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Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Gut Wrenching Truth and How Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Help!

  • Writer: Carly Gossard
    Carly Gossard
  • Mar 12
  • 3 min read

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)—the condition that makes your gut feel like it’s staging a Broadway-level drama, complete with bloating, cramping, and unexpected bathroom sprints. If your digestive system seems to have a mind of its own, you’re not alone. IBS affects millions of people worldwide, turning mealtime into a gamble and road trips into a quest for the nearest restroom. But what if I told you that your pelvic floor could be playing a sneaky role in all of this?

IBS is a chronic condition that affects how the intestines function, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or sometimes a frustrating mix of both. It’s not caused by an infection or structural abnormality, making it an especially tricky beast to tame.

For some, stress and diet are major triggers. Others find that their gut just likes to keep them guessing. Regardless of the cause, the symptoms can be disruptive, embarrassing, and downright exhausting. And while medications, diet adjustments, and stress management can help, there’s another piece of the puzzle that often gets overlooked: your pelvic floor.


Types of IBS and Why They Occur

IBS is typically categorized into three main types:

  1. IBS-C (Constipation-Dominant IBS) – Characterized by infrequent, hard-to-pass stools, bloating, and abdominal discomfort. This can be due to slowed intestinal motility, which can be worsened by stress, dietary triggers, and pelvic floor dysfunction.

  2. IBS-D (Diarrhea-Dominant IBS) – Marked by frequent, loose stools and an urgent need to use the restroom. This type is linked to overactive gut motility, often triggered by food sensitivities, gut-brain miscommunication, and heightened stress responses.

  3. IBS-M (Mixed-Type IBS) – A frustrating combination of both constipation and diarrhea, often with alternating patterns. This suggests a fluctuating gut motility issue, where the intestines shift unpredictably between being too slow and too fast.





The Pelvic Floor-IBS Connection

Your pelvic floor isn’t just there to keep things from falling out when you sneeze—it’s a network of muscles that supports your bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. When these muscles aren’t functioning properly, they can contribute to a whole host of digestive issues.

Think of it like this: your intestines and your pelvic floor are roommates. If one is having a meltdown, the other is bound to be affected. When your pelvic floor muscles are too tight or too weak, they can disrupt the normal rhythm of bowel movements, making IBS symptoms worse.

For example, if you tend to experience constipation-dominant IBS (IBS-C), tight pelvic floor muscles could be making it harder for you to fully evacuate your bowels. On the flip side, if you struggle with diarrhea-dominant IBS (IBS-D), your pelvic floor might not be providing enough control, leading to urgency and accidents. And if you’re a little bit of both (IBS-M, for mixed), well—your pelvic floor might be just as confused as your gut.


How Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Help IBS

Enter pelvic floor physical therapy—the unsung hero of gut health. A trained pelvic floor therapist can assess the function of these muscles and help you retrain them for better bowel control. Here’s how:

  1. Relaxation Techniques – If your pelvic floor muscles are in a constant state of tension (which can be common with chronic constipation and stress), therapy can help teach you how to relax these muscles, making it easier to pass stool without straining.

  2. Strengthening Exercises – On the other end of the spectrum, if your muscles are weak and not offering enough support, targeted exercises can help restore strength and coordination, reducing episodes of fecal incontinence.

  3. Manual Therapy – Sometimes, hands-on techniques are needed to release tight muscles, improve circulation, and encourage better movement in the pelvic region. There is also a lot of benefit from releasing the abdominal muscles that house the intestines - organs that move well, function well!

  4. Breathwork and Core Coordination – Since your diaphragm, core, and pelvic floor all work together, learning how to breathe properly and engage your core can improve gut motility and reduce symptoms.


Final Thoughts: Give Your Pelvic Floor a Little Love

If you’ve been battling IBS with every probiotic, elimination diet, and stress management technique under the sun, but still feel like your gut is running the show, it might be time to check in with your pelvic floor. These mighty muscles could be the missing piece in your quest for digestive peace.

So, if your gut is sending you on an emotional rollercoaster and your bathroom habits have become a daily mystery, consider adding pelvic floor therapy to your IBS toolkit. Your intestines will thank you.


 

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