3 Ways Your Pelvic Floor May Be Contributing to Pain
1. Your low back pain keeps coming back
Your pelvic floor is part of your body's pressure-management and trunk-support system. It coordinates with your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and back muscles as you breathe, lift, bend, and exercise.
If these muscles aren't coordinating effectively, or if you're consistently bracing and holding tension, your back may be working harder than it needs to.
You might notice that your low back aches after a Pilates class, gets irritated during planks or roll-ups, or feels tight despite regular mobility work.
This doesn't automatically mean your pelvic floor is the cause. But if your back pain keeps returning despite addressing strength and mobility, it may be worth looking at the bigger picture.
2. Your hips feel tight, pinchy, or uncomfortable
Your pelvic floor and hip muscles are closely connected anatomically and functionally. Muscles such as the obturator internus, a deep hip rotator, share an important relationship with the pelvic floor.
When the pelvic floor is overactive or unable to relax appropriately, some people experience pelvic discomfort, deep hip pain, or pain with certain movements.
You may notice discomfort with deep squats, lunges, hip-opening exercises, or prolonged sitting. You might also feel like one hip is constantly tight, no matter how much you stretch it.
Stretching is rarely the answer. If your muscles are already guarding or struggling to relax, repeatedly pushing into a stretch may not address the underlying issue.
3. Your symptoms show up in unexpected places
The pelvic floor is involved in bladder, bowel, sexual, and pelvic function. Sometimes, the clues that pelvic health deserves attention are symptoms you might not immediately connect to your back or hips.
These can include:
Urinary leakage during jumping, lifting, coughing, or sneezing
Urinary urgency or feeling like you need to go constantly
Constipation, straining, or difficulty fully emptying your bowels
Pelvic pressure or heaviness
Pain with intercourse or difficulty relaxing the pelvic floor
Tailbone pain or discomfort with prolonged sitting
You don't need to have all these symptoms for pelvic floor physical therapy to be helpful. And you don't need to experience bladder leakage to have a pelvic floor issue.
A Special Offer for Longevity Members!
Have you been dealing with stubborn low back pain, hip discomfort, or pelvic floor symptoms? Wondering whether pelvic floor PT could help?
We're offering the first 10 Longevity members 50% off their initial evaluation with The Good Movement!
To celebrate our growing community and make it easier to take that first step, we're inviting Longevity members to get to the bottom of their symptoms with personalized, one-on-one care.
Here's how to claim your offer:
Who: The first 10 eligible Longevity members
What: 50% off your initial evaluation
When: Your appointment must be booked in November
How: Email hello@thegoodmvmt.com and mention the Longevity deal.
Spots are limited to the first 10 members, so if you've been wondering whether your pain could be connected to your pelvic floor, now is a great time to explore your options.
One More Exciting Update: The Good Movement is Moving In Down the Street!
The Good Movement is growing, and we're thrilled to share that we're moving into our new space next door at Blair Arcade in November!
Our new home will give us more room to provide the individualized, human first care you deserve, with a welcoming environment designed to support movement, recovery, and whole-person wellness.
We're excited to be part of the Blair Arcade community and look forward to continuing to support you in reaching your movement goals.
Here's to moving well, feeling good, and getting back to the things you love!