How Do I Know If I Have a Tight Pelvic Floor?
How do you know if your pelvic floor is too tight? It is more common to hear about strengthening the pelvic floor, but what if that does not work for you? Or what if it makes your problem worse?
What is a Tight Pelvic Floor?
Your pelvic floor is considered “tight” or hypertonic when your pelvic floor muscles are in a constant state of contraction, making them too tense and difficult to relax.
This tension can cause physical symptoms to develop in the body that can be quite uncomfortable. If you’ve noticed a difference in how your pelvic floor feels, keep reading to see if you may have a tight pelvic floor, and what to do if this happens to you.
3 Common Tight Pelvic Floor Muscles Symptoms
There are a few symptoms of tight pelvic floor muscles. Here are some conditions that often indicate tightness of the pelvic floor muscles:
Urgency
Pelvic pain/tailbone pain
Painful intercourse
Urgency:
Urgency is often characterized by the need to sprint to the bathroom as soon as you feel you need to go. Many people get worried about leaking on the way to the bathroom. Sometimes there are triggers for urgency, such as getting out of the car or unlocking the front door.
Typically, the muscles of the pelvic floor that are more toward the outside of your body get tight and irritated with urgency. This increases the problem and becomes a vicious cycle. Some people mistakenly cut their hydration to help the pelvic floor relax.
Instead of decreasing hydration, increasing water intake and working on relaxing these outer muscles can help with urgency.
Pelvic pain or tailbone pain:
Pelvic pain can include pain in the lower abdomen, low back, hips, groin, and the general pelvic region. If this pain gets worse around a female’s cycle, that especially points to the pelvic floor as the culprit. Tailbone pain is also a common form of pelvic pain.
Some of the muscles that make up the pelvic floor attach directly to the tailbone. Work on relaxing down the pelvic floor muscles will often help with pain in these areas.
Pain with intercourse:
Pain or discomfort with intercourse almost always indicates pelvic floor muscle tightness. Relaxing down these muscles can allow for a much more comfortable and tolerable experience!
Though these conditions indicate probable tightness in the pelvic floor muscles, that does not mean they are strong. Muscles can be both tight and weak!
Tight Pelvic Floor and Physical Therapy
Many people who need to relax their pelvic floor muscles also will need to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor physical therapy can help ensure these two approaches are executed effectively. For example, many people need to start with relaxation of the muscles before initiating strengthening.
If you think you might have tight pelvic floor muscles and are ready to solve your problem, reach out to us and speak with a pelvic floor expert today! Contact the Germantown physical therapists at Alpha Project Phyzio below.
