The pelvis (literally taken from the Latin: Pelvis) is a group of bones consisting out of four different bones that connect the upper body (torso) with the lower body (legs). The pelvis has a general role in the body. It moves along with the different movements of the torso and the legs. The pelvis also plays an important role in the body’s posture. The position of the pelvis determines the posture of the spine, and with that, the back. 

 

The pelvis consists out of four bones. The tailbone, the sacrum, and the left and right hipbones. The hipbones themselves are another group of bones that grow together around puberty. This group consists out of the ilium, the ischial bone, and the pubic bone. The ilium is easy to be recognized, it’s the left and right side of the pelvis and it feels like a large brim on the hips. These edges are called the iliac crest, also known as crista iliaca. The pubic bone, ilium, and the hipbones form the hip socket. This socket connects the femoral head with the topside of the thigh bone (femur). Here is the hip joint being formed. 

 

The pelvis is the connection between the spine and the legs, and it also carries the weight of the torso through gravity. The pelvic bone also has a protective function. The pelvis protects the organs that are positioned in the abdomen. Think about the intestines, genitalia, bladder, and also the uterus. A woman’s pelvis is broader than a man’s pelvis. This has to do with the possibility of the pregnancy. 

 

The bottom part of the pelvis is called the lesser pelvis, also called the pelvis minor. The top part of the pelvis is called the greater pelvis, also called the pelvis major. Organs like the bladder, rectum, vagina, penis, uterus and ovaries, or the prostate, are found in the lesser pelvis. The intestines are located in the greater pelvis. Next, the pubic bone itself also consists out of three parts. Two rami ossis pubis (pubic ramus) and one corpus (the main part of the structure). An ischial bone anatomically looks like a pubic bone and consists out of a rami ossis ischii (ischial ramus) and a corpus as well. 

 

The sacrum and the tailbone are located at the backside of the pelvis. The well-known sacroiliac (SI) joints are located on both sides of the backside of the pelvis. Each and every pelvic bone is attached to each other with joints, muscles and ligaments. Lastly, you can find the pubic bone (symphysis pubis, to give it a fancy name) at the front of the pelvis. 

 

A frequently heard phrase: “I was really wondering what the pelvis actually is? Don’t you just call it your hips?” But that turns out not to be right at all. Your hips are a part of your pelvis. For example, the hip sockets are on both sides of the pelvis. In here, the femoral head connects with the femur. 

 

I’m going to try to summarize some information I have found, so you can find the information you’re looking for right here. 

If you’re looking for pelvic floor exercises or go to the exercises page. If you’re looking for products for your pelvis and go to the Pelvic Store. 

 

 

You can find all sorts of things in the pelvis. The pelvis itself consists out of different bones. It’s being held together by ligaments and it protects your organs. There are also a lot of muscles that support your organs and help them to function. Depending on your gender, you can find a number of different genitalia and organs in your pelvis. For example, your intestines, bladder, uterus or prostate, and also the rectum. Apart from that, you can also find the vagina or the penis around the pelvis, and the well-acquainted anus as well. The pelvis are a bit shaped like a V. The topside is broader than the bottom. In the top part are the intestines located, that amount of inches needs their space as well. In the smaller part are the “good parts” located. The genitalia will do just fine on this spot. The bladder, rectum and the pelvic floor muscles are also located in the bottom part of your pelvis. 

 

The muscles in the pelvis 

There are muscles that go through your pelvis to keep the organs in place. Those muscles can also keep your organs functioning. For example, pushing everything out of the intestines or squeezing everything out of the bladder. To keep the organs in place, they are laying on a kind of bedding of muscles. These are called the pelvic floor muscles.  

 

These pelvic floor muscles keep everything in place. There are also a few openings in this pelvic floor muscle group, for example your urethra and rectum, because they, of course, need to somehow have your urine and stool be able to make their exit. The vagina also has another opening leading to the uterus. These pelvic floor muscles take care of keeping those entrances and exits closed when you don’t have to use the urethra or the anus. You can take care of this matter yourself but a lot goes automatically. You can also feel your pelvic floor muscles yourself, try it out my tightening up the anus, vagina or penis. What you’re feeling when you tense those up are the pelvic floor muscles. But I’m sure that you can also imagine that if there is something wrong with your pelvic floor muscles, that keeping your stool or urine in will be highly disrupted. Having said that, it’s a really important muscle group. 

 

The pelvis and the pelvic floor; what’s the difference? 

The pelvis is a skeletal part and a covering part. The pelvic floor are located in the pelvis, here all organs and necessities are held in place by muscles in a hammock-like manner. However, the pelvis and the pelvic floor do work closely together. The ligaments and muscles give stability but also the mobility. An issue or symptom around one of these spots can cause disruption in that whole area. 

 

The pelvis is really important 

The pelvis forms a type of bridge in our body, from the legs to the torso, but it’s also a huge supporting backbone for our body. The pelvis plays an important role in our day to day life. The pelvis and the corresponding pelvic floor are the foundation of our body. Everyone will eventually start to falter without a proper foundation. This muscle group is included in a lot. The pelvic floor muscles are included in the base of your posture and movements, so you can experience a lot of issues if there’s something wrong with your pelvic floor. The pelvis is also an important protector of your important and vulnerable organs, for example your reproduction tools, your bladder and your intestines. 

 

The difference of the pelvis between men and women 

The pelvis itself differentiates a bit between men and women. The pelvis still has another function, of course. We have never seen a man that has to make space for a baby before, so the male pelvis is a bit smaller than a woman’s. Other than that, you’ll only find organs. With women it’s the uterus and vagina, and with men it’s the prostate and penis. Though the pelvis, whether it belongs to a man or a woman, keeps consisting out of the same bones, ligaments and muscles. If you’re looking for more information about men and their pelvis go to the men page. 

