Lie on your back with the soles of your feet together and knees out to the sides. This should be a relaxing position. If you feel a pulling along your inner thighs or in your pubic bones, place pillows under your knees for support.
Sleeping with a pillow between your knees and another under your belly may provide needed support to your pelvic and back muscles. “Anything not supported when sitting or sleeping will have more strain on it,” says Dr. Walter. “Muscles are trying to hold you up.
Stretch and Release
Focus your attention on your pelvic floor muscles. Inhale and imagine stretching the back of your shirt with your ribs and relaxing the muscles around your tailbone as the air fills your lungs. Exhale without effort. Repeat five cycles of breathing in this position.
Many yoga-inspired poses can help with relaxation of the pelvic floor. One great pose for this is child's pose: Start on hands and knees and bring your feet together while widening your knees. Slowly send your hips down to your heels- if they do not touch, place a bolster or pillows underneath to support your hips.
A good starting point with the pelvic floor muscles is to lie down, resting comfortably, or to sit in a supported position. Now, imagine you are squeezing your muscles to stop the flow of urine and the passing of wind. Focus on drawing these muscles inwardly tightly.
Factors that put pressure on the pelvic floor.
These factors include overweight or obesity, chronic constipation or chronic straining to have a bowel movement, heavy lifting, and chronic coughing from smoking or health problems.
Common causes of a weakened pelvic floor include pregnancy, childbirth, prostate cancer treatment in males, obesity and the associated straining of chronic constipation.
Many people with a tense and non-relaxing pelvic floor experience pelvic health concerns such as constipation, painful sex, urgency and pelvic pain. A hypertonic pelvic floor may also be accompanied by tension in surrounding hip and pelvic muscles such as the piriformis, obturator internus, coccygeus and hamstrings.
Exercising weak muscles regularly, over a period of time can strengthen them and make them work effectively again. Regular gentle exercise, such as walking can also help to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
Stress, fear and anxiety also can contribute to pelvic floor overactivity. Taking steps to minimize stress and learning to respond to stress in a healthy way can assist with pelvic floor relaxation and pain reduction.
It can take several months of routine bowel or urinary medications and pelvic floor physical therapy before symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction start to improve. The most important part of treatment is to not give up.
Pelvic floor muscle support usually improves within 6 weeks after starting the exercises. Three months should bring significant changes. However, symptoms may improve slowly, so remember to track how you are doing over time.
There is a natural reflex relaxation of your pelvic floor in response to breathing with your diaphragm; you can take advantage of this. Lie comfortably on your back with your legs in a relaxed position (bent or straight) and your hands resting on your tummy.
While it may seem harmless and feel great at times, sitting for extended periods can harm your health, including your pelvic floor's health and continence.
Basic movements like walking, squats and stair climbing all invite the pelvic floor to automatically respond. If you do these things, you will be helping your pelvic floor (as long as you don't experience pain or incontinence).
In a comfortable lying or sitting position imagine that you are trying to stop yourself from passing wind and urine at the same time; drawing the pelvic floor muscles upwards and forwards from the back passage towards the bladder. You may feel a lifting up and tightening as your muscles contract.
Trigger point release may be done with the practitioner's hands, as a type of massage treatment, or by using small needles, known as dry needling. It can help relieve pain and other symptoms. Trigger point release can help manage symptoms like painful intercourse, overactive bladder, and constipation.
Staying hydrated will help with a wide array of pelvic floor dysfunction. If you find that drinking enough water during the day is challenging, I recommend getting a larger water bottle and keeping it with you all day long. Give it a few weeks and you should notice a difference!
Symptoms of pelvic pain and tightness can also be linked to posture. Annabelle says that sitting in a slouched position increases pressure through the coccyx (tailbone) and can lead to pain if it is for a long time.
In hypertonic pelvic floor, your pelvic muscles are continuously contracting. Symptoms include pain and difficulty with urination, bowel movements and sexual function. Physical therapy is a highly effective treatment. Tell your provider if you're experiencing symptoms.
Using your thumb inside your vagina and your index finger outside, gently apply pressure to stretch your skin and massage from side to side. Apply this pressure until you feel a soft, tingling sensation. Stop massaging if you feel any pain.