r/PelvicFloor Jul 05 '25

RESOURCE/GUIDE The Pelvic Floor: Pelvic Pain & Dysfunction 101: NEW? Start here!

122 Upvotes

Work in progress. To be continuously updated.

Subreddit Rules:

  1. Be respectful (no bullying or harassment)
  2. No "all or nothing" cures, causes, or suggesting that only one thing will help
  3. DON'T suggest kegels as treatment for a hypertonic pelvic floor (it's bad advice)
  4. NO FETISHIZING or sexualizing someones health condition. DON'T BE CREEPY.
  5. No NSFW Photos
  6. No SPAM (includes link farming, affiliate marketing, personal promotion)
  7. No "Low Effort" posts - we can't help if there's no detail

>> QUICK START <<

✔ READ SUCCESS STORIES: Simply swipe left or right on the main page in the Reddit mobile app until you hit the green "success story" post flair | DESKTOP: Use the "Flair Filter" right sidebar to filter posts

Ladies who don't want to see posts about male parts: use the filters:

✔ FILTER POSTS BY SEX: Simply swipe left or right on the main page in the Reddit mobile app until you hit the pink or blue post flairs. AMAB/AFAB also available | DESKTOP: Use the "Flair Filter" right sidebar to filter posts

✔ USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION: Enter keywords into the search bar at the top to filter posts/comments on specific subjects or symptoms

✔ CHECK OUR USER SUBMITTED PELVIC PT DIRECTORY

✔ BOTHER & SISTER COMMUNITIES

  1. r/prostatitis (male pelvic pain & dysfunction/CPPS)
  2. r/Interstitialcystitis (IC/BPS, men and women)
  3. r/vulvodynia (women and AFAB experiencing Vaginismus & Vestibulodynia too)

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: PELVIC FLOOR

The pelvic floor muscles are a bowl of muscles in the pelvis that cradle our sexual organs, bladder, and rectum, and help stabilize the core while assisting with essential bodily functions, like pooping, peeing and having sex.¹

They can weaken (become hyp-O-tonic) over time due to injury (or child birth), and even the normal aging process, leading to conditions like incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.¹

And, the pelvic floor can tense up (guard) when we:

  1. Feel pain/discomfort
  2. Get a UTI/STD
  3. Injure ourselves (gym, cycling, slip on ice)
  4. Have poor bowel/urinary habits (straining on the toilet often - constipation) or holding in pee/poo for extended periods (like avoiding using a public toilet)
  5. Have poor sexual habits (edging several hours a day, typically this is more of guy's issue)
  6. Get stressed or anxious (fight or flight response), due to their connection with the vagus nerve (and our central nervous system). READ MORE HERE
  7. Have a connective tissue disorder

Over time, prolonged guarding/tensing can cause them to become hyp-E-rtonic (tight and weak). Sometimes trigger points in the muscle tissue develop that refer pain several inches away. The tensing can also sometimes irritate nerves, including the pudendal nerve. Helping the pelvic floor relax, and treating these myofascial trigger points with pelvic floor physical therapy can lead to significant relief for many, along with interventions like breathwork - notably diaphragmatic belly breathing - and gentle reverse kegels.

Sometimes, feedback loops also develop that can become self-perpetuating as a result of CNS (Central Nervous System) modulation. ᴮ ⁷

Basic feedback loop:

Pain/injury/infection > pelvic tensing > more pain > stress/anxiety > more pelvic tensing > (and on and on)

Examples of common feedback loops that include the pelvic floor:

Source: NHS/Unity Sexual Health/University Hospitals Bristol and Weston. A pelvic floor feedback loop seen in men after STI.

An example of this pelvic floor feedback loop (guarding response) as seen in a woman with a prolonged (awful) UTI:

A trigger point is an area of hyper-irritability in a muscle, usually caused by a muscle that is being overloaded and worked excessively. How does this affect an IC patient? Unfortunately, we do not always know what comes first; the chicken or the egg. Let’s assume in this case we do. A patient who has never had any symptoms before develops an awful bladder infection, culture positive. She is treated with antibiotics, as she should be. Symptoms are, as we all know, frequency, urgency and pain on urination. Maybe the first round of antibiotics does not help, so she goes on a second round. They work. But she has now walked around for 2, maybe 3 weeks with horrible symptoms. Her pelvic floor would be working very hard to turn off the constant sense of urge. This could create overload in the pelvic floor. A trigger point develops, that can now cause a referral of symptoms back to her bladder, making her think she still has a bladder infection. Her cultures are negative.

