The pelvic floor muscles (PFM’s) span from the pubic bone in front to the tailbone (coccyx) and side pelvic walls. They support the bladder, uterus and bowel by tightening muscles and sphincters around the organs when lifting, exercising or coughing. Sitting and standing tall keeps a low level of automatic activity in the PFM’s.

This hollow organ consists of 3 layers of smooth muscle, which are protected on the inner surface by 2 stretchy layers – the submucosal and mucosal layers. These inner layers protect the bladder muscles from the acids, toxins and salts in the urine.

The bowel is the lower part of the digestive system (a hollow tube) that goes from the stomach to the back passage (anus). After processing food it empties solid waste from the body. The bowel is divided into the small intestine where food is digested and nutrients are absorbed. The large bowel absorbs water from the digested food and forms stools.

Many women experience some type of pelvic pain throughout their life. Acute pain lasting from a few minutes to several days can be due to infection or inflammation. Because it’s sometimes difficult to determine what’s causing the pain, a visit to your doctor for a full medical history, physical exam and diagnostic testing is a good place to start.