Dancers Pelvic Floor

The anatomy the pelvic floor is an interconnected series of about two dozen muscles that form a horizontal hammock or sling inside the pelvis.

Dancers pelvic floor.

Winder is a u s based physical therapist specializing in orthopedic and pelvic floor health for dancers. My quest is to experience how the dancer is able to do so many complicated actions at once. Movements in extreme positions involving our spine and pelvic bones impact forces from repetitive jumping and landing pressures from holding our abdominals or breath and the required extreme turnout of the hips can cause the muscles in the pelvic floor to experience fatigue. This dancer was treated with pelvic floor physical therapy.

She serves as assistant professor in the department of dance at california state university long beach where she coordinates the bachelor s degree program in dance science and teaches courses in anatomy injury prevention wellness and pilates. Brooke winder pt dpt ocs. Dancers and other athletes are more prone than the general population to dysfunction of the pelvic floor and this can have major ramifications in dance and life. Pain with sexual intercourse and pelvic pain is also presenting in this young population.

After releasing the muscles and restoring normal muscle coordination and strength the dancer s urinary incontinence resolved and she was able to return to dance symptom free. Though pelvic floor health has become a hot topic for women postpartum who often need to strengthen weakened and compromised muscles there is a different set of concerns when it comes to athletes and dancers. Identifying and isolating the slightest adjustments of the pelvic floor are a specific focus on sensations and awareness. I often see a hypertonic pelvic floor says blackmon meaning the muscles are overactive or gripped and tight.