 

The pelvis and your abs, glutes, and back muscles 

The pelvis can do a lot, but it can’t do everything by itself. That’s why the abs, glutes, and back muscles help create a good and firm base together. The pelvic ligaments also play an important part here. The tense up tightly around the pelvis to keep everything on its designated place. This will be different during an eventual pregnancy. Your body will slowly prepare itself for giving birth. The ligaments will loosen up because of the different hormones. Through this, space will be created to eventually create an exit for the baby. See it as a tent, when the ropes are tight and secured the tent will stand nice and firm, but if the ropes were to be looser, the tent would be more unstable. That’s how pelvic instability arises. I have written multiple articles about pelvic instability and also an article with 15 tips for pelvic instability. Maybe that’s something for you! 

 

Your pelvis and the pelvic issues 

Pelvic instability isn’t the only thing that you could get during pregnancy or after pregnancy. You can also develop other pelvic issues, for example incontinence, obstipation, vaginal issues or even sexual issues. Pelvic pain is also a common symptom. Pain in and around your pelvis is almost impossible to prevent, but the amount of pain can vary. You can have pain in the pelvis itself, but also around it. Think about in the lower back muscles, lower abs but also abs that are positioned a bit higher up. Pain in the groin and hips also isn’t a weird thing at all. The pain can even spread out to your upper legs. So you can see that a lot is connected with each other. A small, annoying fact regarding that is that women and men with lower back pain have a bigger chance of developing incontinence.  

 

The cause of different pelvic issues 

You’re continuously using the joints and muscles around your pelvis, but it isn’t always about sheer power. You’re already using this region often during subtle movements. For example, you’re tilting your pelvis upwards and backwards during walking, but this also puts your abs, back muscles, pelvic floor and diaphragm to use. They make sure you can function with stability. When you use those muscles in a wrong manner, for example when you compensate using the wrong muscles for certain actions because of pain, the whole area can be influenced. You walk differently because of the pain and because of this you overload a few muscles. One side will become overactive and the other becomes passive, and that’s quite the imbalance. For example, you see pregnant women waggle, this is compensational behavior with pelvic pain. You often see the same with people with back issues. The breathing pattern is also a part that often gets disrupted because of pain, for example, your abs can become overloaded because of that. You can understand that pain can cause a lot more damage than just giving you the feeling of having pain. When you’re pregnant, you will get a posture that will slowly change overtime, do keep an eye on that and especially try to keep retaining a good posture. Take a look at my article for the posture or moving exercises, or about movement during pregnancy for more information.  

 

All pelvic issues put together 

There are a lot of issues you can get in and around your pelvis. I will sum up a few for you. 

• • Back pains, primarily in the lower back. 

• • Tailbone pain. Issues and pain around and at the tailbone. 

• • Overactive pelvic floor muscles. Obstipation and overflow incontinence are often a follow up because of it. But vaginismus and vulvitis can also develop.  

• • Inactive pelvic floor muscles. Urinal and fecal incontinence are often a follow up.  

• • Erection issues. 

Pelvic issues are often related to a pregnancy but trauma, an accident or a surgery can also be the cause. Take a look here for more information about pelvic issues. 

 

Should you experience issues with your pelvic and you still want to be intimate with each other, I have also gathered some tips and tricks for you. 

 

Where to go when you have pelvic pain 

First and foremost, see your doctor. They can eventually refer you to a pelvic physiotherapist or a pelvic exercise therapist, but also a sexologist, pain clinic, urologist, psychiatrist, or gynecologist. They are good professionals that can help you. 

 

What to do about pelvic pain and pelvic issues 

It’s important that you seek help when you experience any issues in and around your pelvis. I have prepared some exercises for you, and these can help you be on your way, but DO keep in mind that it’s always smart to see a professional for your problems. 

 

Surgery or exercise for pelvic pain or pelvic instability 

A lot of people would rather get treatment than immediately undergoing surgery. Sometimes surgery is necessary, but a lot can be solved with a good treatment. Surgery can always remain an option if the treatment alone doesn’t let you fully recover. A treatment often gets executed by a pelvic physiotherapist, pelvic exercise therapist, or a general physiotherapist/exercise therapist. A treatment generally consists out of a few weeks, but a lot needs to come from you. You are always the one who will have to go through with the exercises to decrease the issues with your pelvis, groin, hips or back. 

So maybe the option for a surgery is still on the table, but don’t be mistaken. A surgery can also bring its complications, and a surgery is also something you have to recover from, so think thoroughly about the steps that come after. If needs be, talk about it with your pelvic therapist or doctor. What’s also an option is exercising before your surgery so the recovery will be faster. The best would be taking on the most beneficial sides of both options! Surgery doesn’t focus on the improvement of your muscles, but rather on the improvement of a passive issue. So training your active parts like muscles first would be a huge step ahead already! 

 

A qualified surgeon will also only do surgery when there isn’t another option. You can’t revert a surgery. If only! So think thoroughly about it before you let someone just slice into you like that. 

 

And lastly, are you looking for more information? 

Hopefully this information was useful to you! We’ve discussed multiple points about the pelvis like the surrounding muscles, pelvic pain, pelvic instability, the functions, the complications, and surgery. If you’re still looking for some more information, feel free to take another look around on the website. It’s filled with in-depth information, tips a webshop and also exercises. I still have a lot of articles with lots of information about other symptoms and issues. Feel free to click on the blue words to take you straight to the right page.