Often unnoticed until symptoms develop.
When these muscles weaken, the effects show up in ways that disrupt daily life: bladder leakage, bowel control problems, pelvic heaviness, reduced sexual sensation, and a feeling that something has shifted inside the pelvis. Many women experience these changes and assume they are just part of having children or getting older. They are common, but they are not something you have to accept.
At ReNueva, pelvic floor health is treated as a core component of overall wellbeing, not an afterthought.
What Causes Pelvic Floor Weakness
Pelvic floor weakness rarely has a single cause. It typically develops from the cumulative effect of physical stress, hormonal changes, and time.
Childbirth. Pregnancy and vaginal delivery are the most common causes. Prolonged labor, large infants, instrumental delivery (particularly forceps), and perineal tears can cause direct injury to the muscles, nerves, and connective tissue. Some women recover fully. Others experience lasting weakness that may not become apparent until months or years later, sometimes only surfacing during menopause when hormonal support declines.
Menopause. Estrogen plays a direct role in maintaining pelvic floor strength and elasticity. As estrogen declines, these structures gradually lose tone and resilience. Chronic straining (constipation, chronic coughing, repeated heavy lifting). Body weight. Prior pelvic surgery. Aging.
How Pelvic Floor Weakness Connects to Other Conditions
Pelvic floor weakness is the root condition behind many of the symptoms women experience. It is one of the primary mechanical drivers of stress urinary incontinence, may contribute to urge incontinence, and plays a direct role in bowel incontinence. For many women, addressing the underlying pelvic floor weakness is the most effective path to improving bladder and bowel control simultaneously. See our Female Incontinence and Fecal Incontinence pages for more detail on each condition.
Symptoms
If you are experiencing several of the following, they may be connected to the same underlying cause: urinary leakage with coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise; urgency or frequent urination; difficulty controlling gas or bowel movements; pelvic pressure or heaviness; sensation of bulging or dropping; reduced vaginal sensation or discomfort during intercourse; difficulty emptying bladder or bowel; lower back discomfort that worsens with standing; feeling of reduced core support.
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, connective tissues, and ligaments that spans the base of the pelvis. These structures support the bladder, uterus, and rectum from below and play a central role in bladder control, bowel control, sexual function, core stability, and pelvic circulation. Under normal conditions, the pelvic floor contracts and relaxes in a coordinated pattern. When these muscles become weakened, stretched, or poorly coordinated, they can no longer perform these functions effectively.
When the pelvic floor becomes significantly weakened, the organs it supports may begin to descend from their normal position. Prolapse can involve the bladder dropping into the vaginal wall, the rectum pressing forward into the vagina, or the uterus descending into the vaginal canal. It may present as a sensation of heaviness or pressure, a feeling that something is bulging within the vaginal canal, difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel completely, or discomfort during prolonged standing or physical activity. Strengthening the pelvic floor may help support the organs, reduce symptoms, and in some cases slow or prevent further progression.
Uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology to deliver thousands of deep pelvic floor contractions in a single session. These supramaximal contractions recruit muscle fibers beyond what voluntary Kegel exercises can achieve. For women with pelvic floor weakness, EMSELLA may help restore muscle strength and endurance, improve bladder and bowel control, support pelvic organ position, and enhance sexual sensation. Patients also commonly report improved sexual function as pelvic floor strength returns. Sessions are performed fully clothed with no internal devices.
Learn moreDelivers controlled radiofrequency energy to vaginal and pelvic tissues, stimulating collagen production, improving blood flow, and restoring tissue elasticity. EMFEMME 360 addresses the connective tissue component of pelvic floor weakness that muscle strengthening alone may not resolve.
Learn moreAn advanced neuromuscular stimulation platform that retrains weakened pelvic muscles and improves coordination. Pelvic floor function is not just about strength, it is about timing, activation patterns, and the muscles responding at the right moment. FREEDOM+ may be used as a standalone therapy or in combination with EMSELLA for a more comprehensive approach.
Learn moreTargeted therapy to strengthen or relax pelvic floor muscles, improve coordination and motor control, reduce pelvic pain or tension, and support long-term stability. When appropriate, ReNueva coordinates care with experienced pelvic floor physical therapists.
Weight management, smoking cessation, constipation management, posture and lifting technique guidance, and exercise modification to reduce unnecessary pelvic floor strain.
The symptom-specific pages below go deeper into each condition.
Improvement develops gradually over a series of treatments as muscles strengthen, tissue remodels, and coordination improves. You remain fully clothed throughout. For EMSELLA, you sit on a specialized chair for approximately 28 minutes. Most patients describe the sensation as a comfortable tingling or rhythmic lifting. No preparation required. Many women notice changes in bladder control, pelvic support, or sensation after the first few sessions, with continued improvement over weeks. These are walk-in, walk-out treatments. You can return to your normal activities immediately. In Fort McMurray, heavy lifting, repetitive exertion, long hours on your feet, and high-impact activity increase downward pressure on pelvic structures. For women balancing physically demanding work with the effects of childbirth or hormonal changes, the combination can accelerate weakness in ways that lifestyle alone cannot address. You do not need to keep managing symptoms quietly. Book a consultation for a private, individualized evaluation. There is no judgment and no pressure.
At ReNueva, we find that pelvic floor weakness almost always involves more than one component. Muscle weakness, connective tissue laxity, hormonal changes, and neuromuscular coordination issues typically coexist. EMSELLA addresses muscle strength and activation. EMFEMME 360 addresses tissue quality and connective tissue integrity. FREEDOM+ Command Stack retrains coordination and timing. Pelvic floor physical therapy supports long-term motor control. Many women have tried Kegels and found them insufficient. That is often because the weakness involves tissue laxity or coordination deficits that voluntary exercise cannot fully address. When your clinician assesses your situation, the goal is to identify which layers are contributing and build a protocol that addresses them together.
No. Childbirth is the most common cause, but menopause, aging, chronic straining, excess weight, and prior surgery all contribute. Women who have never had children can develop pelvic floor weakness.
Kegel exercises can help, but they rely on correct technique and sufficient muscle activation. The correct method involves identifying the muscles used to stop urine flow or prevent passing gas, contracting and holding for several seconds, then relaxing for the same duration, without holding your breath or tightening the abdomen, buttocks, or thighs. Many women perform them incorrectly or have weakness that involves tissue laxity or coordination issues that Kegels alone cannot address. EMSELLA delivers contractions at an intensity and depth that voluntary exercise cannot match.
No. EMSELLA sessions are performed fully clothed. EMFEMME 360 involves a different protocol that your clinician will explain during consultation.
Strengthening the pelvic floor may help support pelvic organs, reduce symptoms, and in some cases slow progression. Your clinician will assess the degree of prolapse and recommend the appropriate approach.
A typical EMSELLA protocol is six sessions over three weeks. Your clinician may recommend additional sessions or combination therapy depending on severity.
Many women report improved vaginal sensation and sexual satisfaction after pelvic floor strengthening. Weakened pelvic floor muscles can reduce sensation during intercourse and contribute to difficulty achieving orgasm. Restoring strength and tone to these muscles is a common benefit, though individual results vary.
Not entirely, but prenatal and postnatal pelvic floor exercises, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding chronic straining, and proper lifting technique can all reduce risk. Early intervention when symptoms first appear can prevent progression.
Inherited connective tissue characteristics may increase susceptibility. If close family members have experienced prolapse or incontinence, your risk may be higher, which makes proactive pelvic floor care more important.
Book a consultation to discuss your concerns in a confidential, professional setting and create a personalized treatment plan.
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