10 Tips to Decrease Your Pelvic Pain

In Female Pelvic Pain by Elizabeth Akincilar

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack

 

Pelvic pain can significantly impact your quality of life, but there are steps you can take to decrease or minimize this discomfort. In this blog, we will discuss 10 tips that can help alleviate pelvic pain and promote overall pelvic health.

 

  1. Put a stool under your feet when having a bowel movement: Placing a stool under your feet can help align your body in a more natural position, reducing the need to strain during bowel movements. This can minimize pressure on the pelvic floor muscles and decrease pelvic pain.

 

  1. Don’t “hold it” when you have to urinate: Ignoring the urge to urinate or delaying urination can lead to bladder overactivity and pelvic pain. Make it a habit to promptly go to the bathroom when you feel the need.

 

  1. Vary your position during the day: Sitting all day can contribute to pelvic pain. Consider using a sit/stand desk or taking breaks to stand and move around. Changing positions frequently helps prevent prolonged pressure on the pelvic floor muscles.

 

  1. Check in with your breath: Holding your breath during activities can increase tension in the pelvic floor muscles and exacerbate pelvic pain. Practice mindful breathing and make sure you are not unintentionally holding your breath throughout the day.

 

  1. Pay attention to tension in your buttocks: Clenching your buttock muscles can strain the pelvic floor muscles, leading to pelvic pain. Make a conscious effort to relax your buttocks and release any unnecessary tension in that area.

 

  1. Avoid holding in your belly: Constantly holding in your stomach muscles can strain the pelvic floor muscles and contribute to pelvic pain. Take a deep belly breath once every hour to release tension in your abdomen and promote relaxation.

 

  1. Exhale during lifts at the gym: Holding your breath while lifting weights or exerting yourself can increase pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. Remember to exhale during each repetition to release tension and minimize pelvic pain.

 

  1. Consult with a physical therapist: A physical therapist specializing in pelvic health can evaluate your posture and provide individualized recommendations. They can help you improve your posture, normalize your pelvic floor muscles, and alleviate pelvic pain.

 

  1. Don’t try to delay climax during sexual activity: Attempting to delay orgasm during sexual activity can strain the pelvic floor muscles and contribute to pelvic pain. Communicate openly with your partner and find a pace that is comfortable for both of you.

 

  1. Decrease the duration and intensity of sexual activity if you experience discomfort: If you experience pelvic discomfort during sexual activity, it’s important to prioritize your comfort and well-being. Reduce the duration and intensity of sexual activity to minimize pelvic pain.

 

While these tips can help decrease or minimize pelvic pain, it’s important to remember that each person’s experience is unique. If you are suffering from persistent pelvic pain, it is crucial to consult with a healthcare professional, such as a pelvic floor physical therapist, to accurately diagnose the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment. Taking proactive steps and seeking professional guidance can help you manage pelvic pain and improve your overall pelvic health.

 

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FAQ

What are pelvic floor muscles?

The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that run from the coccyx to the pubic bone. They are part of the core, helping to support our entire body as well as providing support for the bowel, bladder and uterus. These muscles help us maintain bowel and bladder control and are involved in sexual pleasure and orgasm. The technical name of the pelvic floor muscles is the Levator Ani muscle group. The pudendal nerve, the levator ani nerve, and branches from the S2 – S4 nerve roots innervate the pelvic floor muscles. They are under voluntary and autonomic control, which is a unique feature only they possess compared to other muscle groups.

What is pelvic floor physical therapy?

Pelvic floor physical therapy is a specialized area of physical therapy. Currently, physical therapists need advanced post-graduate education to be able to help people with pelvic floor dysfunction because pelvic floor disorders are not yet being taught in standard physical therapy curricula. The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center provides extensive training for our staff because we recognize the limitations of physical therapy education in this unique area.

What happens at pelvic floor therapy?

