When the Bathroom Runs Your Life: Reclaiming Bowel and Bladder Health with Pelvic Floor Therapy

Bowel and Bladder Health: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and How Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Help

We believe every woman deserves to feel confident in her body: from movement and intimacy to the most basic daily functions like going to the bathroom. Yet for so many women, bladder leaks, urgency, constipation, and incomplete emptying become quiet struggles that are ignored or chalked up to “normal” postpartum or aging changes.

Here’s the truth: bowel and bladder dysfunction may be common, but they are not normal. And more importantly, they are treatable.

Let’s break down the most common conditions we support, how to know if your symptoms are worth addressing (hint: they are), and how pelvic floor therapy can help you take back control of your body: gently and holistically.

Why Bowel and Bladder Health Matters

Your pelvic floor is responsible for supporting your bladder and bowels and helping control urination and defecation. These muscles contract, relax, and coordinate with your core, diaphragm, and nervous system to allow for smooth function.

But when this system becomes disrupted (whether due to childbirth, stress, hormonal changes, abdominal pressure, trauma, or muscle imbalance), you may experience symptoms like leaking, urgency, constipation, or a sensation of “never being fully empty.”

Ignoring these symptoms not only impacts quality of life but can also worsen over time if not addressed.

Common Bladder Issues We Treat

1. Overactive Bladder (OAB)

Do you feel like you’re always looking for the nearest bathroom? Do you go “just in case” multiple times before leaving the house? Overactive bladder is characterized by a sudden, urgent need to urinate—often with increased frequency and sometimes leakage.

Signs of OAB include:

• Urinating more than 8 times a day

• Waking up multiple times at night to pee (nocturia)

• Feeling like you can’t hold it once the urge hits

• Leaking with urge before reaching the toilet

How pelvic floor therapy helps:
We address muscular imbalances, improve coordination, and work on bladder retraining techniques alongside breathwork and nervous system regulation to calm the urgency at its source.

2. Urge Incontinence

Urge incontinence is a symptom of OAB where the strong urge to urinate results in accidental leakage. This can be triggered by running water, approaching the door, or even just thinking about needing to pee.

You are not losing your mind, and you’re not alone. Many women experience this, especially after childbirth or during perimenopause.

3. Stress Incontinence

Stress incontinence is leaking urine during activities that increase abdominal pressure like coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping, or running.

It’s one of the most common postpartum complaints and is usually due to weakened or uncoordinated pelvic floor muscles.

At Everbloom, we don’t just throw Kegels at the problem. We assess your unique coordination, core function, breath mechanics, and daily habits to rebuild strength in a way that supports your whole body, and not just your bladder.

Common Bowel Issues We Treat

1. Constipation

Chronic constipation isn’t just uncomfortable: it can strain your pelvic floor, create pressure on organs, and lead to symptoms like bloating, hemorrhoids, or prolapse over time.

Signs you may be constipated:

• Fewer than 3 bowel movements per week

• Hard, dry, or painful stools

• Feeling of incomplete emptying

• Needing to strain or push consistently

We look at core pressure management, pelvic floor coordination, posture, hydration, and even visceral mobility (how freely your organs move) to restore regular, easy bowel movements.

2. Fecal Incontinence

Though less talked about, fecal leakage or difficulty controlling gas is more common than people realize, especially postpartum or after pelvic surgery. This can be incredibly isolating and embarrassing, but please know: you are not alone, and it’s not your fault.

Pelvic floor therapy can help by rebuilding sphincter control, improving sensation, and reducing underlying tension patterns that may be contributing to the problem.

3. Bowel Dysfunction from Pelvic Floor Dyssynergia

Sometimes the pelvic floor muscles don’t relax properly when you’re trying to go, creating a “traffic jam” effect. This can lead to straining, discomfort, or incomplete emptying, even if everything else looks “normal” on tests.

This is often a coordination issue, not a strength problem, and our gentle retraining strategies can make a world of difference.

How We Treat Bowel and Bladder Issues at Everbloom

At Everbloom Pelvic Health in Sanford, NC, we take a whole-person, evidence-based approach to restoring pelvic function: not just masking symptoms.

Our Treatment Tools Include:

• Pelvic floor muscle re-education (internal and/or external)

• Bladder and bowel retraining protocols

• Manual therapy and visceral mobilization

• Breathwork, core integration, and postural work

• Nervous system downtraining techniques

• Personalized education and home programs

Everything we do is gentle, consent-based, and trauma-informed. We believe your comfort and autonomy are essential to healing.

What to Expect in a Pelvic Health Assessment

Your first session at Everbloom includes:

• A full review of your bladder and bowel habits

• Education on what’s normal and what’s not

• A whole-body assessment including core strength, posture, and pelvic floor coordination

• An internal assessment, if appropriate and only with your consent

• A personalized plan with take-home strategies and follow-up care

You Don’t Have to Keep Managing Around Your Symptoms

If you’ve been timing your day around bathroom visits, avoiding long drives or workouts, or dreading social situations because of bladder or bowel anxiety, please know: there is help.

You deserve care that’s both expert and compassionate—right here in the Sandhills.

Serving Sanford and the Sandhills

Everbloom Pelvic Health is proud to serve women in Sanford, Pittsboro, Southern Pines, Carthage, and surrounding Sandhills communities. As the only pelvic floor OT clinic in the region, we offer specialized care that gets to the root of your symptoms.

Let’s restore ease, confidence, and trust in your body.
Book your pelvic health assessment or start with a free 15-minute virtual consultation, here