Posture and the Pelvic Floor

We all know that our poor posture in both sitting and standing can be to blame when it comes to neck and back pain.  But did you know that poor posture can affect your pelvic floor function as well?!  The good news is that there is no need to try to achieve perfect posture- because it doesn’t exist!  We need to find the perfect posture for YOU.  Let’s start at the top and work our way down…

Head, Shoulders and Upper Back

If you sit working at a computer for a living, chances are you’ve had neck and upper back pain.  The digital age, while wonderful, can be terrible for our posture.  We often develop a typical forward head and rounded shoulder posture.  This can lead to shoulder impingement, neck pain, tingling in the arms, jaw pain or clicking, tight pectoralis muscles and difficulty achieving an upright posture without pain.  Sitting in this posture can also affect how you breathe which can also contribute to neck muscle tightness and pelvic floor dysfunction.  It’s not just sitting that is the problem though.  If we stand in a slouched position while looking down at our phones, that’s not good either.  Finding little ways to remind us of good posture throughout the day will be key.

Lower Back

Just like the upper back, sitting or standing in a slumped position will lead to pain in the lower back.  Trying to maintain a completely erect posture can strain the lower back as well.  We often try to over-correct the problem leading to other problems.  Being conscious of your work set up, whether you are sitting or standing, can make a big difference.

Pelvis

Is your pelvis tilted forward or backward or are you unsure?  Neither is necessarily a bad thing unless it is leading to pain or pelvic discomfort.  We are trying to figure out what positions are habitual for you and causing pain, not trying to change who you are.  

Hips

Sitting for prolonged periods can lead to tightness in the front of your hips contributing to lower back pain.  Do you sit crossed legged on the floor or cross one leg over the other while sitting to work?  Do you stand with your legs turned in or out?  Do you have a tendency to stand on one leg more than the other?  Think about these questions and see if the answers can lead you to a possible cause of your pain.

Knees

Your knees are similar to your elbows in that if something is going on at the joint above or below (hips and ankles, or shoulders and wrists respectively), it can lead to pain in the middle joints.  Even though these sections are separated by body part, understand that everything is attached and can affect the rest of your body.  So do your knees fall in towards each other or are you bow legged?  Do you have pain on the outside or inside of your knees?  Do your knees go beyond straight in standing?  All of these things will be considered during your evaluation.

Feet

And finally, the base of the system.  Do you have flat feet or high arches?  Do you walk on the outside of your feet?  Do you have pain on the bottom of your feet?  Are you a toe walker?  Do you shift your weight from one side to the other to give your feet a break?  What footwear do you commonly use?  

The Whole System

By simply checking in with your body at each of these different levels, you can help determine what could be contributing to your pain.  I’ll show you in this week’s social media posts how each of these can affect the pelvic floor.  At Empower Women’s Health, we take a comprehensive full-body approach to healing the pelvic floor.  Because guess what?!  It’s all attached!

Yours in Pelvic Health,

Danielle