Menstrual Cups

Is Your Menstrual Cup Falling Out? Here’s Why

Your menstrual cup is shaped to create a suction cup around the cervix, however, it keeps it’s seal by resting on the pelvic floor muscles. There are a couple of reasons your pelvic floor muscles may not be supporting the menstrual cup.

The pelvic floor or diaphragm is a group of muscles on the underside of the pelvis responsible for supporting the bony pelvis, the internal organs including the vagina, bladder, and rectum, and support sexual functions. Pelvic floor dysfunction or problems with the muscles of the pelvic floor includes decreased strength, restricted tissues, muscle spasms, or overactive muscles. There are several reasons you could be experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction including vaginal or cesarean birth, trauma, anxiety and stress, constipation, or something as simple as sitting in the car for many hours in the day, to name a few. If you do have pelvic floor dysfunction, some other symptoms you may be experiencing includes pain during sexual intercourse, or pain with insertion of the cup, difficulty reaching orgasm, a feeling of pressure or “falling out” in your vagina or rectum, or leakage of urine, feces or gas.

The good news is that these are similar to other muscles in the body in that they are fairly easy to assess and rehabilitate. The not so good news is that the treatment approach is not as simple as, “just do kegels” or “stop your flow of urine when peeing.” The problem is, if you begin pelvic floor strengthening exercises, but you fall under the “overactive pelvic floor muscles” category, then your exercises will not make a change in your strength leaving your cup to continue to fall out or worse, you may develop pelvic pain.

To learn about your pelvic floor, I recommend seeking professional help from a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health. You can find a physical therapist in your area here http://pt.womenshealthapta.org/

If you do not have access to a pelvic physical therapist, follow my instagram account for additional education.

Content contributed by Dr. Grace Abruzzo PT, DPT, CAPP-OB/Pelvic, CD(DONA), PYT-C

Dr. Grace practices integrative pelvic physical therapy in Los Angeles and is certified in obstetric and pelvic health through the American Physical Therapy Association.