Being under lots of pressure can cause stress. Aside from work, relationships, and money, you may also feel extra worried because of current events. In the long run, it can affect your mood and bodily functions. For instance, you may be anxious, lack focus, and suffer from tense muscles and headaches. It may even affect the health of your pelvic floor.
Your pelvic floor is made up of the muscles, nerves, ligaments, and connective tissues responsible for supporting your internal organs, sexual function, and regular bowel movements and bladder control. Learn more about how stress impacts the health of your pelvic floor by using this article as your guide.
How Is Stress Related to My Pelvic Floor?
Stress is normal, but you have to watch out when it’s recurring and more severe than before. It makes your pelvic floor vulnerable to physical complications.
A study of involuntary pelvic floor activity and experienced threat in women showed that respondents demonstrated increased pelvic floor tension when exposed to threat or stress. However, they did not feel any tension while watching neutral clips.
How Does Stress Affect My Pelvic Floor?
Stress-related pelvic floor tension may seem hard to miss until you notice new and troublesome symptoms. The following are problems you should watch out for as they are triggered by stress, leading to the tightening of your pelvic floor muscles:
- Frequent urination
- Uncontrollable urge to urinate
- Constipation
- Increased urination during nighttime urination
- Sexual pain or dysfunction
- Pelvic girdle pain (Tension felt in the hips, pubic bone, low back, or groin)
How Do I Manage Pelvic Tension Caused by Stress?
– Practice Deep Breathing Exercises
Experiencing stress is inevitable. However, you can ease your pelvic pain by trying some deep breathing exercises. Get started by breathing deeply in through your nose. Let your abdomen expand, relax your pelvic floor muscles, and breathe out while making a slow “S” sound. Regularly doing this strengthens your muscles and encourages coordination between your diaphragm and pelvic floor.
– Try Stretches for Releasing Pelvic Floor Tension
Aside from practising deep breathing exercises, do some specific stretches, notably the Happy Baby, Pigeon Pose, and Child’s Pose. Perform three sets of each position and hold it for at least 20 seconds. Do them daily and practice deep breathing throughout the session.
– Do the Constructive Rest Position
Constructive rest refers to the position when you lie on your back with your calves placed on a couch or stool. It promotes healthy blood flow to your pelvic floor muscles. To effectively release pelvic floor tension, practice it for at least 10-15 minutes every day and perform deep breathing exercises while doing the position. Note that it can hurt your lower back, so consider placing a pillow under your hips.
– Meditate Regularly
Meditation can calm you down by easing your mind and relieving your stress. Do this by observing your stress without judgment. In other words, change your mindset about stress by viewing it as beneficial to your performance.
Conclusion
Discussing pelvic floor-related problems often seem embarrassing, which is why many patients tend to brush them off. If you experience any pelvic floor tension symptoms due to stress, you are not alone. Overcome them by keeping the information above in mind and following the tips. You can also reach out to a physiotherapy and wellness clinic to get the treatment you need.
Don’t overlook pelvic floor tension. If you need pelvic floor physiotherapy in Calgary, visit us at Centre Street Physiotherapy & Wellness Clinic. We offer therapeutic massage, acupuncture, dry needling, and more. Book an appointment now!
