Inhale Exhale Repeat

Let’s talk pressure management and intraabdominal pressure (IAP)!

Poor pressure management can contribute to leakage but it can also affect prolapse, diastasis recti (DRA), hernias, or even pelvic, low back, or hip pain. This is one of my favorite things to teach people about because it can make a huge impact on everything.

Intraabdominal pressure (IAP) is the pressure within the abdomen (go figure) and it is constantly changing. It is affected by the muscles of the abdomen (front, back, top & bottom), viscera (organs), and breathing, along with tissue mobility, posture, and strength.

As you breath in, the diaphragm comes down, using negative pressure to fill the lungs. Typically, a coordinated pelvic floor relaxes and lowers, slightly. This manages the IAP and keeps it fairly neutral. Typically, as you breathe out, the diaphragm and pelvic floor contract and lift a little. This results in appropriate pressure management.

​​Typically people wouldn’t think about pressure management. However, people notice POOR pressure management if they have back pain, have had abdominal surgery (C-section, hysterectomy, excision surgery, really any surgery), or prolapse.

Tissue mobility and posture play a role in pressure management, among other things. If there are scars present you may not get full expansion of the abdomen in some direction. If there are adhesions (as seen in endometriosis or abdominal surgery) the viscera won’t roll and glide as we’d like. This can create increased pressure.

Another thing that affects this is decreased core strength. If you don’t have enough strength you won’t have proper posture or support. When people have a diastasis or a hernia, the abdominal pressure can push out through those areas and may result in doming or coning as well as a feeling of pressure or heaviness.

If you’ve had surgery or have pain, and think this could be an issue for you, reach out! Small altered behaviors can make a big change in your quality of life.