When we were kids, many of us were never taught the proper names for our pelvic floor and sexual anatomy. Instead, we were given “cute” words: your flower, your foofoo, your china.

At first glance, those nicknames might feel harmless — even protective. But what happens when the words we grow up with don’t match the truth of our bodies?

We learn silence. We learn shame.

When we talk about the pelvic floor, most people jump straight to the Kegels or the ‘squeeze and lift’ muscles. But there’s a deeper, often-forgotten player that holds more sway than you might think: the obturator internus (OI).

If you’ve ever experienced deep glute pain, sacroiliac discomfort, hip restriction, or stubborn pelvic floor tension that just won’t shift—this muscle might be part of the picture.