Say Goodbye to Pelvic Floor Tension – Here’s How!

Let's dive into an important yet often overlooked aspect of health: pelvic floor tension.

The pelvic floor is a complex group of muscles, ligaments, and tissues at the base of your pelvis that support your bladder, intestines, and, for women, the uterus. These muscles play a crucial role in maintaining stability, urinary and bowel control, and sexual health. However, just like any muscle group in the body, the pelvic floor can become tense, overactive, or strained, leading to a range of physical discomforts.

What Causes Pelvic Floor Tension?

Pelvic floor tension can be caused by a variety of factors. It may result from both physical and emotional stressors, lifestyle habits, or underlying health conditions. Here are some common contributors:

1. Chronic Stress and Anxiety: Emotional tension, anxiety, and chronic stress often cause the body to "brace" or contract involuntarily, including the pelvic floor muscles. This unconscious holding pattern can lead to a stiff, overactive pelvic floor.

2. Posture and Alignment Issues: Poor posture, especially sitting for long periods, can contribute to pelvic floor tension. Slouching, hunching, or sitting on your sacrum can create an imbalanced load on the pelvic muscles, making them work harder than necessary.

3. Childbirth and Pregnancy: After childbirth, whether vaginal or C-section, the pelvic floor may be overstretched or weakened. However, it can also become tense due to compensating for pelvic instability or as a result of a traumatic delivery experience.

4. Muscle Imbalances and Overuse: Overuse of certain muscles or postures (like clenching your glutes or abs to maintain core stability) can lead to the pelvic floor becoming overly tight. Repetitive straining can also trigger chronic pelvic tension.

5. Injury or Surgery: Physical trauma, like pelvic surgeries or injury to the lower back, hips, or pelvis, can lead to increased tension in the pelvic floor muscles as they try to compensate for altered biomechanics.

   
   
   
   

Physical Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Tension

When the pelvic floor is tense or overactive, it can present with a variety of symptoms. Some common physical signs include:

• Pelvic Pain: A feeling of heaviness, pressure, or aching in the pelvic region. This might be felt in the vagina, vulva, perineum, or lower back.

• Pain During Intercourse: Discomfort or sharp pain during sexual activity is often a sign of pelvic floor tension, particularly in women.

• Urinary or Bowel Issues: Frequent urination, urgency, or difficulty fully emptying the bladder; constipation or difficulty with bowel movements may also occur.

• Lower Back or Hip Pain: Tightness in the pelvic floor muscles can often radiate into the lower back and hips, contributing to discomfort and tension in those areas.

• Poor Posture: A tense pelvic floor may result in poor posture, such as a tucked pelvis or an exaggerated arch in the lower back (lordosis).

• Muscle Tightness in the Groin and Inner Thighs: Chronic tension in the pelvic floor may affect nearby muscles, causing tightness in the hips, groin, and thighs.

Healing Pelvic Floor Tension: Breathwork and Yoga

Now that we’ve addressed what causes pelvic floor tension and how it presents physically, let’s look at some breathing techniques and yoga asanas (postures) that can help alleviate this condition.

1. Breathing and Connecting Breath with Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor muscles respond strongly to the breath, making conscious breathing techniques one of the most effective tools for releasing tension. In particular, focusing on diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) can help relax the pelvic floor.

How to Practice:

• Find a Comfortable Position: Sit or lie down in a relaxed position.

• Breathe into Your Belly: Inhale deeply through your nose, letting your belly rise as you expand your diaphragm.

• Release the Tension: As you exhale through your mouth, gently allow your pelvic floor muscles to soften and relax. Visualise the pelvic floor releasing towards the Earth with every exhale.

• Consistency: Practice this deep breathing technique for 5-10 minutes each day. Over time, you'll learn how to consciously release pelvic tension.

2. Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)

This pose is fantastic for opening up the hips and gently stretching the pelvic floor. It promotes relaxation and can be helpful in releasing tension in the lower back and pelvic muscles.

How to Practice:

• Start on Your Back: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor.

• Grab the Outside of Your Feet: Bring your knees towards your chest and hold the outer edges of your calves, ankles or feet with your hands. Your arms should be in line or inside your legs.

• Press Feet Towards the Ceiling: Gently press your feet towards the ceiling while pulling your knees down towards your armpits. Keep your back flat on the mat.

