More Than Just Kegels: The Pelvic Floor’s Powerful Connection to Your Whole Body
- Amber Bartz
- Jun 14
- 4 min read
When people think of pelvic floor physical therapy, they often picture something highly specific—maybe kegels, postpartum care, or help with incontinence. But here’s the truth: the pelvic floor is far more integrated into your overall health and movement than most people (and even many providers) realize.
At Catalyst Physical Therapy, we take a full-body, holistic approach to care. We don’t just treat the site of your symptoms—we look at how your entire body works together, including the deep and complex ways your pelvic floor connects to everything from your jaw to your feet.
Let’s break down the pelvic floor’s role and how dysfunction in this area can create a ripple effect throughout the body—and vice versa.
What Is the Pelvic Floor, Really?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues at the bottom of your pelvis. These muscles support your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus/prostate, and rectum), help control bowel and bladder function, assist with sexual function, and stabilize your core. They also play a huge role in breathing and pressure regulation through their coordination with the diaphragm and deep abdominal muscles.
But the pelvic floor isn’t working in isolation—it’s part of a complex system.
How the Pelvic Floor Connects to Other Regions
🧠 Brain + Nervous System
Stress, anxiety, and trauma can directly affect pelvic floor function. Chronic stress can lead to unconscious clenching of the pelvic floor muscles (just like you might clench your jaw or shoulders), leading to tension, pain, or even pelvic organ dysfunction over time. At Catalyst, we often discuss nervous system regulation and emotional health as part of the healing process.
💨 Diaphragm + Breath
Your diaphragm (the main muscle used for breathing) and pelvic floor move together like a piston. When you inhale, the diaphragm moves down—and so should the pelvic floor. Poor breathing patterns, such as shallow chest breathing or breath-holding, can create imbalances in this pressure system, leading to symptoms like prolapse, pelvic pain, or abdominal pressure.
💪 Abdominals + Core
The pelvic floor works alongside your deep core muscles, including the transverse abdominis and multifidus (spinal stabilizers). Weakness, overuse, or poor coordination in any of these muscles can create imbalances that result in back pain, hip issues, or pelvic instability.
🦴 Hips + Spine
Tight hips, glutes, or low back muscles can pull on the pelvis and alter alignment or muscle balance, placing undue strain on the pelvic floor. Likewise, unresolved pelvic floor dysfunction can cause pain or compensations in the hips and lower back. It’s a two-way street.
🦶 Feet + Posture
Believe it or not, the way your feet hit the ground can impact your pelvic floor. Poor arch support, uneven weight distribution, or compensations from old injuries can change your posture, pelvic alignment, and how your pelvic floor muscles engage.
🦷 Jaw + Neck
Yes, even your jaw is connected to your pelvic floor. Fascial connections and shared nerve pathways mean that tension in your jaw, face, or upper neck can reflect as pelvic tension—and vice versa. People who grind their teeth or clench their jaw often carry similar patterns in the pelvic floor.
✨ Real Patient Example
One of our recent patients came in with urinary leakage every time she jumped, jogged, or did anything more dynamic than walking. We worked through all the usual pelvic floor and core strengthening strategies—and she made progress—but we couldn’t quite resolve the leakage completely.
So, we took a closer look at her feet. That’s right—her feet. Don't worry, she looked at me like I was crazy too.
We discovered some imbalances in how she was standing and moving through her feet, which were throwing off her entire movement pattern. After making a few small changes to her foot posture and muscle activation, she had an immediate reduction in leakage—within five minutes, without doing anything new for her core or pelvic floor. The look on her face when she felt the immediate improvement was one of pure shock and amazement (it made my week). It was a powerful reminder: everything is connected.
Sometimes the key to your pelvic floor problem isn’t in your pelvis at all.
Common Conditions That May Be Related to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Many people don’t realize the symptoms they’re dealing with could be rooted in—or worsened by—pelvic floor issues. Some common examples include:
Low back, hip, or SI joint pain
Pain during or after sex
Tailbone pain
Urinary urgency, leakage, or incontinence
Constipation or painful bowel movements
Abdominal pressure or bloating
Feeling of heaviness or prolapse
Pain with prolonged sitting, standing, or certain movements
Unresolved symptoms even after orthopedic treatment
How Pelvic Physical Therapy Can Help
At Catalyst Physical Therapy, we take a head-to-toe and inside-out approach. That means we don’t just focus on your pelvic floor in isolation—we assess your whole body to uncover the root cause of your symptoms and how different systems are interacting.
Here’s what that might include:
✅ Comprehensive Evaluation
We look at posture, movement patterns, breathing mechanics, strength, flexibility, and alignment—not just locally, but throughout your entire body.
✅ Internal and External Pelvic Floor Assessment
With your comfort and consent, we evaluate the muscles of the pelvic floor for tension, weakness, or dysfunction, both internally and externally.
✅ Hands-On Manual Therapy
We use gentle, skilled manual techniques to release tight tissues, improve joint mobility, and restore balance—whether that’s in your pelvis, diaphragm, jaw, or feet.
✅ Personalized Movement Prescription
You’ll receive a customized plan that includes exercises for mobility, coordination, strength, and body awareness—so your whole system works better together.
✅ Education + Lifestyle Support
We also talk about things like stress, sleep, bowel and bladder habits, nutrition, and daily movement—because they all matter. True healing comes from addressing the whole picture.
You Are Not Broken or Crazy—You Just Need the Right Support
If you’ve been told everything looks “normal” or that your symptoms are just part of getting older, having babies, or being active—it’s time for a second opinion.
Most of our patients come to us feeling frustrated and unheard. They’ve been through the healthcare system and left without real answers. We’re here to change that.
Pelvic physical therapy—done right—can help you feel strong, empowered, and whole again.
💬 Want to Learn More?
Whether you’re dealing with pelvic pain, back issues, postpartum symptoms, or something that hasn’t been clearly diagnosed yet, we’d love to help. Contact us today for a free consultation or to schedule your first visit.
📞 520-222-6928
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