“Whether you’re an athlete or an everyday exerciser, often overlooked is the role that tight pelvic floor muscles play in creating pain or dysfunction.  As a physical therapist with additional training in pelvic floor rehabilitation, a passion of mine is working with patients on pelvic floor health.

There are many reasons someone may seek pelvic floor physical therapy.  Here is a short, but not complete, list of reasons:

• Low back or hip pain
• Pelvic pressure or heaviness
• Pelvic pain
• Incontinence (unwanted urination with running, coughing, lifting, etc.)
• Urgency or frequency of urination
• Pregnancy-related pain as well as postpartum questions or concerns.

The pelvic floor muscles sit like a bowl at the base of your pelvis & assist with many important tasks including bowel and bladder function, sexual function, & support of your abdominal & pelvic organs.  These muscles work throughout the day, often without us even thinking about them!

Part of a pelvic floor physical therapy evaluation is to check how well these muscles are working.  This includes not only strength & endurance testing but also assessing how well these muscles can relax or ‘let go’.  Being able to both contract (often called ‘kegels‘) & relax the pelvic floor is very important for our pelvic health.

Just as some people hold stress & muscle tension in their neck & shoulders, some people hold similar stress & muscle tension in their pelvic floor which can make it quite difficult to relax.  This can contribute to pain in the back, hips & pelvis & sometimes to bladder issues such as incontinence.  Learning ways to relax the pelvic floor can be helpful to reducing these symptoms.  Here are 4 of my favorite exercises to help relax the pelvic floor:

1. Belly Breathing

Lie on your back with legs straight or elevated.  Place one hand on your chest & one hand on your lower abdomen.  Inhale slowly through your nose & imagine filling your belly with air.  You should feel the hand on your abdomen lift more than the hand on your chest.  As you inhale the intrabdominal pressure helps the pelvic floor muscles lower (or relax).  As you do this exercise, see if you can tune into that subtle movement.  Practice this for 5-10 min each day.

(NOTE:  If you’d like more info on the benefits of belly breathing, check out Coach Michelle’s article on “Breath Control:  It’s All in Your Head“.)

2. Happy Baby Stretch

Grasp the outsides of both feet with your hands.  Gently pull your knees up towards your chest, separating your knees apart.  You should feel a mild stretch in your hips, but no pain.  Hold this stretch for 30-60 sec.

3. Child’s Pose

Kneeling on the ground with knees apart, bring your hips towards your heels.  Bend forward stretching your arms straight out in front of you.  Sometimes it is more comfortable to rest your forehead on stacked fists instead of reaching straight out (not shown).  Belly breathe in this position for 1-2 min.

 

4. Deep Squat

Stand with feet hip width apart.  Bend at the knees & hips as you bring your hips towards your heels.  Do not go deeper than you are capable of as this should not be painful.  You can hold onto a supportive structure for support (shown).  Holding this deep squat position (especially if you are able to relax into the position) helps to stretch the pelvic floor.

 

If you are dealing with a pelvic floor issue or are unsure if you are doing pelvic floor exercises correctly, I recommend following up with a physical therapist to further discuss your specific condition & together develop a plan to help you reach your functional goals.”

Feel free to contact Lynsey at lynseywagnerdpt@gmail.com or reach out to her the Rock and Armor Garden City clinic at (208) 375-5511.