Do You Suffer from Pelvic Pain?

November 2022

Do you suffer from pelvic pain? Did you know your pelvic pain can be relieved? Too often, people dealing with pelvic pain are told, “you just need to live with it,” or “you should accept that your body isn’t as strong as it used to be.” Please don’t believe that! Your body is strong and resilient. 

Pelvic pain can be limiting and even a bit embarrassing. It can hinder your daily life and prevent you from doing tasks or activities you love. The cause of pelvic pain can be complex. If left untreated, pelvic pain can persist and negatively impact daily function and quality of life. Some common causes of pelvic pain include:

  • Pregnancy and childbirth 
  • Muscle weakness or imbalance within the muscle of the pelvic floor
  • Muscle weakness of the hips, lower extremity, and/or trunk
  • Poor motor coordination between the pelvic floor muscles, diaphragm, and abdominal muscles
  • Changes in the muscles that control the bowel and bladder
  • Scar tissue after abdominal or pelvic surgery
  • A shift in the position of the pelvic organs (known as prolapse) due to stretching of ligamentous and fascial structures during childbirth
  • Pelvic girdle joint irritation
  • Tightness and tenderness in pelvic floor muscles
  • Endometriosis

Pelvic pain can affect those who are pregnant, postpartum, or recovering from gender affirmation and other surgical procedures. Both men and women are affected by pelvic pain.

Pelvic pain is pain felt in the lowest part of your abdomen and pelvis. Symptoms of pelvic pain include:

  • Difficulty sitting
  • Pain with sexual intercourse
  • Pain with urination or defecation 
  • Incontinence (urinary/fecal, stress, urge)
  • Frequent urination
  • Pain in the hip, butt, tailbone, lower abdomen, or pelvis
  • Constipation
  • Limited motion in the hips and spine
  • Difficulty walking, performing household chores, or exercising
  • Pre/postpartum pain
  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Aching or burning pain in the lower abdomen

Fortunately, pelvic floor rehabilitation can help ease your symptoms and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles to alleviate additional problems. Pelvic physical therapy helps individuals with pelvic pain restore strength, mobility, and function of the muscles and joints in the pelvic region. We help you get back to your everyday activities and oftentimes open up opportunities for more. 

Some of the other common pelvic conditions that we treat in our clinic include the following:

  • Pregnancy and postpartum – Pregnancy can cause the muscles and connective tissue in the pelvic area to be injured or weakened. This can cause many different issues such as back and hip pain, urinary problems, and constipation. Pelvic floor rehabilitation helps reduce the pain that is being felt and strengthens any damaged muscles or tissues. Pelvic floor treatment also helps to reduce pain symptoms caused by strained muscles and connective tissue damage in your pelvic floor after the baby is born.
  • Urinary incontinence – Abdominal weakness, prostate problems, childbirth, constipation, and other factors can cause incontinence in people. Urinary incontinence can happen to anyone. Bladder leakage can be embarrassing and uncomfortable to discuss, so working with a trained professional can be very beneficial. There are a variety of causes and types of urinary incontinence. This affects children (pediatrics), teenagers, and adults. Pelvic floor physical therapy is the first-line treatment to improve urinary incontinence or any urinary leaking. People have often tried Kegel’s, but there is so much more that can and often needs to be done.
  • Gender affirmation surgery – During the transition process individuals often undergo procedures that may include hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries that aim to alter the individual’s physical appearance to match their gender identity. Pelvic floor physical therapists play a unique and essential role in your care before, during and after surgery. Pelvic PTs are specialized in treating pelvic floor dysfunction as well as improving function, providing pain relief, treating bowel and bladder disorders, addressing sexual function, and so much more. As with any surgical procedure, there are risks of complications that can affect quality of life. Luckily, pelvic therapists are specifically trained to help prevent these complications and treat them if they arise.

You may have tried to treat pelvic pain issues on your own, often through kegel exercises. While kegel exercises serve a purpose, they may not stop your pelvic pain, leaking, or other symptoms. Maybe you don’t need to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Many times pelvic floor pain is related to back or hip issues.  

When you come to see us at Revitalize 3D, we will take a comprehensive assessment of your whole body to see where the cause of the problem is. Your assessment helps us make a pelvic floor physical therapy plan that best suits your individual needs.  

Treatment techniques for pelvic pain may include:

  • Pelvic floor exercises to either strengthen or relax pelvic floor muscles 
  • Education on how diet can affect symptoms
  • Strategies to reduce urinary urgency and frequency
  • Techniques to improve coordination of pelvic floor muscles
  • Strength and/or motor coordination exercises for the hips, trunk, and lower extremity muscles 

It’s time to get rid of pelvic pain. You can feel strong and confident. We specialize in pelvic health rehabilitation and are equipped with the resources necessary for treatment of pelvic pain. Don’t let your pelvic pain limit you. Contact Revitalize 3D today!