• Relax and Breathe: Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing deeply into the belly and focusing on letting go of any tension in your pelvic region.

Modified Happy Baby: If full Happy Baby is too intense, you can modify it by holding the knees and pulling the knees ot the armpits or by keeping your feet on the floor and gently pushing your knees out to the sides while you rest your hands on your knees.

3. Forward Lean Pigeon Pose with Toes Tucked Back

The Forward Lean Pigeon Pose helps stretch the hip flexors, glutes, and pelvic floor muscles. It also encourages the release of emotional tension stored in the hips, often linked to pelvic floor tightness.

How to Practice:

• Start in Tabletop Position: Begin on your hands and knees.

• Bring One Knee Forward: Slide one knee forward toward the same side wrist and extend the other leg straight behind you. The closer the bent legs foot is to the body, the less intense the sensation through the hip. The further away, the more intense. Be sure to roll the opposite hip forward aiming to get both hip bones pointing forward and then toward the floor.

• Lean Forward: Place your hands on the floor, allowing the pelvis to sink toward the Earth. If available, gently lower your torso toward the thigh, stretching the spine forward and aiming to bring your forehead to the mat. The forehead can rest on cushions, blocks, a towel, or the back of the hands, whatever you need to relax into the shape. Keep your back leg extended straight behind you.

• Toes Tucked Back: Tuck the toes of your back leg towards your pelvis to deepen the stretch and activate your pelvic floor muscles gently.

4. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

Cat-Cow is a flowing sequence that promotes mobility in the spine, pelvis, and hip area. It encourages fluid movement and helps release tension from the pelvic floor.

How to Practice:

• Start in Tabletop Position: Align your hands beneath your shoulders and knees beneath your hips.

• Cow Pose: Inhale as you relax your belly towards the mat, pressing the chest between the arms and sending the tailbone upward. This creates an arch in your back and a gentle stretch in your pelvic floor.

• Cat Pose: Exhale as you round your spine, drawing belly button to the spine, chin coming to your chest and drawing your tailbone between your legs. Gently draw your pelvic floor muscles upward as you "cat" your back aiming to reach between your shoulder blades to the sky.

• Flow: Continue rolling between Cat and Cow poses for 5-10 rounds, synchronising your breath with the movement.

5. Supported Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

The Supported Butterfly Pose opens the hips and groin area while releasing tension in the pelvic floor. Using props like blankets or pillows can help support your body and deepen the relaxation.

How to Practice:

• Sit with Your Feet Together: Begin seated with your legs extended in front of you, then bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to fall open to the sides.

• Place Props Under Your Knees or Hips: For added comfort and support, place blocks, cushions or blankets under your knees for support or hips to elevate your pelvis slightly. This encourages a deeper release in the pelvic region.

• Lie Back: If it feels comfortable, lie back, keeping your feet together and allowing your knees to fall open even more. Relax your arms by your sides or place your hands on your belly to encourage deep breathing into the diaphragm and pelvic floor.

• Breathe Deeply: Stay in this position for 3-5 minutes, focusing on releasing any tension in the hips, groin, and pelvic floor.

How a Pelvic Health Osteopath Can Support You

Pelvic floor tension can often feel complex, and while exercises and mindful movement are incredibly beneficial, working with a pelvic health osteopath can provide you with targeted, hands-on support.

Our specialists, Dr. Lyndsay Spencer and Dr. Bec Malon, are trained to assess the pelvic floor’s function and identify underlying causes of tension. Through tailored osteopathic techniques, including soft tissue release, joint mobilisation, and visceral manipulation, they can help restore balance to the pelvic region, relieve pain, and improve mobility. By addressing both physical and emotional factors contributing to pelvic floor tension, our osteos empower you to feel more in control and comfortable in your body.

Your Journey to Healing

Healing pelvic floor tension is a gradual process, and incorporating these mindful practices into your routine—such as conscious breathing and gentle stretching—can offer significant relief. Alongside these exercises, our osteopaths are here to support your journey. By combining their expert treatment with consistent self-care, you can experience long-lasting improvements and a sense of balance in your body.

If you’re experiencing persistent pelvic floor tension or discomfort, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Lyndsay or Dr. Bec.

Together, we can guide you towards lasting relief and optimal health.

BOOK NOW