Painful Sex? Chronic UTI?
It Could Be Your Pelvic Floor

Think you might benefit from pelvic floor therapy? We're partnering with Origin to make it more accessible than ever to consult with a pelvic floor specialist! Use code WISP30 for $30 off your first visit at Origin for expert care for pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, and sexual health.

Most people are still figuring out where their pelvic floor is and what, exactly, it does. So if you know anything about this group of muscles that sit at the base of your pelvis and play a major role in bladder, bowel, and sexual function, you’re ahead of the game. What most pelvic floor-savvy folks don’t know is just how many symptoms are linked to pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD).

Those symptoms include pain with sex, UTI-like symptoms that don’t go away, being constantly constipated, and annoying peeing problems like having to go all the time or leaking when you exercise. And that’s just for starters — a much longer list is coming later in this article.

According to the 2024 Origin Pelvic Health Study, an overwhelming 83% of women between ages 18-59 report symptoms like these. Even more surprising: Millennial women report higher rates of pelvic floor issues than older Gen X women. So much for pelvic floor problems being something you only need to worry about after having kids or hitting menopause.

Keep reading to learn more about these symptoms and why it’s so important to see a pelvic floor physical therapist.

The Many Functions of Your Pelvic Floor

Your pelvic floor muscles stretch like a trampoline across the base of your pelvis and surround your clitoris, urethra, vagina, and anus. They’re responsible for a host of critical functions, including:

• Stabilizing your core and lower back
• Supporting healthy breathing patterns
• Holding in (and letting out) pee, poop, and gas
• Allowing anything in or out of your vagina
• Increasing blood circulation through your pelvis
• Providing structural support to your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, rectum, etc.)

That is obviously a lot of things to do at once. And as with any multi-function appliance, the more things it does, the higher the likelihood that something will break.

What Causes Pelvic Floor Problems?

Like any other muscle, the muscles in your pelvic floor can become weak or inflexible. You can imagine how that might lead to problems. For example, if the muscles that surround your anus get too weak, you may not be able to hold in poop or gas. If the muscles around your vaginal opening become too inflexible, vaginal penetration of any kind may be painful. And because there are multiple muscles in the pelvic floor, some can be weak while others might be tight.

Weakness in your pelvic floor muscles can be caused by lack of use — if you’re not actively exercising your pelvic floor, it will lose tone and strength over time (and especially if you have a baby).

Tightness or inflexible pelvic floor muscles can be caused by hormone changes (especially decreased estrogen in perimenopause), trauma or injury, stress and anxiety, or chronic pressure on your pelvic floor due to certain types of exercise, heavy lifting, constipation, or pregnancy.

Signs Your Pelvic Floor May Be on the Fritz

As we mentioned above, pelvic floor issues can show up in many ways that you wouldn't expect. And even the more surprising symptoms are incredibly common, as revealed by stats from the Pelvic Health Study. All of the following can signal possible pelvic floor dysfunction.

Bladder symptoms:

• Leaking pee when you cough, sneeze, or exercise
• Peeing more than once every two hours
• Feeling like you have to pee again right away
• Feeling like you can barely hold your pee
• Feeling like you can’t fully empty your bladder
• Finding it difficult to start the flow of pee
• Chronic UTI symptoms that don’t go away with antibiotics

Bowel symptoms:

• Straining to poop
• Feeling like you can’t get all the poop out
• Pain when you poop
• Leaking gas or poop

Prolapse symptoms:

• Heaviness in the pelvic area
• Feeling like something is falling out of your vagina
• Feeling like you have a tampon in when you don’t
• A bulge inside of your vagina

Sexual symptoms:

• Inability to reach orgasm
• Unsatisfying orgasm
• Pain with sex
• Delayed orgasm
• Pain with or after orgasm

Other symptoms:

• Tailbone pain when you sit
• Vulva itches or burns and you’ve ruled out infection
• Vulva feels numb when you sit or ride a bike

When to See a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

The unfortunate truth about the majority of pelvic symptoms is that they tend to get worse if left untreated. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms above, consider meeting with a pelvic floor physical therapist (PT) in-person or virtually. Your PT can help decode your symptoms and figure out your next best steps. Some people even find that just a few visits with a pelvic floor PT is all it takes to get noticeable results.

If you’ve had a baby within the past several years or are currently pregnant or in perimenopause, see a pelvic floor PT as soon as you can. Pelvic floor symptoms are most likely to start or worsen as a result of maternity or menopause. Among women who have had a baby in the past 5 years, 79% say that pelvic symptoms negatively impact their lives. Of those in menopause who have experienced pelvic symptoms in the past year, about half say that bladder leaks and pain with sex began or worsened in this stage of life.

Checking in with a pelvic floor PT will empower you to address or prevent symptoms before they become unbearably painful or derail your daily activities. If you’re already changing your habits to work around pelvic issues — like by only going places where you know there’s a bathroom or avoiding sex altogether — it is definitely time to get care!

What to Expect from Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Far too many women avoid getting help for pelvic symptoms because they're unsure or embarrassed about what treatment involves. Pelvic floor PTs are all too aware of this, and pride themselves in their ability to help you feel comfortable with every aspect of your treatment.

Your first visit will include a thorough discussion of your symptoms and related health history. Your PT will assess your movement and breathing to note where your body may be off balance. They may recommend an internal examination to evaluate your pelvic floor muscle strength and coordination, but this is always optional and you’re 100% in control from start to finish.

If you’re seeing a pelvic floor PT virtually and need (and want) a pelvic exam, you can see a nearby clinician or perform a self-guided pelvic floor exam.

Treatments for pelvic floor dysfunction can look different for every single patient because it’s tailored to your body and your life. Your PT may recommend:

• Highly personalized exercises to strengthen or relax your pelvic floor
• Techniques to improve muscle coordination
• Strategies for better posture and breathing
• Guidance on pain-free exercise and daily activities

Pelvic floor PT is also highly collaborative and flexible. If something isn’t working for you, your PT will adjust your treatment to find something that does.

Why Origin Is Different

At Origin, we understand the complex nature of pelvic health and how important it is that you feel a high level of trust and comfort with your physical therapist. Our approach to pelvic floor PT combines clinical expertise with a deep understanding of what women actually need and want from their healthcare experience.

We also know that you need care to be both affordable and convenient which is why we accept insurance at all of our locations and offer virtual care in addition to in-person (or hybrid if you prefer to do both).

Just because you were born with a uterus does not mean you have to live with pelvic symptoms that affect your quality of life and get progressively worse over time. Take care of your pelvic health now, so you can feel better in your body, now and for decades to come. Ready to get started? Use code WISP30 for $30 off and click here to book a visit or schedule a free intro call to find out how we can help.