Pelvic floor tension myalgia (PFTM) is a specific type of pelvic floor dysfunction in which the pelvic floor muscles are tight, overactive, or hypertonic—meaning they are constantly contracted and unable to relax.

This can prevent your pelvic floor muscles from functioning properly or coordinating with surrounding muscles.

The pelvic floor is an important group of muscles that controls many functions of the body. Each and every person has a pelvic floor regardless of their genitals.

They not only support your organs and your body’s stability, but they also allow you to use the restroom and enjoy sexual activities.

These functions are allowed by the pelvic floor through a series of involuntary and voluntary contractions and relaxations.

However, pelvic floor tension myalgia disrupts these normal functions and causes pain or other symptoms, including the following:

• Pain in the pelvis, abdominals, hips, lower back, and other areas
• Constipation
• Dyspareunia/painful sex
• Incomplete bladder emptying
• Difficult or painful urination
• Incontinence
• Muscle spasms
• Stress and anxiety
• And more

Pain caused by pelvic floor tension myalgia can range from mild to severe, and the symptoms associated with the condition can vary from person to person.

Pain and other symptoms can be persistent, ranging from short term to long term pain depending on the cause.

Start Healing with Hive

There are many things that cause tension, straining, and contraction of the pelvic floor muscles—therefore, pelvic floor tension myalgia can be caused by a wide variety of factors.

For example, conditions such as endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, or irritable bowel syndrome can cause pain or other symptoms that may cause you to contract your pelvic floor muscles more often than normal.

Additionally, trauma from pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, or injuries can create tightness in the pelvic floor. Nerve trauma or sexual abuse can also be causes of pelvic floor tension myalgia.

There are many behaviors that you may be doing that unknowingly contribute to your tight muscles.

Holding in urine for too long, straining during bowel movements, having poor posture while standing, sitting, or using the toilet, and many other aspects can contribute to pelvic floor tension.

Misalignment, stress, anxiety, and even prolonged sitting can contribute to tight pelvic floor muscles, too.

Lastly, aging can play a part in pelvic floor health. Just like with the rest of the body, muscles can weaken with age—but practicing exercise and other good health habits can keep your pelvic floor in good shape even with age.

Whether the cause of your pelvic floor myalgia is other conditions, harmful behaviors, past health experiences, or a combination of causes, the pelvic floor therapists at Hive Therapy and Wellness are very experienced and ready to help!

The physical therapists at Hive Therapy and Wellness can help address pelvic floor tension myalgia by analyzing your symptoms and examining your pelvic floor to best identify a possible underlying cause.

They will curate a unique and comprehensive treatment plan to help address your pain and restore function to your pelvic floor. This care plan may include a variety of treatment strategies, such as:

Manual Therapy

Hands-on techniques will work to reduce tension and encourage muscle flexibility. Working the muscles manually will relieve trigger points and reduce muscle spasms.

There are many types of manual techniques! In the case of pelvic floor tension myalgia, it may be appropriate for manual therapies to be done internally via the vagina or rectum.

Pain Relief

Having very tight pelvic floor muscles can be painful in many parts of the body, including the hips, abdominals, and lower back.

While under Hive’s care, you can receive a variety of pain-relieving treatments or modalities while you and your physical therapist collaborate to address the root cause.

Hive Therapy and Wellness offers many pain-relieving services that can help improve blood flow and muscle function, such as dry needling, tissue scraping, cupping, ice or heat therapy, and more.

Therapeutic Exercise

Your Hive therapist may walk you through therapeutic activities that can correct harmful habits and abnormal movement patterns, thereby reducing your pain.

This can include a variety of stretching and relaxation techniques, such as yoga or diaphragmatic breathing.

Neuromuscular Re-Education and Biofeedback

Getting to the root cause of pelvic floor tension myalgia often requires an examination of how you use your muscles! As mentioned before, your pelvic floor functions via contraction and relaxation.

Neuromuscular re-education and biofeedback are designed to help patients improve their awareness and coordination of their pelvic floor muscles. Relearning how to use these muscles efficiently will help reduce and prevent tension.

Behavioral Modifications

Hive Therapy and Wellness works hard to not just get patients feeling healthy, but to have them stay healthy! Behavioral modifications are lifestyle changes that will help reduce tension and pressure from your pelvis and pelvic floor.

To reduce and prevent future symptoms from pelvic floor tension myalgia, your physical therapist will help you improve your posture, eliminate harmful bathroom habits, and make improvements to your diet, fiber intake, and hydration.

Exercise Prescription

The pelvic floor is closely tied to other parts of the body, such as the hips, lower back, and abdominals.

To prevent tension and excess pressure from building in the pelvic floor, your physical therapist will curate for you a special exercise plan that may include core strengthening and other strategies that allow for muscle balancing.

Scar Mobilization

If applicable, such as for individuals who have experienced surgery, your physical therapist can provide scar mobilization to further improve flexibility and mobility of your muscles.

Education

Lastly, your Hive physical therapist will be happy to answer your questions and provide plenty of education on multiple topics as needed. They can help you better understand your pelvic floor and how to best prevent tension myalgia.

This can include education on managing stress, pain, and other symptoms at home—and if applicable, how to use tools such as a dilator or pelvic floor wand.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways that a pelvic floor physical therapist can address pelvic floor tension myalgia. However, each person’s individual case will vary.

Rest assured that the physical therapists at Hive Therapy and Wellness create a holistic care plan that is unique to your individual needs in order to provide the best treatment experience possible.

In order to achieve this, they may use any of the following treatments:

• Neuromuscular re-education 
• Manual therapy
• Exercise prescription 
• Dry needling 
• Cupping 
• Tissue scraping 
• Behavioral modifications 
• Therapeutic activities 
• Electrical muscle stimulation
• Spinal manipulation 
• Therapeutic modalities 
• Biofeedback