How to Relax Pelvic Floor Muscles with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Pelvic Floor Relaxation Exercises are finally getting their social media buzz that they so deserve! For years we have focused on keels, squeezing, lifting etc- I mean, we praised the women who could lift dumbbells with her vagina- Awkward pause.
Pelvic Floor Muscles are the sources of so much angst in men and women! Why? There a myriad of conditions that can cause pelvic pain syndrome. Some, but not all are listed below:
Pelvic pain in women:
Levator ani syndrome
Pudendal neuralgia
Pain in rectum, vagina, pelvis
Pain with sex (dyspareunia)
Vulvodynia/ Vaginismus
Bladder pain
Postpartum pain/ scar pain
The list goes on . . .,
Pelvic Pain in Men:
Pain in rectum, penis, testicles
Levator ani syndrome
Pudendal neuralgia
Chronic Prostatis
Now these are just names for chronic pelvic pain syndrome, but tight pelvic floor muscles can affect you in many different ways:
Bladder Pain
Your bladder may hurt, you may feel constant spasming, urge to urinate, frequently urinating. Or even voiding several times an hour. Others complain of never being able to fully empty their bladder. When urinating, the pelvic floor muscles should relax to allow the flow of urine. If they cannot relax you may end up with bladder pain, or worse a feeling of having a UTI when it isn’t actually a UTI.
Constipation
Outlet dysfunction is the technical word! The poop is there in your rectum, it’s ready to come out, but you just cannot push it out. So frustrating and uncomfortable! Then you start with the laxatives and enema . . . and worse digital extraction. IF you haven’t gone down that dark hole, don’t start!
Pain with sex
How embarrassing and horrible. This affects men and women, not just older people, but young people too. The common culprit is a tight pelvic floor muscle that doesn’t allow the muscles to contract and relax, in order for any kind of intercourse to happen blood needs to flow, muscles have to contract and relax- after all, that is what an orgasm is!
How to Relax Your Pelvic Floor Muscle
The best position to get into is a comfortable one! For some people it is lying on their back or side with legs supported in a resting position. Others prefer being on all 4’s. But what you want to do is envision a balloon in your pelvis expanding and allowing the sit bone to melt apart when allowing your genital to drop towards your feet.
Some cues are:
Think of melting butter
Say the sound “ahhhhh”
Moan low and loud
Allow your tailbone to relax
Drop your perineum
Create space between your eyebrows
Again, the list goes on . . .
How can Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Help?
Pelvic Floor Muscle relaxation can happen a multitude of ways:
Manual techniques! As pelvic floor physical therapists we are in a unique position to perform internal and external techniques to release the trigger points in the muscles. Sometimes those muscles needs a tactile reminder what it is to feel relaxed. Think of it as a hard reset!
Using real time ultrasound: Showing you on a computer screen the muscles. So you can see if you are muscle is contracting or relaxing- you may think it is, but the computer will show you what your pelvic floor muscles are doing!
Mobility exercises: Once we get to know your specific body, we can customize an exercise routine for you to help promote pelvic floor muscle relaxation!
Using a pelvic wand or dilators! In can be intimidating using a wand by yourself for the first time, allow your pelvic floor physical therapist to teach you how to use this tool effectively. Bring it in, we will demonstrate on you, allow you to practice, and give you feedback!
Pelvic Floor Muscle Relaxation is so important! Consulting with a pelvic floor physical therapist in our Houston office could be a game changer! We have two location in Bellaire and Spring, please reach out at 832-463-1152 or email us at info@empoweryourselfpt.com!