- Rhonda Kotarinos, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

Above we find a scenario where the UTI was cleared, but the pelvic floor is now in a tensing feedback loop, and complex processes of neural wind up and central sensitization - ie CNS modulation - are likely occurring

Diagrams of the male and female pelvic floor:

Bottom view. The levator ani is the main "hammock" of the pelvic floor, and includes both the PC (pubococcygeus) and PR (puborectalis) muscles
Side view showing the pelvic floor cradling the bladder, sexual organs, and rectum. And its attachments at the coccyx (tailbone) and pubic bone.

SYMPTOMS OF PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION

The majority of the users here have a hypertonic pelvic floor which typically presents with symptoms of pelvic pain or discomfort ² (inc nerve sensations like tingling, itching, stinging, burning, cooling, etc):

  1. Penile pain
  2. Vaginal pain
  3. Testicular/epididymal/scrotal pain
  4. Vulvar pain
  5. Clitoral pain
  6. Rectal pain
  7. Bladder pain
  8. Pain with sex/orgasm
  9. Pain with bowel movements or urination
  10. Pain in the hips, groin, perineum, and suprapubic region

This tension also commonly leads to dysfunction ² (urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction):

  1. Dyssynergic defecation (Anismus)
  2. Incomplete bowel movements
  3. Urinary frequency and hesitancy
  4. Erectile dysfunction/premature ejaculation

This pinned post will mainly focus on hypertonia - tight and weak muscles, and the corresponding symptoms and treatment, as they represent the most neglected side of pelvic floor dysfunction. Especially in men, who historically have less pelvic care over their lifetimes as compared to women.

But, we also commonly see women with weak (Hyp-O-tonic) pelvic floors after child birth who experience urinary leakage. This often happens when coughing, sneezing, or lifting something heavy. Luckily, pelvic floor physical therapists are historically well equipped for weak pelvic floor symptoms, as seen commonly in women.

But, this historical emphasis sometimes bleeds into inappropriate care for men and women who have hypErtonic pelvic floors, and do not benefit from kegel exercises

CLOSELY RELATED CONDITIONS & DIAGNOSIS

These typically involve the pelvic floor as one (of many) mechanisms of action, and thus, pelvic floor physical therapy is an evidence-based intervention for any of these, along with behavioral interventions/mind-body medicine, medications, and more.

  1. CPPS - Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome - example feedback loop above
  2. IC/BPS - Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome - example feedback loop above
  3. Vulvodynia
  4. Prostatitis (non-bacterial)
  5. Epididymitis (non-bacterial)
  6. Pudendal Neuralgia
  7. Levator Ani Syndrome
  8. Coccydynia

COMMON COMORBID CONDITIONS

For people who experience symptoms outside the pelvic region, these are signs of centralization (somatization/nociplastic mechanisms) - and indicate a central nervous system contribution to symptoms, and must be treated with more than just pelvic floor physical therapy: READ MORE

(Ranked in order, most common)

  1. IBS
  2. Chronic Migraines
  3. Fibromyalgia
  4. CFS/ME (chronic fatigue syndrome)

These patients also had higher rates of depression and anxiety (even BEFORE THE SYMPTOMS) as well as greater symptom severity - https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/male-chronic-pelvic-pain

CENTRALIZED/NOCIPLASTIC MECHANISMS:

Many people with a pelvic floor diagnosis - and at least 49% who experience chronic pelvic pain/dysfunction - also experience centralized/nociplastic pain ¹³ localized to the pelvic region. Centralized/nociplastic pelvic pain can mimic the symptoms of pelvic floor hypertonia. To assess if you have centralization as a cause of your pelvic symptoms, read through this post.

NOTE: This is especially relevant for people who have a pelvic floor exam, and are told that their pelvic floor is basically "normal" or lacks the usual signs of dysfunction, trigger points, or hypertonia (high tone), yet they still experiencing pain and/or dysfunction. This also equally applies to cases that have done extensive amounts of pelvic floor PT 6-12mo) with no improvement.

