The Missing Piece in Your Pain Puzzle

Musculoskeletal Pain: The Missing Piece in Your Pain Puzzle

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I frequently work with women who have been dealing with persistent pain in their back, hips, or sacroiliac (SI) joints. Many of these women have seen numerous practitioners but still struggle to find lasting relief. One commonly overlooked aspect in these cases? The pelvic floor. While it may seem unrelated to other parts of your body, the pelvic floor plays a crucial role in musculoskeletal health and can often be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to pain resolution.

The Overlooked Connection: Your Pelvic Floor and Musculoskeletal Pain

The pelvic floor doesn’t function in isolation. It’s part of your core, working in sync with your abdominal muscles, diaphragm, and spine. Every time you move, your pelvic floor engages, stabilizing and supporting your body’s movements. When there’s an imbalance in the pelvic floor—whether from weakness, tightness, or improper coordination—it can affect the entire core system, leading to pain in areas like your SI joint, lower back, hips, and even the tailbone.

Imagine your core as the foundation of your house: if the foundation is weak or unstable, other parts of the house will start to crack or fail. This is how pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to musculoskeletal pain in seemingly unrelated areas.

Common Symptoms and Diagnoses Associated with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

If you’ve been dealing with any of the following issues, pelvic floor physical therapy may be the missing piece to your treatment plan:

-SI Joint Pain/Instability: Discomfort or instability in the sacroiliac joint, located between the sacrum and the pelvis.

-Low Back Pain: Persistent pain or tightness in the lower back.

-Coccydynia (Tailbone Pain): Pain around the tailbone, often caused by injury or strain.

-Pubic Symphysis Pain: Pain in the front of the pelvis, commonly experienced during or after pregnancy.

-Hip or Groin Pain: Discomfort that may be felt deep in the hip or around the groin.

-Sciatica or Pudendal Nerve Pain: Pain caused by nerve compression or irritation, often leading to sharp or shooting sensations down the leg or in the pelvic region.

Why a Specialized Physical Therapy Evaluation Matters

If you’ve been struggling with unresolved pain or feel like you’ve hit a plateau in your activity levels, a specialized physical therapy evaluation might be the key to finding relief. By evaluating not just your symptomatic areas but also your pelvic floor and core, we can create a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the root cause of your pain, rather than just the symptoms.

The key to long-term success is a personalized program that can be easily integrated into your existing routine. Whether it’s adjusting your posture, strengthening your core, or retraining your pelvic floor, we’ll develop a plan that works for your body and your lifestyle.

Ready to Find the Missing Piece?

If you’ve been living with chronic pain or struggling to reach your fitness goals, it’s time to consider the role your pelvic floor might be playing. A pelvic floor physical therapy evaluation could be the key to resolving your pain and improving your quality of life. You don’t have to live with discomfort—let’s work together to find the solution that works best for you.