Pelvic pain can certainly have a big impact on your daily comfort and mobility, making it difficult to live your life to the fullest. However, because the discomfort often stems from underlying issues with the pelvic floor muscles, managing pelvic pain through exercise is a fantastic option.
At College Park Physical Therapy, our team will guide you through tailored movement strategies to strengthen the pelvic floor, alleviate discomfort, and improve your quality of life. Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between a weak pelvic floor and pelvic pain–and what our Olathe, KS, and Overland Park, KS physical therapists can do to help!
Understanding Pelvic Pain in More Depth
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that stretch across the bottom of the pelvis and support organs like the bladder, intestines, and uterus in women. These muscles help control bladder and bowel movements and play a key role in core stability.
Pelvic pain often develops when the pelvic floor muscles are overly weak or tense. Addressing this muscular imbalance through targeted exercises is a great way of resolving pelvic pain.
Of course, pelvic pain can develop due to other reasons, such as chronic conditions like endometriosis or damage to the nerves in the pelvic area. But regular, low-impact exercise often helps in those situations as well.
Why Exercise Matters for Pelvic Pain Relief
- General exercise promotes increased blood flow to the pelvic area, which can facilitate the healing of any damaged tissue.
- Strength training helps build a stronger core and pelvic muscles, stabilizing the region and reducing pain.
- Stretches and mobility work help relieve muscle tightness.
The key to managing pelvic pain through exercise is creating a customized program that addresses your specific needs–and that’s something the College Park Physical Therapy team can help with! At your first appointment, we’ll conduct a comprehensive assessment in which we review your health history, learn more about your symptoms, and perform some simple movement screens to help us fully understand your condition.
From there, we’ll create a customized exercise program to address your pain. While every program is different, here are some of the exercises we tend to include.
Three Exercises to Help Manage Pelvic Pain
Core Exercises
- Strengthening the core without straining the pelvic area is essential for pain relief. We might have you perform bridge poses or modified planks, as these exercises help stabilize the pelvis, reduce pain from muscle imbalances, and improve your overall movement.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
- You can strengthen your pelvic floor just as you can any other muscle! We’ll show you controlled exercises that can help reduce discomfort, such as Kegels or diaphragmatic breathing. We’ll help you perform them properly to support your pelvic floor without increasing pain.
Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise
- Low-impact aerobic exercise also plays an important role in managing pelvic pain. Simple activities like walking or cycling help improve movement without putting pressure on the pelvic area, making them ideal for those managing pelvic pain through exercise.
Looking to Manage Your Pelvic Pain? Call Us Today!
Managing pelvic pain through exercise can be effective, but it can also be hard to know where to start. Fortunately, the College Park Physical Therapy team is here to help! Schedule an appointment with us today to start developing your own structured, customized exercise program.
