When your Pelvic Floor is TOO Tight
We often see people in our clinic who are struggling with pelvic pain with intercourse, urinary incontinence issues, constipation and difficulty evacuating, and tailbone pain (just to name a few!) What we often find is that instead of having weakness or laxity in their pelvic floor muscles, they are having too much tension in these muscles, and that is what is causing their pain or symptoms.
So now think about this: Where do you carry your stress? Many people would say their neck, shoulders, or low back. But did you know that you can actually carry stress and tension in your pelvic floor? Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that can carry stress and tension, just like any other muscle in your body. This stress and tension can show up as bowel, bladder, or sexual dysfunction.
We call this increased tension or overactivity in your pelvic floor "hypertonic pelvic floor muscles” - which is simply a condition that occurs when your pelvic floor muscles are not relaxing and letting go of tension normally.
What are common signs of a hypertonic or overactive pelvic floor?
Pelvic or vaginal pain with insertion (intercourse, tampons, pelvic exams, etc)
Constipation and difficulty evacuating stool
Pelvic organ prolapse (this is sometimes related to weakness or laxity, but can also be due to tension issues)
Difficulty voiding urine
Irritation around the genitals or pelvis with tight clothing or jeans
Tailbone pain
Hip or low back pain that is not going away with other treatments
Male pelvic issues, such as painful ejaculation and tesitlulcar pain
What are your pelvic floor muscles?
Take a look at the image below to see what your pelvic floor muscles are and where they are located. Both women and men have a pelvic floor. This is a group of 3 layers of muscles that perform bowel, bladder, and sexual functions, as well as support our pelvic organs and provide stability to our low back and pelvic bones.
Image c/o Wikipedia
Here are a few common reasons WHY people have pelvic floor tension:
Sometimes muscle tension doesn’t have a singular cause, but can be a combination of a number of different factors. Everyone is different. Everyone’s muscle tension and pain has different causes. This is why we highly recommend working with a pelvic floor physical therapist who can help identify causes of your pelvic floor tension.
Scar tissue (from birth or from a surgery)
Stress and anxiety
Underlying conditions such as endometriosis, interstitial cystitis (IC), lichen sclerosus, or other chronic pain conditions
Orthopedic injuries
History of trauma
What can I do about my pelvic floor tension?
An evaluation by a pelvic floor physical therapist can help you achieve a better understanding of why you hold tension where you do, and what you can do to address that tension to help you feel better. Contact us to learn more about working with us locally in Woodbury, MN or virtually from anywhere!