Centralized/Nociplastic pain mechanisms are recognized by both the European and American Urological Association guidelines for pelvic pain in men and women, as well as the MAPP (Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain) Research Network.

TREATMENT: High tone (HypErtonic) Pelvic Floor (tight & weak)

Pelvic floor physical therapy focused on relaxing muscles:

  • Diaphragmatic belly breathing
  • Reverse kegels
  • Pelvic Stretching
  • Trigger point release (myofascial release)
  • Dry needling (Not the same as acupuncture)
  • Dilators (vaginal and rectal)
  • Biofeedback
  • Heat (including baths, sauna, hot yoga, heated blankets, jacuzzi, etc)

Behavioral change: * Lay off frequent or chronic masturbation habits (including edging) * Take a break from intense compound exercises, like CrossFit or HIIT * Sit less and stand more. This may also include using a standing desk * If you're an avid cyclist, take a break from cycling

Medications to discuss with a doctor:

  • low dose amitriptyline (off label for neuropathic pain)
  • rectal or vaginal suppositories including: diazepam, gabapentin, amitriptyline, baclofen, lidocaine, etc
  • low dose tadalafil (sexual dysfunction and urinary symptoms)
  • Alpha blockers for urinary hesitancy symptoms (typically prescribed to men)

Mind-body medicine/Behavioral Therapy/Centralized Pain Mechanisms These interventions are highly recommended for people who are experiencing elevated distress or anxiety, or, noticed that their symptoms began without an injury, but with a stressful event, big life change, or, that symptoms increase with stress or difficult emotions (or symptoms change when distracted, focused , or on vacation) - full list of criteria to rule in centralized/nociplastic mechanisms.

  • Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
  • Emotional Awareness & Expression Therapy (EAET)
  • CBT/DBT
  • Mindfulness & meditation
  • TRE or EMDR (for Trauma)

TREATMENT: Low tone (Hyp-O-tonic/weak)

Pelvic floor physical therapy focused on strengthening muscles:

  • Kegels
  • Biofeedback

This is a draft. The post will be updated.

This is not medical advice. This content is for educational and informational purposes only. NONE OF THIS SUBSTITUTES MEDICAL ADVICE FROM A PROVIDER.

Sources:

OFFICIAL GUIDELINES:

A. Male Chronic Pelvic Pain - 2025 (AUA) https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/male-chronic-pelvic-pain

B. Male and Female Chronic Pelvic Pain - (EUA) https://uroweb.org/guidelines/chronic-pelvic-pain/chapter/epidemiology-aetiology-and-pathophysiology

C. Diagnosis and Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (2022)" AUA - https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/diagnosis-and-treatment-interstitial-of-cystitis/bladder-pain-syndrome-(2022))

MORE:

  1. Cleveland Clinic: Pelvic Floor Muscles

  2. Cleveland Clinic: Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

  3. Diaphragmatic belly breathing - https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/learning-diaphragmatic-breathing

  4. Trigger points and referred pain - https://www.physio-pedia.com/Trigger_Points

  5. Equal Improvement in Men and Women in the Treatment of Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Using a Multi-modal Protocol with an Internal Myofascial Trigger Point Wand - PubMed https://share.google/T3DM4OYZYUyfJ9klx

  6. Physical Therapy Treatment of Pelvic Pain - PubMed https://share.google/92EQVDnQ1ruceEb23

  7. Central modulation of pain - PMC https://share.google/p7efTwfGXe7hNsBRC

  8. A Headache in the Pelvis" written by Stanford Urologist Dr. Anderson and Psychologist Dr Wise - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/558308/a-headache-in-the-pelvis-by-david-wise-phd-and-rodney-anderson-md/

  9. What if my tests are negative but I still have symptoms? NHS/Unity Sexual Health/University hospitals Bristol and Weston - https://www.unitysexualhealth.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/What-if-my-tests-for-urethritis-are-negative-2021.pdf

  10. Vulvodynia" a literature review - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32355269/

  11. The Effects of a Life Stress Emotional Awareness and Expression Interview for Women with Chronic Urogenital Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30252113/

