5 Benefits of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

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Congrats; you’ve come across a secret weapon of sexual wellness that too few people know enough about. 

If you’ve heard of pelvic floor therapy before, odds are you’re still left wondering what it is, what conditions it treats, and how it can help your sexual health. Stick around to learn how pelvic floor therapy can help treat many conditions whether you have a vulva or a penis.  

What is the pelvic floor?

Your pelvic floor muscles cover the base of your pelvis, located between your pubic bone, tailbone, and both sitting bones. This network of muscles works around the clock to support your spine and control abdominal pressure. The pelvic floor is especially important in supporting the bladder, bowel, and uterus. For people with penises, the pelvic floor also works to support the bladder and bowel.

What is pelvic floor physical therapy? 

Think of pelvic floor therapy as a hyper-specialized workout for your pelvic muscles. It’s often used to relieve pelvic floor dysfunction through special exercises and techniques which help relax and strengthen these muscles. Just a few of these techniques include:   

• Kegels: This is a popular one you may have heard about already. Kegels are one method of strengthening your pelvic floor muscles by contracting and relaxing them for brief periods. 

• Trigger point therapy: Sometimes, people experience pain or discomfort in a particular internal or external spot on their genitals. Trigger point therapy puts pressure on these spots in order to desensitize any over-active nerves. 

• Biofeedback: This technique is all about contractions. Using external electrodes or internal probes, your physical therapist measures the contraction and relaxation of your pelvic floor. This is often done to track the progress and strengthening of your pelvic muscles. 

• Skin rolling: This method involves using the thumb and fingers to pinch and roll the skin. This releases the skin from being stuck to underlying tissues and helps relieve muscle tension. 

• Dilation: This technique uses progressively sized tools called dilators, which are inserted into the vagina or anus to help slowly loosen overly tight tissue.

So, is pelvic floor strengthening only for people with specific conditions? 

Nope! If you have a pelvic floor, you can reap the benefits of pelvic floor therapy. 

What are the benefits of pelvic floor physical therapy?

1. Boosted sexual pleasure  

Better pelvic floor, better Os! Many pelvic floor therapy techniques focus on controlling the contraction and relaxation of these muscles. So, having more control over your pelvic floor can help you reach sky-high orgasms, which involve the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor. 

If your pelvic floor muscles are too tight, this can lower the intensity of your orgasms. Think of it as a missed high-five between your orgasm and your muscles.

2. Reduced pelvic pain 

Have you ever felt a dull, achy pain in your lower abdomen, pelvis, or perineum (the area between your anus and scrotum or vagina)? If you experience periods, this type of pain is likely all too familiar. However, you don’t need a uterus in order to experience pelvic pain. Causes of pelvic pain vary dramatically, and include: 

• Pelvic inflammatory disease 

• Ovarian cyst rupture

• Prostatitis 

• Endometriosis 

• Prostate or ovarian cancer

• Appendicitis 

• Constipation

• Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Conditions like these can lessen the flexibility, strength, and function of your pelvic floor muscles. By exercising and treating these muscles through pelvic floor physical therapy, many people find significant relief from temporary and chronic pelvic pain. 

3. Relief from pain during sex

The pelvic floor houses many major sexual organs, so it’s no surprise that dysfunction in the pelvic floor could result in, or contribute to, pain during sex. For many vulva owners, this can be an emotionally devastating challenge. Thankfully, our modern understanding of sexual health, medicine, and wellness gives us many options to treat, relieve, and even eliminate pain during sex.

So, what causes pain during sex? There are as many answers to that question as there are vulvas in the world. Some of the conditions that can cause pain during sex include: 

• Vulvodynia 

• Vaginismus 

• Endometriosis

• Pelvic floor hypertonus

• Vestibulodynia 

Properly performed pelvic floor therapy is one method of treating and relieving genital pain during sex. Pelvic floor treatment can improve symptoms by stimulating more blood flow, improving vaginal muscle tone, decreasing pain sensitivity, and increasing vaginal elasticity.  

Tip: Whether you have a condition or not, lack of lubrication is a common cause pain during sex. Remember to always use a high-quality lubricant to reduce friction and decrease the risk of injury during sex. 

4. Less constipation

Feeling…stuck? Because your pelvic floor supports your bowels, pelvic floor physical therapy is a great option for treating constipation. 

The rectum is surrounded by a muscle (the puborectalis) that tenses and relaxes to allow you to poop. If this muscle isn’t functioning healthily, it can be very difficult to control your bowel movements or go at all. Whether your pelvic floor is too tight or too lax, your bowels will be negatively affected by pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. 

Pelvic floor therapy can relieve constipation through a combination of manual techniques, activities, diet, and exercise. A technique known as connective tissue manipulation relaxes tight muscles which makes it more difficult to go. Combined with lifestyle techniques including meditation, a healthy diet, and activity changes, pelvic floor physical therapy can help restore regular bowel function. 

5. Better bladder control 

If you find yourself unable to control your bladder (incontinence) or experiencing painful urination, pelvic floor muscle dysfunction could be the culprit. Pelvic floor muscles control the sphincter muscles (muscles that open and close certain body parts) that allow you to control urination. It’s all about training your muscles to tense up and relax when you need them to. 

Here are some techniques your physical therapist may use to improve your bladder control: 

• Kegel exercises 

• Abdominal exercises

• Glute-targeted exercises

• Posture-focused exercises

Is pelvic floor therapy for me? 

If you experience pelvic pain, decreased bladder control, pain during sex, discomfort when urinating, or any other significant pelvic discomfort, contact your doctor and talk to them about your symptoms. They may refer you to a pelvic floor specialist who can provide targeted treatment. 

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