Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Introduction, Causes, and Treatment

Have you ever felt the constant desire to go to the bathroom and have a nature number one or two session but not being able to have one? Is it a daily thing? Or, do you strain a lot when you are trying to have a bowel movement or have constant constipation? If so, you may have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction or PFD. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction is the condition where patients can’t feel relaxed enough to urinate or have a good bowel movement. It is also the condition where one’s pelvic floor muscles aren’t functioning well hence why the condition’s name has dysfunction in it. However, what causes PFD?

Many people may wonder about the causes of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the causes of PFD are things like traumatic injury to one’s pelvic area, overuse of the pelvic muscles, endometrosis, prior pelvic surgeries, pregnancy or childbirth, aging, stress, and connective tissue disorders. In addition, researchers have said that constant straining when having bowel movements can also be a factor that causes PFD. There are also many other causes of PFD like obesity, heavy lifting, coughing, and more. However, doctors and researchers have stated that these are not the only causes of PFD as they don’t actually know what the exact cause of PFD actually is. Nevertheless, the symptoms of PFD are more well-known. 

With this being said, what are the symptoms of PFD then? The symptoms of PFD or pelvic floor dysfunction are constant constipation, frequent bathroom visits,  lower back pain that is unexplainable, painful urinations and other abnormal occurrences when urinating or having a bowel movement. Some abnormal occurrences when urinating or having a bowel movement would be leaking stool or urine, having to change positions when urinating and more symptoms. Although, PFD doesn’t sound like a severe issue, it is actually quite severe as it could cause a person to have chronic pain in their pelvic areas and can affect people immensely in their own lives. For instance, it could cause you to have the desire to go to the bathroom more when you don’t actually need to go, have bowel accidents, have painful episodes throughout the day because of your pelvic muscles, and more. 

Although PFD can be extremely serious, there are many treatments that exist in the world today. For instance, physical therapy, biofeedback, medications, relaxation methods or techniques, and trigger point injections, Biofeedback is the usage of sensors and video to monitor the movements that the pelvic floor muscles do which helps people be mindful of the muscle coordination that people use and help them improve it as well. It is also usually used beside physical therapy. In some situations, some doctors may also prescribe medication for patients to use in order to ease the pain that they are going through and to soften their stool. Some medications that doctors may prescribe are MIraLAX, Colace, or any other stool softeners. The last two treatment options are relaxation methods and trigger-point injections. Trigger point injections are injections into the muscles that are causing pain and numbing them in order for them to relax. There are also many other treatment options a person may have depending on the severity of their symptoms. 

Overall, PFD or Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, is a very serious issue that may severely affect a person and their daily lives if they do not manage it properly with guidance from a doctor or a specialist. PFD is usually caused by things such as childbirth, previous pelvic muscle injuries or other surgeries, stress/anxiety, overuse of the pelvic muscles, aging, and more. Researchers are actually unclear of what the actual cause of PFD are, but these are the ones that can play a large role in it. There are also many different symptoms of PFD. For instance, frequent bathroom visits, constipation, leaking stool or urine, and lower back pain. Although there are a lot of different symptoms of PFD, there are also many treatment options such as relaxation therapy, biofeedback, and medication. Therefore, this is an introduction to PFD or pelvic floor dysfunction, its symptoms, and treatment options. 

Written by Connie Ma at Incisionary

References:

Bradley, M. S. (2025, June 20). Surprising Ways Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Affects Your Life. UPMC HealthBeat. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://share.upmc.com/2025/06/pelvic-floor-dysfunction-affects/

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction - StatPearls. (n.d.). NCBI. Retrieved September 24, 2025, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559246/

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: What It Is, Symptoms & Treatment. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14459-pelvic-floor-dysfunction

Treating patients with pelvic floor dysfunction. (2014, May 22). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved September 24, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/physical-medicine-rehabilitation/news/treating-patients-with-pelvic-floor-dysfunction/mac-20431390