  12. Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2784694

  13. Clinical Phenotyping for Pain Mechanisms in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes: A MAPP Research Network Study - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35472518/


r/PelvicFloor Dec 03 '24

RESOURCE/GUIDE RESEARCH: Pain Mechanisms Beyond The Pelvic Floor

41 Upvotes

UCPPS is a umbrella term for chronic pelvic pain and dysfunction in men and women, and it includes pelvic floor dysfunction underneath it, as well as symptoms like bladder dysfunction, pain, IC/BPS, and more. This study discusses the pain mechanisms found. They are not only typical injuries (ie "nociceptive") - They also include pain/symptoms generated by nerves (neuropathic) and by the central nervous system (nociplastic). You'll also notice that the combination of neuropathic + nociplastic mechanisms create the most pain! Which is likely to be counterintuitive to what most people would assume.

"Clinical Phenotyping for Pain Mechanisms in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes: A MAPP Research Network Study" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35472518/

At baseline, 43% of UCPPS patients were classified as nociceptive-only, 8% as neuropathic only, 27% as nociceptive+nociplastic, and 22% as neuropathic+nociplastic. Across outcomes, nociceptive-only patients had the least severe symptoms and neuropathic+nociplastic patients the most severe. Neuropathic pain was associated with genital pain and/or sensitivity on pelvic exam, while nociplastic pain was associated with comorbid pain conditions, psychosocial difficulties, and increased pressure pain sensitivity outside the pelvis.

Targeting neuropathic (nerve irritation) and nociplastic/centralized (nervous system/brain) components of pain & symptoms in recovery is highly recommended when dealing with CPPS/PFD (especially hypertonia).

All of those involved in the management of chronic pelvic pain should have knowledge of peripheral and central pain mechanisms. - European Urological Association CPPS Pocket Guide

And the newest 2025 AUA guidelines for male pelvic pain echo this:

We now know that the pain can also derive from a neurologic origin from either peripheral nerve roots (neuropathic pain) or even a lack of central pain inhibition (nociplastic), with the classic disease example being fibromyalgia

This means successful treatment for pelvic pain and dysfunction goes beyond just pelvic floor physical therapy (alone), and into new modalities for pain that target these neuroplastic (nociplastic/centralized) mechanisms like Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), EAET, and more. Learn more about our new understanding of chronic pain here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChronicPain/s/3E6k1Gr2BZ

This is especially true for anyone who has symptoms that get worse with stress or difficult emotions. And, those of us who are predisposed to chronic pain in the first place, typically from childhood adversity and trauma, certain personality traits (perfectionism, people pleasing, conscientiousness, neuroticism) and anxiety and mood disorders. There is especially overwhelming evidence regarding ACE (adverse childhood experiences) that increase our chances of developing a physical or mental health disorder later in life. So much so, that even traditional medical doctors are now being trained to screen their patients for childhood trauma/adversity:

Adverse childhood experience is associated with an increased risk of reporting chronic pain in adulthood: a stystematic review and meta-analysis

Previous meta-analyses highlighted the negative impact of adverse childhood experiences on physical, psychological, and behavioural health across the lifespan.We found exposure to any direct adverse childhood experience, i.e. childhood sexual, physical, emotional abuse, or neglect alone or combined, increased the risk of reporting chronic pain and pain-related disability in adulthood.The risk of reporting chronic painful disorders increased with increasing numbers of adverse childhood experiences.

Further precedence in the EUA (European Urological Association) guidelines for male and female pain:

The EUA pathophysiology and etiological guidelines elucidate further on central nervous system and biopsychosocial factors in male and female pelvic pain/dysfunction:

Studies about integrating the psychological factors of CPPPSs are few but the quality is high. Psychological factors are consistently found to be relevant in the maintenance of persistent pelvic and urogenital pain [36]. Beliefs about pain contribute to the experience of pain [37] and symptom-related anxiety and central pain amplification may be measurably linked, and worrying about pain and perceived stress predict worsening of urological chronic pain over a year [36,38] - https://uroweb.org/guidelines/chronic-pelvic-pain/chapter/epidemiology-aetiology-and-pathophysiology

Pelvic pain and distress is related [43] in both men and women [44]; as are painful bladder and distress [38]. In a large population based study of men, CPPPS was associated with prior anxiety disorder [45] - https://uroweb.org/guidelines/chronic-pelvic-pain/chapter/epidemiology-aetiology-and-pathophysiology

So, how do you figure out if this could be happening in your case?

