According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, there is often an overlap between symptoms of overactive pelvic floor muscles (called myofascial pelvic pain in the study) and other pelvic pain conditions like interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, endometriosis, and IBS. As stated by the study, “Because the pelvic floor muscles are connected to and support the function of the pelvic organs, and because the pelvic floor muscles and pelvic organs share many sensory nerve pathways, it can be challenging to distinguish between pain originating in the pelvic organs versus the muscles based on symptoms alone.”
This statement suggests two very important concepts:
- Symptoms felt in pelvic organs could be caused by or aggravated by chronically contracted muscles compressing sensory nerves.
- Practices to reduce anxiety (which feeds muscular tension) and to reduce the activity of the pelvic floor muscles could help improve pain no matter the condition.
The study also states that “Despite the fact that myofascial pain (chronic pelvic pain) affects such a large proportion of people with pelvic pain, it is one of the most overlooked diagnoses in this population. Among women with chronic pelvic pain, 60–90% have musculoskeletal dysfunction (overactive pelvic floor muscles) contributing to their pain symptoms.” 60-90%!!!
This is infuriating, and it is one of the many reasons I advocate for women to take charge of their well-being through education and self-care practices.
In short, Breathe, Move, Meditate, Educate 🙂