During an evaluation for pelvic floor dysfunction the physical therapist will take a detailed history. Following the history the physical therapist will leave the room to allow the patient to change and drape themselves. The physical therapist will return to the room and using gloved hands will perform an external and internal manual assessment of the pelvic floor and girdle muscles. The physical therapist will once again leave the room and allow the patient to dress. Following the manual examination there may also be an examination of strength, motor control, and overall biomechanics and neuromuscular control. The physical therapist will then communicate the findings to the patient and together with their patient they establish an assessment, short term and long term goals and a treatment plan. Typically people with pelvic floor dysfunction are seen one time per week for one hour for varying amounts of time based on the severity and chronicity of the disease. A home exercise program will be established and the physical therapist will help coordinate other providers on the treatment team. Typically patients are seen for 3 months to a year.

What is pudendal neuralgia and how is it treated?

Pudendal Neuralgia is a clinical diagnosis that means pain in the sensory distribution of the pudendal nerve. The pudendal nerve is a mixed nerve that exits the S2 – S4 sacral nerve roots, we have a right and left pudendal nerve and each side has three main trunks: the dorsal branch, the perineal branch, and the inferior rectal branch. The branches supply sensation to the clitoris/penis, labia/scrotum, perineum, anus, the distal ⅓ of the urethra and rectum, and the vulva and vestibule. The nerve branches also control the pelvic floor muscles. The pudendal nerve follows a tortuous path through the pelvic floor and girdle, leaving it vulnerable to compression and tension injuries at various points along its path.

Pudendal Neuralgia occurs when the nerve is unable to slide, glide and move normally and as a result, people experience pain in some or all of the above-mentioned areas. Pelvic floor physical therapy plays a crucial role in identifying the mechanical impairments that are affecting the nerve. The physical therapy treatment plan is designed to restore normal neural function. Patients with pudendal neuralgia require pelvic floor physical therapy and may also benefit from medical management that includes pharmaceuticals and procedures such as pudendal nerve blocks or botox injections.

What is interstitial cystitis and how is it treated?

Interstitial Cystitis is a clinical diagnosis characterized by irritative bladder symptoms such as urinary urgency, frequency, and hesitancy in the absence of infection. Research has shown the majority of patients who meet the clinical definition have pelvic floor dysfunction and myalgia. Therefore, the American Urologic Association recommends pelvic floor physical therapy as first-line treatment for Interstitial Cystitis. Patients will benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy and may also benefit from pharmacologic management or medical procedures such as bladder instillations.

Who is the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Team?

The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center was founded by Elizabeth Akincilar and Stephanie Prendergast in 2006, they have been treating people with pelvic floor disorders since 2001. They were trained and mentored by a medical doctor and quickly became experts in treating pelvic floor disorders. They began creating courses and sharing their knowledge around the world. They expanded to 11 locations in the United States and developed a residency style training program for their employees with ongoing weekly mentoring. The physical therapists who work at PHRC have undergone more training than the majority of pelvic floor physical therapists and as a result offer efficient and high quality care.

How many years of experience do we have?

Stephanie and Liz have 24 years of experience and help each and every team member become an expert in the field through their training and mentoring program.

Why PHRC versus anyone else?

PHRC is unique because of the specific focus on pelvic floor disorders and the leadership at our company. We are constantly lecturing, teaching, and staying ahead of the curve with our connections to medical experts and emerging experts. As a result, we are able to efficiently and effectively help our patients restore their pelvic health.

Do we treat men for pelvic floor therapy?

The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center is unique in that the Cofounders have always treated people of all genders and therefore have trained the team members and staff the same way. Many pelvic floor physical therapists focus solely on people with vulvas, this is not the case here.

Do I need pelvic floor therapy forever?

The majority of people with pelvic floor dysfunction will undergo pelvic floor physical therapy for a set amount of time based on their goals. Every 6 -8 weeks goals will be re-established based on the physical improvements and remaining physical impairments. Most patients will achieve their goals in 3 – 6 months. If there are complicating medical or untreated comorbidities some patients will be in therapy longer.