Everything in the human body is crucial for its active functioning. While we have a close analysis down there in your pelvic, you would wonder how fascinatingly it is arranged. The pelvic floor or the area down there consists of an array of muscles called the pelvic floor muscles. Either it is to urinate or indulge in lovemaking, we are totally ignorant of the fact that these multiple muscles are behind such functions. This muscle group provides you a helping hand in a lot of crucial functions in your body like giving support to your pelvic organs, control over your bladder, bowel, and while diddling as well. Maybe because of this, even if we wish, it is not so simple to track the functions of the muscles in the pelvic floor.
Contents
The Pelvic Floor And Muscles In It
Knowing that it is quite tiresome to let you have a clear-cut analysis of each and every pelvic muscle, I came up with the basic and important ideas of them. I hope to provide you with an anatomic picture and functions of the pelvic floor muscles after you finish having a glare at them.
At first glance, you will see a basin-like structure of the pelvic floor muscles. This thick muscular membrane or diaphragm helps you by giving good support to the visceral contents of the pelvis.
The collective name of the thick muscles is levator ani and coccygeus muscles. Remember, the coccygeus is a separate muscle that is not a part of the levator ani. If you want to know further about the muscles involved in the pelvic floor, let’s dig in.
Coccygeus
It also has another name, and that is iliococcygeus, but don’t mistake it as a tongue twister. Even though it is separate from the levator ani, occasionally it is considered as a part of it. This muscle is situated in the posterosuperior aspect region of the muscle group. Anatomically, it is a triangular sheet of muscle, and if you analyze it closer you will see its apex is inserted on the tip and pelvic surface of the ischial spine. Also, there is a connection of the base of this muscle towards the 5th sacral segment and the lateral margins of the coccyx. The rest of the fibers in this muscle merge at its midline too.
Functions:
- Gives good support to the pelvic viscera
- Pulls the coccyx forward after you poop
- Provides better support to the genitals of women.
- Iliococcygeus
This muscle is anteroinferior to the coccygeus and posterosuperior to the pubococcygeus. It is connected to the tendinous arch of the levator ani. There is a midline raphe in your pelvic floor that is formed after a larger number of the fibers in the iliococcygeus muscle link with the fibers of the contralateral half of the muscle. This raphe actually lies as a grove in which the two halves of the muscle unite.
This muscle serves the lower sealing during the excretion process and its other functions are:
- Supporting and raising the pelvic visceral structures.
- Helping the proper functioning of the genitals
- Giving proper support while urination
Pubococcygeus
The intermediate part of the levator ani is pubococcygeus. It consists of the anterior fibers which arise from the surface of the posterior surface of the pubic arch and expanded posteriorly in the horizontal plane. Having a closer analysis, you will be able to see the fibers then intersect to form an ‘X’ shape, and meet the fibers from the contralateral side. You will see a sling is formed around the distal parts of the pelvic organs.
Functions:
- Controls urine flow
- Assists male ejaculation
- Contracts during orgasm
- Aids in childbirth
- Helps in stabilizing the core
Puborectalis
Puborectalis is a muscular U-shaped sling that lies around the anorectal junction. It passes along the levator raphe behind your rectum extending from the pubic bones around your anal canal.
Functions:
- It supports the act of defecation
Your internal organs including the bladder, rectum, genital organs, and the terminal parts of the urethra, inhibit the pelvic cavity. These all organs are shielded or covered by a set of pelvic floor muscles. If you make a close dissection of your pelvic floor, you will see it has a funnel-like structure though it consists of a broadsheet of muscles. The muscles in the pelvic floor have crucial roles in the accurate functioning of the pelvic and abdominal viscera. Altogether, they greatly help the functions in your intestines and bladders. For a female body, these muscles give sizable support and bear out the uterus, especially during the period of conception and childbirth. Above all, it is a blessing that you have all these muscles. Because they even increase the resistance in intrapelvic abdominal pressure on time when you lift heavy objects or cough.