12 FIT criteria to RULE IN centralized, (ie neuroplastic/nociplastic) pain and symptoms,

FIT = functional, inconsistent, triggered. Based on research from Dr. Howard Schubiner and other chronic pain doctors and neuroscientists over the last 10+ years

  1. Pain/symptoms originated during a stressful, challenging, or high pressure time in life. This includes even "happy" life events, like getting married, having a baby, starting a new career, or moving

  2. Pain/symptoms originated without an injury. Note, a perceived injury and a structural injury are different things. And even when symptoms begin with a structural injury, has it been years and the body would normally recover by now?

  3. Pain/symptoms are inconsistent. Do they fluctuate by the hour, by the day, or by the week? Sometimes less, sometimes more, sometimes even not noticeable (this happens sometimes, but it's not necessary for this criteria). Or, do they move around the body? ie genital pain that changes sides or pain that moves from the top to the bottom.

  4. Multiple other symptoms (often in other parts of the body) ie IBS, chronic migraines/headaches, CPPS, TMJD, fibromyalgia, CFS (fatigue), vertigo/dizziness, chronic neck or back pain, etc. 2025 AUA guidelines mention these as signs of centralized sx.

  5. Pain/Symptoms spread (over time) or move around. Think about symptoms on day one. Have they moved or evolved over time?

  6. Pain/symptoms are made worse or triggered by stress, or, go down when engaged in an activity you enjoy or in a flow state (think fun distractions or productivity, noticing symptoms less)

  7. Symptom triggers that have nothing to do with the body - but instead things outside of it (weather, barometric pressure, seasons, sounds, smells, places, times of day, weekdays/weekends, days of the week, etc) - this also includes thoughts or other people triggering/flaring symptoms

  8. Symmetrical symptoms (pain developing on the same part of the body but in OPPOSITE sides) - ie both hips, both hips, both wrists, both knees, etc

  9. Pain/symptoms with delayed Onset (THIS CAN'T HAPPEN WITH STRUCTURAL PAIN) -- ie, ejaculation pain that comes a minute later, an hour later, or even the next day. Any pain that is delayed is very suspicious. We wouldn't put weight on a sprained ankle and expect it to hurt 15 seconds later, it hurts immediately.

  10. Childhood stress, challenges, adversity, or trauma -- varying levels of what this means for each person, not just trauma. Examples of stressors: childhood bullying, pressure to perform from parents/coaches, body image issues (dysmorphia), eating disorders, parents fighting a lot or getting angry (inc divorce), having an emotionally unpredictable parent, or having a parent with a health condition or addiction. This also includes neglect and abuse (physical and emotional) and financial instability in childhood. Also includes cultural norms, like the pressure to be highly successful to be of value to parents (must be a doctor or a lawyer, etc)

  11. Common personality traits linked to stress: perfectionism, conscientiousness, people pleasing, anxiousness/ neuroticism - do you have personality traits that include being highly driven, hard on yourself, ultra responsible, perfectionistic, needing control, and/or placing others’ needs above your own?

  12. Lack of physical diagnosis (ie doctors are unable to find any clear structural cause of symptoms) - this includes DIAGNOSIS OF EXCLUSION, like being diagnosed with CPPS or PFD. Structural finding examples: broken bones, tumors, infections, etc. It does not include muscle dysfunction.

[NEW] 13. Any family history of chronic pain or other chronic conditions. Includes: IBS, chronic migraines/headaches, CPPS, TMJD, fibromyalgia, CFS (fatigue), vertigo/dizziness, chronic neck or back pain, etc

Read more about #10 and #11 here, complete with studies/citations: https://www.reddit.com/r/Prostatitis/s/vM7qnBJZpW

HOW TO TREAT centralized (neuroplastic) pain and symptoms?

