Levator ani

Looks like

A broad muscular sling from the pubic bone round the outlets to the tailbone.

What it does

The main lift of the pelvic floor: it holds organs up and keeps you continent.

Keeping it well

Pelvic-floor exercises, avoid straining; childbirth and chronic coughing stretch it.

Its parts

• Iliococcygeus
• Pubococcygeus
• Puborectalis
• Pubo-analis muscle

Related conditions

• Bone metastases and spinal cord compression
• Botulism
• Chronic constipation
• Fibromyalgia
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Heat exhaustion & heatstroke
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Muscular dystrophy
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Prostatitis & pelvic pain
• Rectal prolapse
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Sarcoma
• Sarcopenia
• Tetanus
• Vulvodynia and vaginismus