Pelvic Pain

What is Pelvic Pain?

It may sound obvious, but pelvic pain is exactly that - pain in the pelvic region. 

 

The pelvic area is a complicated area of the body. There are 36 muscles that attach to the pelvis, and 3 layers of muscle that comprise the pelvic floor (a group of 14 muscles from roughly the pubic bone to the tailbone and bottom of the pelvis). 

 

Your pelvic floor muscles help you:

• Control the emptying of your bladder and evacuation of your rectum

• Support your pelvic organs as well as your hip and low back

• Have sexual function 

 

Any of these muscles can become compromised when they become too weak or too tense, just like many of your body’s other muscles. Ever had a knot in your upper shoulder, neck or back that constantly ached? The muscles of the pelvis and pelvic floor can have knots like that, too! 

 

Pelvic pain can also stem from injury to the bones, joints or ligaments around the pelvis. These injuries can occur with pregnancy and/or delivery, when falling onto our tailbone or buttocks, while having intercourse or any number of ways. Pelvic pain will also commonly just “sneak up” on us with no specific mechanism of injury but rather something that just happened slowly over time. 

 

Pelvic injuries can seriously impact your life, making everyday activities like sitting, standing, exercising, and having sex uncomfortable and painful.

​

How I Treat Pelvic Pain

As a pelvic floor specialist and manually-certified orthopedic physical therapist, I can uncover the root cause of your pelvic pain by doing a thorough examination of the spine, hips, pelvis and pelvic floor. From there I will design a treatment plan for your needs.

 

Treatment for pelvic pain may include:

• Manual therapy (providing passive motions to the joints or soft tissues to improve movement)

• Trigger point 

• Dry needling (placing a thin filamentous needle into the involved muscles of the hip, low back, pelvis or pelvic floor to relieve tightness and promote circulation)

• Body mechanics

• Postural and ergonomic counseling

• Exercises designed specifically for you

To learn more about pelvic pain or to schedule an appointment, contact me today!