floor Needs Attention
"It's just normal after having kids." It's one of the most common things I hear in the clinic — and one of the most frustrating, because leaking, heaviness, or pain don't have to be something you just live with. Your pelvic floor is a muscle group, and like any other muscle group, it can be assessed, trained and rehabilitated.
Here are five signs worth paying attention to:
1. Leaking when you laugh, cough or sneeze
This is stress incontinence, and it's one of the most common (and most treatable) pelvic floor issues. It happens when the pelvic floor can't generate enough support to counter sudden pressure from above.
2. A feeling of heaviness or "something falling out"
This sensation can point to mild pelvic organ prolapse. It's more common than people realise, and early intervention with targeted rehabilitation can make a real difference.
3. Needing to go "just in case"
If you find yourself using the bathroom before every outing regardless of urge, your bladder and pelvic floor may have fallen into a pattern that's worth unwinding with proper training.
4. Pain during intercourse
Pelvic floor muscles that are too tight (not just too weak) can cause pain. This is often missed because most people assume pelvic floor issues are only about weakness.
5. Lower back or hip pain with no clear cause
Your pelvic floor works as part of your core system alongside your deep abdominals, diaphragm and back muscles. When it's not functioning well, other areas often compensate — and that shows up as pain elsewhere.
The good news: all of these are assessable and treatable. A real-time pelvic floor ultrasound can show you exactly what's happening, without any guesswork.