Anchor Physical Therapy

Pelvic floor disorders are estimated to affect more than half of the women in the United States. Pelvic pain is a common problem in women presenting for physical therapy. Chronic pelvic pain is usually defined as pain below navel or in female organs that lasts 3 months or longer.

Multiple studies have suggested that weak, tight or high toned pelvic floor muscles or pelvic floor muscles that are tender to palpation, abnormal postural alignment, myofascial restrictions, low back pain, core muscle weakness, sacroilliac joint dysfunction, and other musculoskeletal issues can cause pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.

Pelvic pain is described as pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis, or perineum and is considered to be chronic when symptoms have been present for more than six months. The pain may be described as aching or burning in the area of the perineum or abdomen.

Symptoms of pelvic pain, in addition to pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis, may include: pain in the hip or buttock, pain in the tailbone, limited sitting tolerance, pain in the joints of the pelvis, pain with sexual intercourse, tender points in the muscles of the abdomen, reduced range of motion in the hips and lumbar spine, urinary frequency, urgency, or incontinence, painful bowel movements.

Urinary incontinence is the leakage of urine at inappropriate times. With incontinence, you may have trouble starting the urine stream or holding urine when you feel a strong urge to go. Some women may lose urine while running or coughing, called stress incontinence. Others may feel a strong, sudden need, or urgency, to urinate just before losing urine, called urgency incontinence.

Urinary frequency is the need to urinate many times during the day, at night (nocturia), or both but in normal or less-than-normal volumes. Frequency may be accompanied by a sensation of an urgent need to void (urinary urgency). Regardless of the cause of Urinary Frequency and/or Urgency, the sooner you start therapy the better.

Nocturia is the need to wake up at night to urinate. This tends to increase in frequency as people age, and it can ruin your night sleep. Under normal conditions, a person should be able to sleep a full six to eight hours without getting up to use the bathroom. Waking up once is considered normal. A person with nocturia wakes at least twice throughout the night.