The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani, the coccygeus, and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis. It is important in providing support for pelvic viscera (organs), e.g. the bladder, intestines, the uterus (in females), and in maintenance of continence as part of the urinary and anal sphincters. Image File history File links Gray404. ... The Levator ani is a broad, thin muscle, situated on the side of the pelvis. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Elseviers logo Elsevier, the worlds largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. ... The Levator ani is a broad, thin muscle, situated on the side of the pelvis. ... The Coccygeus is situated behind the levator ani. ... The pelvis (pl. ... In anatomy, the viscera are the internal organs of an animal, in particular the internal organs of the head, thorax and abdomen. ... In the anatomy of mammals, the urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys prior to disposal by urination. ... The intestine is the portion of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. ... The uterus or womb is the major female reproductive organ of most mammals, including humans. ... Continence is the opposite of incontinence, and can mean: sexual continence urinary continence This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... In mammals the flow of urine from the urinary bladder is controlled by a group of muscles collectively called the urethral sphincter, named for their proximity to the urethra. ... Female Human Anatomy Male Human Anatomy Anal redirects here. ...

In women, the levator muscles or their supplying nerves can be damaged in pregnancy or childbirth. This occurs more commonly after a normal vaginal delivery, but can also occur following a c-section. There is some evidence that these muscles may also be damaged during a hysterectomy. Pelvic floor exercises, also known as Kegel exercises, may improve the tone and function of the pelvic floor muscles, which is of particular benefit for women (and less commonly men) who suffer from urinary incontinence. In addition to preventing or diminishing leakage it may improve vaginal laxity, and consequent diminished sexual sensation. Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a human pregnancy with the emergence of a newborn infant from its mothers uterus. ... A caesarean section (cesarean section AE), is a surgical incision through a mothers abdomen (laparotomy) and uterus (hysterotomy) to deliver one or more fetuses. ... A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually done by a gynecologist. ... A Kegel exercise, named after Dr Arnold Kegel, is one designed to exercise the pubococcygeal muscles, sometimes called the Kegel muscles in reference to the exercise. ... Urinary incontinence is the involuntary excretion of urine from ones body. ...

Damage to the pelvic floor not only contributes to urinary incontinence but can lead to pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic organ prolapse occurs in women when pelvic organs (e.g. the vagina, bladder, rectum, or uterus) protrude into or outside of the vagina. The causes of pelvic organ prolapse are not unlike those that also contribute to urinary incontinence. These include inappropriate (asymmetrical, excessive, insufficient) muscle tone and asymmetries caused by trauma to the pelvis. Age, childbirth, family history, and hormonal status all contribute to the development of pelvic organ prolapse. The vagina is suspended by attachments to the perineum, pelvic side wall and sacrum via attachments that include collagen, elastin, and smooth muscle. Repair of lost vaginal support may involve surgery. Prolapse literally means To fall out of place. ...

See also

• Vaginal barbell
• Vaginal Cone Therapy

The Kegel exerciser (or vaginal barbell) is a medical device designed to be used by women to exercise the pubococcygeus muscle (also called the PC muscle). ... Urinary incontinence is the involuntary excretion of urine from ones body. ...

External links

• Overview at nih.gov

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... An illustration from the 1918 edition Henry Grays Anatomy of the Human Body, commonly known as Grays Anatomy, is an anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on human anatomy. ...

so um yea pelvic floor i had to study that for chorus