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Pelvic Floor Muscle Pain: Yoga Poses For Weak Pelvic Floor

Pelvic Floor Pain

Experiencing pelvic pain in pregnancy is not uncommon for many women. While this may be an alarming occurrence, do remember that it may not be due to any major problem. There are several instances where the pain is relatively harmless and will not affect mother or child. Many women get a kind of stabbing pain during the 3rd or 4th months of pregnancy. This occurs in their groin or on one side. This pelvic pain is thought to be due to the stretching of the ligaments and muscles around the uterus. The stretches occur to accommodate the growing baby. Men have also been known to suffer with pelvic floor pain. This could be due to a disease, infection, or any other condition like an injury.

Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles

Most women experience pelvic floor disorder around the time of childbirth or even later on in life. These disorders only occur in women and become more common as they age. Such disorders include a prolapsed bladder, small intestine, urethra, vagina, uterus or rectum which is caused by weak pelvic floor muscles. When these muscles become weak or stretched or damaged the pelvic organs or small intestine drops down into the vagina. Symptoms of this include a feeling of heaviness or pressure in the vagina. Many women feel that their rectum, bladder or uterus is dropping out. Treatment for this problem includes Kegel exercises, pessaries or even surgery.

Weak Pelvic Floor

If you have had a baby, are pregnant or even planning to get pregnant, it is important to do your pelvic floor muscle exercises. These will help to keep your muscles strong if you are pregnant and also ensure that you do not have a weak pelvic floor after pregnancy or. Weak pelvic floor muscles after childbirth can give rise to several problems like urinary incontinence (leaking urine), sexual dissatisfaction, leaking gas or even uterine and other pelvic organ prolapsed.

Pelvic floor muscle pain

Pelvic floor muscle pain is common during pregnancy as there is an increased strain on the ligaments, joints and muscles of the body at this time. These changes occur due to the baby growing as well as the hormonal softening effects. Many pregnant women report this kind of pain during their pregnancy. Some simple ways to avoid this pelvic floor muscle pain is to practice good postures while sitting or standing, avoid jutting the hip out, avoid putting all the weight on just one leg and also avoiding sitting cross legged. It is also important to practice any exercises your medical practitioner has advised at this time. Men have also been known to suffer with pelvic pain. This is sometimes known as prostatitis in men. Such pain is also linked to burning and urinary urgency and can be due to a number of reasons.

Yoga for pelvic floor

Pelvic floor muscles are the broad band of muscles that stretch from the base of the spine to the back and to the pubic bones in front of your legs. These muscles support the uterus, bladder and bowel. Childbirth and pregnancy often weaken these muscles leading to a pelvic floor dysfunction. Yoga for pelvic floor is helpful as the yoga poses help to strengthen the pelvic floor and also reduce pelvic pain. Yoga poses which have been found helpful for this include Sukasana (Easy Pose), Matsyasana (Fish Pose), Vajrasana (Thunder Pose), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) , Vyghrasanaamong (Tiger Pose) among others.

Weak pelvic floor symptoms

A weak pelvic floor can be the reason for many problems such as:-

• Genital prolapsed
• Sexual difficulties
• Pregnancy
• Urinary incontinence
• Menopause

Weak pelvic floor symptoms include:

• Backache
• A feeling of heaviness in the vagina
• Leaking small amounts of urine when coughing, laughing, running or sneezing.
• Uncontrolled breaking of wind when bending over. This could be from the anus or vagina.
• Not being able to reach the toilet in time.
• A swelling at the vaginal opening.
• Tampons that dislodge or fall out.
• Reduced sensation in the vagina.

