How a Pelvic Floor Therapist Can Be Part of Your IBS Journey
Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can feel overwhelming. Between unpredictable flare-ups, constant bloating, and the frustration of alternating constipation and diarrhea, it often seems like IBS takes over every part of your life. Add in the role of stress—a known trigger for IBS symptoms—and it’s easy to feel stuck in a cycle you can’t break.
But here’s the good news: your gut health doesn’t have to be managed by diet and medication alone. A pelvic floor therapist can play an important role in helping you understand your symptoms, regain control, and improve your daily comfort.
IBS and the Pelvic Floor Connection
When you think of IBS, you probably picture your digestive tract. But your pelvic floor muscles—the group of muscles that support your bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs—are deeply connected to how your gut functions.
Here’s why:
Constipation can be linked to muscles that tighten instead of relaxing when you try to have a bowel movement.
Bloating often increases pressure in the pelvic floor, creating discomfort and even pelvic pain.
Stress and anxiety not only trigger IBS flare-ups but also lead to tension in your pelvic floor muscles, making symptoms worse.
When the pelvic floor isn’t coordinating properly with your bowel, your IBS symptoms can become more severe or harder to manage.
How Pelvic Floor Therapy Helps IBS
Working with a pelvic floor therapist can complement the medical and dietary strategies you’re already using. Therapy may include:
Education on bowel mechanics: Learning how your muscles and gut work together to reduce constipation and straining.
Breathing techniques to calm stress: Ribcage breathing and gentle relaxation exercises that help calm the nervous system and reduce IBS flare-ups.
Manual therapy and stretches: Hands-on treatment to release tension and improve coordination in the abdominal and pelvic muscles.
Bowel retraining: Guidance on positioning and habits that make bowel movements easier, reduce bloating, and prevent further strain.
By addressing both the stress-IBS connection and the pelvic floor-bowel connection, therapy offers a more complete approach to managing symptoms.
Why This Matters
IBS is more than a digestive disorder—it impacts your whole quality of life. If stress, constipation, and bloating are part of your daily routine, adding pelvic floor therapy to your care team can give you new tools and strategies to feel better.
At Health Elevated, we believe healing isn’t just about managing symptoms—it’s about restoring confidence in your body.
✨ Ready to see how pelvic floor therapy can help in your IBS journey?
Contact us today or call 269-262-1403 to schedule your evaluation.
