Can stress really be causing my pelvic pain?

Many people with pelvic pain aren’t aware that stress plays a significant role in their symptoms. Your pelvic floor muscles contract when you’re stressed, whether physically or mentally; this stress can cause pelvic pain. Stress can stir up chronic pelvic pain and may exacerbate complementary issues like urination problems and post-surgical abdominal pain. Thankfully, a physical therapist can develop a recovery plan to address the issue.

Aspects of stress that can trigger pelvic pain

Pelvic pain can occur as a result of several things. One common cause of pelvic pain is stress. Here are various types of stress that could be a culprit:

• Feeling overwhelmed by challenging tasks.
• Having too much to do in too little time.
• Experiencing a lack of control and confidence in one’s abilities.
• Poor time management and organization skills.
• Conflict with others or at work.
• Unrealistic expectations or deadlines.
• Negative self-talk and anxiety.

Physical therapy techniques that can reduce pelvic pain caused by stress

Physical therapy for the pelvic floor is a specialized form of physical therapy that addresses the muscles and connective tissue in the pelvic area. Treatment may involve focused manual therapy techniques and exercises to help restore normal function to the site. Here are three techniques that a physical therapist may use to help reduce your stress-induced pelvic pain:

1. Deep breathing — Deep breathing is one of the easiest ways to relax your pelvic floor muscles. Try taking a deep breath into your belly (also known as diaphragmatic breathing) after a long day at work or during a stressful situation. Diaphragmatic breathing can help increase oxygen flow to your pelvis, decreasing muscle tension and increasing blood flow throughout the body, including your pelvic floor muscles.
2. Manual therapy — Manual therapy helps relax tight pelvic floor muscles that may be causing pain or discomfort. This technique treats musculoskeletal pain and disability; it includes kneading and manipulation of muscles, joint mobilization, and joint manipulation. It helps to relax and stretch the affected muscles. Manual therapy involves applying pressure to areas of muscle spasm to relieve tension and trigger points or knots that have developed in the muscle tissue.
3. Therapeutic exercises — Your therapist will select individual exercises designed to address specific issues. For pelvic pain, physical therapists tend to select exercises designed to strengthen the patient’s weak core and pelvic floor muscles. The exercises they choose are also intended to increase pain-free movement during daily activities and boost overall independence.

A physical therapist can help reduce chronic pelvic pain by adequately assessing your symptoms and then formulating a customized plan that may include expert physical therapy techniques and therapeutic exercises.

Advent Physical Therapy can help ease pain symptoms related to the pelvic floor

Interested in learning how you can manage your pelvic floor pain? Our team at Advent Physical Therapy provides pelvic floor strengthening and relaxation techniques to help you get back to normal. We offer free screenings that can determine which methods can best help you. To help you manage your pelvic floor symptoms, our team is ready to build a customized treatment plan for you.

Contact our team today for more information about how pelvic floor therapy can help you or to schedule an initial appointment.