But while “vaginal massage” is a general, nonspecific term, it may be used to treat the musculoskeletal system of the pelvic floor, notes Dr. Huang. Sometimes this may be internally through the vagina or anus, though the target isn’t the vagina itself, but rather the muscles. “Some muscles, like hip rotator and pelvic floor muscles, are better accessed internally,” she says. (Imbalances in other muscles like those found in the abdominal wall or hip girdle are best treated from the outside.)
Practice yoga or Pilates. My Pilates teacher has had countless clients over the years who have healed their urinary incontinence in a few months after starting classical Pilates. And, many pelvic floor physical therapists use Pilates reformers as part of their practices. Both Pilates and yoga can help strengthen your core, which helps improve pelvic floor strength. Pilates targets the deep core and helps you develop both strength and flexibility. You can try a Pilates mat class or seek out an instructor who is well-versed in using the equipment. In yoga class you can practice your root lock, or mula bandha, to target your pelvic floor.
I have been on this earth almost eighty years, no meds, and have not had these symptoms–yet. I had 5 pregnancies, and one episiotomy birthing one large baby, no hysterectomy. I am not overweight nor do I have a flat butt. Here are some things I’ve done over the years and now am wondering if it may have helped. I don’t know if this was developing core muscles, but when I was a kid, and through most of my life, when I went to bed I would hold my stomach in until I went to sleep. Odd, I know, but I have never had back problems. A strong stomach keeps your back strong. I garden, and have always done squats, still can, although lately I squat without thinking about it and notice it’s less easy to get back up. By doing most things my self I get plenty of exercise and I walk daily. Exercise and diet helps constipation problems. I think as we get older we don’t empty our bladder fully. If you have to lean forward, to the sides, or back or bounce a little, do it. And, true confession, I have a tiny extra bathroom where I can place my feet on the wall–works great for a Squatty Potty. Lastly, keep having orgasms.
Currently there is no surefire way to distinguish PFD from IC, and oftentimes patients have both conditions. Some healthcare providers examine pelvic floor muscles externally and internally to gauge their tightness (tightness indicates PFD). Other IC and PFD experts, like ICA Medical Advisory Board member, Robert Moldwin, MD, perform a lidocaine challenge. By instilling lidocaine into the bladder, Dr. Moldwin determines whether your pain is coming from your bladder, which would indicate IC.
I’ve had problems with my lumbar spine all of my adult life, including spina bifida occulta. I underwent a lumbar fusion about 6 years ago. I was diagnosed with PFD about a year ago with extremely tight pelvic floor muscles. Three months after my diagnosis I underwent more back surgery including removing the original hardware and another fusion, including fusion of my pelvis. Since the second surgery I’ve experienced increased pain in my pelvis, hips and lower back, and a lack of mobility that I can only attribute to the surgery. How does having a fused pelvis affect therapeutic solutions for PFD?
What sets pelvic floor physical therapists apart is their in depth understanding of the muscles and surrounding structures of the pelvic floor, beyond what was taught in physical therapy graduate school. What that means for a patient who is seeking the help of a pelvic floor physical therapist, is that his or her pelvic floor issues will be examined and treated comprehensively with both internal and external treatment, provide them with lifestyle modifications to help remove any triggers, and receive specific exercises and treatment to help prevent the reoccurrence of pain once he or she has been successfully treated.
Although many centers are familiar with retraining techniques to improve pelvic floor dysfunction, few have the multidisciplinary expertise to teach patients with constipation how to appropriately coordinate abdominal and pelvic floor muscles during defecation, and how to use bowel management techniques, along with behavior modification, to relieve symptoms. Because pelvic floor dysfunction can be associated with psychological, sexual or physical abuse and other life stressors, psychological counseling is often included in the evaluation process.
Stop sucking in your gut. Sucking in your gut does not create core strength and can actually increase downward pressure on your pelvic floor. This creates a strain on the connective tissue in your abdomen by displacing your abdominal viscera. Many people hold in their bellies without knowing it. If you do this, try to consciously relax your belly while sitting, lying down, or in a cat/cow position on your hands and knees while taking deep, relaxing breaths. And pretend you are a dog or cat with your tail out—not tucked under you. Do this several times per day.
Visceral mobilization restores movement to the viscera or organs. As elucidated earlier in our blog, the viscera can affect a host of things even including how well the abdominal muscles reunite following pregnancy or any abdominal surgery. Visceral mobilization aids in relieving constipation/IBS symptoms, bladder symptoms, digestive issues like reflux, as well as sexual pain. Visceral mobilization can facilitate blood supply to aid in their function, allow organs to do their job by ensuring they have the mobility to move in the way they are required to perform their function, and to allow them to reside in the correct place in their body cavity. Evidence is beginning to emerge to demonstrate how visceral mobilization can even aid in fertility problems.
As physical therapists, are our hands are amazing gifts and phenomenal diagnostic tools that we can use to assess restrictions, tender points, swelling, muscle guarding, atrophy, nerve irritation and skeletal malalignment. We also use our hands to treat out these problems, provide feedback to the muscles, and facilitate the activation of certain muscle groups. There have been a great number of manual techniques that have evolved over the course of physical therapy’s history. Let’s go over a few.
^ Masterson, Thomas A.; Masterson, John M.; Azzinaro, Jessica; Manderson, Lattoya; Swain, Sanjaya; Ramasamy, Ranjith (October 2017). "Comprehensive pelvic floor physical therapy program for men with idiopathic chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a prospective study". Translational Andrology and Urology. 6 (5): 910–915. doi:10.21037/tau.2017.08.17. PMC 5673826. PMID 29184791.
People with trigger points in their pelvic floor and surrounding areas can experience pain in the rectum, anus, coccyx, sacrum, abdomen, groin and back and can cause bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction. When physical therapists find a trigger point they work to eliminate it and lengthen it through a myriad of techniques. Recent literature has found that trigger point release alone can achieve an 83% reduction in symptoms.
As physical therapists, are our hands are amazing gifts and phenomenal diagnostic tools that we can use to assess restrictions, tender points, swelling, muscle guarding, atrophy, nerve irritation and skeletal malalignment. We also use our hands to treat out these problems, provide feedback to the muscles, and facilitate the activation of certain muscle groups. There have been a great number of manual techniques that have evolved over the course of physical therapy’s history. Let’s go over a few.
