Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Could This Be the Cause of Your Pain?

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Could This Be the Cause of Your Pain?

Pelvic floor dysfunction refers to not being able to control the muscles of our pelvic floor. As our Pain & Vulva Doctors regularly explain to patients – if left untreated, this scenario can result in lower back pain, pain in the pelvis, rectum, or genitals, muscle spasms in the pelvis,urinary issues, difficulty when passing a bowel movement, problems with sexual intercourse (females), and more. – So if you do have any of the symptoms listed in this article, the smart move is to book an in-person or online appointment with one of our Pain Doctors as soon as possible

So What Exactly is the Pelvic Floor?

The pelvis itself can be described as a ring of bones between our hips. This ring houses a number of organs and structures that are supported by what is referred to as the pelvic floor.  Male pelvic floor muscles support the bowel and bladder. The urine tube (urethra) and the back passage (anus) all pass through the pelvic floor muscles. Conversely, a female’s pelvic floor muscles support the womb (uterus), bowel and bladder [1].

Did You Know?

“Pelvic floor dysfunction forces you to contract your muscles rather than relax them. As a result [on top of all the other debilitating issues], you may experience difficulty having a bowel movement. If left untreated, pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to discomfort, long-term colon damage, or infection” [1]

What Symptoms Indicate Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?

There are multiple symptoms linked to pelvic floor dysfunction. These include:

• Lower back pain
• Pain in the pelvic region, rectum or genitals
• Muscle spasms within the pelvic area
• Uncomfortable sexual intercourse
• Pressure in the rectum or pelvic region
• Urinary difficulties (including painful urination and the urgent need to pass water)
• Straining the bowels
• Constipation
• Urine or stool leakage [1,2]

The Root Causes of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Whilst research on pelvic floor dysfunction is still ongoing, the general medical consensus (including that from our eminent team of Vulva and Pain Doctors), is that: it is possible to associate pelvic floor dysfunction to events or conditions that (a) tear the connective tissue, or (b) weaken the pelvic muscles. This includes:

• Nerve damage
• Obesity
• Giving birth (particularly difficult deliveries)
• Traumatic injury within the pelvic ring (such as a motor accident or a fall from a long way up).
• Pelvic surgery (for example, a prostatectomy or hysterectomy)
• Ageing (over time our muscles naturally weaken)  [1,2]

Symptoms & Signs of Pelvic Foor Dysfunction to Tell Your Pain Doctor About

• Making frequent visits to the toilet
• Pushing or straining to have a bowel movement
• Needing to regularly start and stop when you are trying to pass water
• Needing to use your fingers to remove stool
• Finding yourself changing positions when you are sitting on the toilet (in order to pass faeces)
• Being constipation (as our Pain Doctors regularly explain to patients, up to 50% of  individuals suffering from chronic constipation also have pelvic floor dysfunction)
• Feeling pain when passing water
• Leaking urine (urinary incontinence)
• Leaking stool (faecal incontinence)
• Low back pain which cannot be explained
• Continuous pain in your rectum, genitals or pelvic region (either with or without a bowel movement) [2]

What the London Pain Clinic Can Do For You

The first course of action is ensuring that you have a correct diagnosis. This is particularly important as a number of other conditions can have similar symptoms. Once your Pain Doctor has established this, they then will provide you with a Holistic Personalised Treatment Plan. This may include both conventional treatment and the latest state-of-the-art therapies (including pelvic physiotherapy), and injectables (including pain blockers).

References

[1]. Anthony, K. (2018). “Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.” Healthline.

[2]. Cleveland Clinic (2024). “Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.”