Yoga pelvic floor exercises

Yoga pelvic floor exercises are extremely beneficial as they help to strengthen the pelvic floor and help to alleviate the pain in that area as well. These yoga postures will also increase your circulation and give you more stamina as well. Both the standing and the sitting poses will be of help. It is also important to practice some mula bandhas or root locks. These are physical practices which encourage better posture, correct certain physical imbalances. They also help to lead one to inner awareness. Some beneficial yoga postures are:-

• Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
• Skandhasana ( Shoulder Pose)
• Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Spinal Twist)
• Bhujangasana ( Cobra Pose)
• Balasana ( Child’s Pose)

Yoga pelvic floor

Pelvic floor muscles are those muscles which wrap around the base of the uterus, rectum and bladder. Weak pelvic floor muscles often occur after childbirth or during pregnancy. Doing yoga exercises for these pelvic floor muscles will help to prevent pelvic floor dysfunction and treat it as well. A healthy and well trained pelvic floor will prevent you from suffering from many problems, will lead to better sexual satisfaction and will also give you a better control over your bladder and bowel functions as well.

Yoga for pelvic pain

The pelvis is one area that is affected a great deal during pregnancy and it is not uncommon for expectant mothers to feel pain in this region. During pregnancy, the body releases hormones that help to soften and relax the muscles and joints. This is necessary as it prepares your body for labor and delivery. As the muscles and ligaments stretch, it could lead to pain. It is a good idea to practice yoga for pelvic pain experienced during pregnancy. Yoga poses are beneficial in alleviating the pain and also help to strengthen the pelvic muscles at the same time as well.

Pain pelvic floor muscles

Pain in the pelvic floor muscles occurs when the muscles of the pelvic floor are weakened or stretched due to pregnancy or childbirth. This weakening of the muscles could also lead to stress incontinence or a prolapsed uterus.

Yoga poses for pelvic floor pain

The pelvic floor muscles are a broad band of muscles stretching from the base of the spine in the back, to the pubic bone between your legs in front. They support the bowel, uterus and bladder inside the abdomen. They help you maintain control over bladder and bowel movements. Pregnancy and childbirth sometimes stretches or weakens these muscles of the pelvic floor. This causes stress incontinence, leading to leakage of urine when you laugh, sneeze, cough or exercise.

It can also cause pain in the pelvic area, as well as in the lower back. Yoga poses can help in such cases. In fact, these poses are also recommended during pregnancy starting from the first trimester and continuing into the third trimester. The exercises also ensure smoother, quicker and less painful natural childbirth.

Weak pelvic floor can also lead to a prolapsed uterus. Yoga poses are especially helpful in strengthening the pelvic floor and leading to reduction in pain.

First find your pelvic floor muscles: Imagine that you are trying to stop from passing wind and the flow of urine, both at the same time. It is a sort of lift and squeeze movement where the back and front passages are drawn together, and your tail bone is brought to the pubis. Do not contract the buttocks.

Yoga poses called asanas can help cure weakness and pain of the pelvic floor. They will also help increase your circulation and give you more stamina. While standing postures are good, squats are also good because they increase the flow of blood to the pelvic floor.

The yoga poses found to be helpful for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles are:

• Easy Pose - Sukasana
• Child's Pose - Balasana
• Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana
• Fish Pose – Matsyasana
• Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Triangle Pose - Utthita Trikonasana
• Supine Spinal Twist - Supta Matsyendrasana
• Tree Pose – Vrksasana
• Shoulder Stand - Salamba Sarvangasana
• Tiger Pose - Vyghrasana
• Shoulder Pose – Skandhasana
• Thunder Pose – Vajrasana

Most of these poses merge gradually from one to the other. A few blend two or more poses together.

Along with these poses it is also essential to practice some ‘mula bandhas’ or ‘root locks’. These root locks are some physical practices which correct certain physical imbalances, encourage better posture and also lead to inner awareness.

First gently uplift the muscles of the pelvic floor, which are situated between the coccyx (tailbone) and the pubic bone. Contract these muscles as if you are stopping the urge to urinate or have a bowel movement. Hold for some time and repeat this 3-4 times. Next engage the uddiyana banda or abdominals. Regular practice of these locks will strengthen the core, and along with better aligned and more powerful postures, will also improve our endurance.

If your pelvic floor is healthy and well-trained, it will give you better control over bladder and bowel functions, enhance your sexual sensations and decrease pain in the pelvic floor as well as in the lower back.

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