What triggers pelvic floor dysfunction? It’s a big question that the medical community is still trying to answer in full. While some aspects of pelvic floor dysfunction remain a mystery, we actually know quite a lot of information about the risk factors and triggers associated with this condition.
Some contributing factors for pelvic floor dysfunction include:
- Pregnancy.
- Age.
- Injuries to the pelvic region.
- Heredity.
- Obesity.
- Pelvic surgery.
While these are some of the causes of pelvic floor dysfunction, they don’t tell the whole story. Anyone suffering from this condition knows that symptoms can appear to flare up without warning. In reality, we actually know about many of the common triggers for pelvic floor dysfunction. Take a look at everyday activities that can cause pelvic pain to fire up!
1. Your Sitting Posture
Yes, sitting the wrong way can actually trigger pelvic floor pain. When we slouch, we put pressure on the abdominal muscles. This decreases the ability of your pelvic floor muscles to sustain pressure. Another relatively unknown side effect of poor sitting posture is constipation. Constipation caused by slouching can trigger your pelvic floor pain because it causes pressure that leads to muscle spasms. Slouching while sitting is simply never a good idea. The simple act of sitting up straight can help to reduce pelvic pain by keeping your pelvis in line.
2. Sitting for Long Periods
Sitting without taking breaks can trigger pelvic pain. The skeletal muscles in your pelvic floor aren’t designed to deal with pressure around the clock. They were made to move! When we sit for long periods of time, the pressure placed on the pelvis can cause strain, tension, and pain. If you’re stuck at a desk due to work, do your best to get up for a 10-minute walk every hour. This will help to improve blood flow to your pelvic tissue.
3. Bad Shoes
Pelvic floor dysfunction is a whole-body issue that manifests in the pelvis. The reason why shoes can trigger pelvic floor pain is because they affect your posture. Any shoe that fits poorly can trigger pain. When shoes don’t fit correctly, we change our posture to compensate. This means that we’re tensing up our muscles when we walk without realizing that we are putting our body in a tense, unbalanced state. Certain types of shoes are worse for people with pelvic floor dysfunction than others. High heels are especially dangerous for people trying to avoid pelvic floor pain due to the way the unnatural position of high heels forces our muscles to tighten up to compensate for our unsteadiness. Flat, supportive shoes allow the pelvic muscles to stay naturally relaxed.
4. Tight Clothing
Tight clothing can trigger pelvic pain by compressing your pelvis. This is actually a common problem with yoga pants and leggings. While these pants may feel casual, they actually force you to hold in your stomach in a way that puts pressure on the bladder. For someone who suffers from pelvic floor dysfunction, this is a recipe for pain, incontinence, or a frequent need to urinate. Skip clothes that press against your midsection in favor of loose-fitting clothes that don’t create pressure.
5. Repeated Heavy Lifting
It’s possible to strain your pelvic floor through repeatedly lifting heavy objects. This is important to know if you’re suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction as a person who lifts heavy objects as part of their job. The real culprit here is often an incorrect lifting technique. Heavy lifting increases abdominal pressure. For many people, learning techniques for distributing weight away from the abdominal area during lifting can help them to avoid pain that flares up.
6. Straining When Using the Bathroom
Straining while using the bathroom is a common trigger for pelvic floor dysfunction. First, it’s important to address any underlying causes of chronic constipation that may be causing you to strain. Everything from adding more fiber to your diet to drinking more water could help to reduce the need to strain. Lifestyle changes that help to eliminate chronic constipation can be important for relieving your pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms because constipation is one of the biggest triggers of pain. In addition, learning techniques for staying relaxed can help to prevent muscle painful tension that exacerbates the issue.
7. Riding a Bike
Is your pelvic pain being triggered in spin class? Many people are surprised to learn that riding a bike can actually trigger pelvic pain. The reason why is that riding a bike puts direct pressure on the pelvic floor muscles and nerves. Riding a bike for an extended period of time can actually cause serious trauma to the pelvic structures. For someone who is predisposed to pelvic pain, riding can increase muscle tightness and shortening. Any back pain that is triggered during bike riding can also trigger radiating pain in someone who is already living with pelvic floor dysfunction.
Get Treatment for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Denver, Colorado
The truth is that nearly anything can trigger pelvic floor pain if you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction. Exercise, sexual activity, driving a car, pushing a shopping cart, or taking a walk can all put pressure on the pelvis that ultimately creates inflammation, pain, and muscle spasms. The answer to treating pelvic floor dysfunction isn’t necessarily to avoid all activities that can potentially trigger pain. A better option is to identify the source of the pain, treat the pain at the source, and learn how to maintain proper form when engaging in activities. That’s the exact approach we take to treating pelvic floor dysfunction here at Denver Chiropractic. We offer cutting-edge therapies that include manual adjustments, instrument-guided adjustments, shockwave therapy, injections, and much more. Book an appointment with Denver Chiropractic today!