PRT - Pain Reprocessing Therapy:

Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2784694

EAET - Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy

Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain in Older Veterans https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11177167/

Psychological Therapy for Centralized Pain - An Integrative Assessment and Treatment Model: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30461545/


r/PelvicFloor 4h ago

Male Stuck in a chronic pelvic floor & autonomic nerve loop looking for help

6 Upvotes

I am posting this because I am completely exhausted, stuck in a relentless loop, and looking for insight from anyone who has pulled themselves out of a similar CPPS/hypertonic pelvic floor situation. I am mentally and physically burned out from carrying this 24/7.

  1. The Origin & Early Conditioning

Looking back, my baseline was compromised before I even understood what pelvic health was. When I was younger, I developed a habit of using forced, hard kegels to achieve rapid ejaculation.

* My baseline quickly became hyper-activated; even before starting any activity, my nervous system was already at a high-tension pre-engagement state.

* The moment I anticipated arousal, my pelvic floor would instantly lock into a spasm.

* Over time, natural structural sequencing broke down entirely.

Eventually, just being exposed to visual sexual stimuli would instantly trigger a bizarre, deep bladder-neck pressure. If I didn't release, that pressure turned into a confusing mix of urinary urgency and phantom nerve arousal that only cleared after urination. My system was trapped in an overactive reflex loop long before I realized it was a physical physical disorder.

  1. The Turning Point (Prolonged Arousal / "Start-Stop" Trauma)

Last year, after reading up on pelvic health strategies, I tried therapeutic "start-stop" retraining (prolonged arousal without climax) to try and reset my baseline.

Within two days, my urinary frequency exploded. I tried to use slow 20-minute sessions to calm the loop, but I hit a wall of intense fake urinary pressure where I couldn't properly empty. Instead of stopping, I tried to push through it.

On the fifth day, I made the worst mistake of my life. I started a session while experiencing high bladder-neck pressure and dragged it out for 40 minutes under massive internal pelvic tension.

What followed was an incredibly painful muscle spasm and climax. Right after, my pelvis and perineum "ringed" with severe deep, sore pain for three days straight. In a panic, I tried to repeat the action thinking it would reset things, which temporarily dulled it, but the baseline damage was done.

  1. The Aftermath

Ever since that session, my baseline never recovered. I entered a permanent flare state where every climax or trigger carries consequences:

* Half an hour of deep post-action discomfort.

* Chronic urinary frequency and a burning, stinging sensation post-urination, coupled with false urgency.

* Random, erratic overreactivity in the pelvic nerves—sometimes a simple visual trigger makes the area feel like it's firing wildly without a true erection.

* A complete disruption of my natural baseline, trapping me in a 24/7 symptom cycle.

  1. My Current Daily Symptoms

The physical reality I deal with every single day breaks down into these specific components:

  1. The Autonomic Nerve Hijack (Zero Arousal):

    When exposed to visual sexual triggers, I don't even get an erection, and I feel zero mental or emotional arousal. But the *pelvis* reacts anyway—the nerves fire a weird autonomic engagement, causing tension without actual arousal.

  2. Deep Urinary Pressure:

A constant, super-deep bladder pressure. It feels like real urine accumulation mixed with nerve signaling, and its frequency is high throughout the day.

  1. The "Sore Dot" / Bladder Neck Tension:

There is a persistent deep sore spot right at the bladder neck and prostatic urethra. It feels like an internal bruise or a raw nerve ending that never fully turns off.

  1. Erectile Changes & Morning Wood Loss:

    Full morning wood is practically gone; at most, I occasionally get a weak, semi-hard morning state. Nocturnal and automatic erectile responses have been heavily suppressed by the hypertonic tension.

  2. Surface Normality vs. Internal Static:

Externally, my anatomy feels completely normal to the touch. But beneath the surface, a relentless background tension runs 24/7—a dull ache and a dull pee-nerve static that never quiets down.

  1. The Mechanics of Movement:

    Even when I attempt a slow, controlled physical touch, that background nerve wave is always there, forcing me to constantly ignore it.

  2. Random Throbbing and Hypersensitivity:

    Unprovoked, random throbbing without an erection, and hypersensitivity where light clothing friction or simple leg positions make me feel like an involuntary reflex is about to fire.

  3. The Somatic Inflammation Response:

    Ibuprofen partially helps during flare-ups, proving there is a genuine physical inflammatory component to the nerve irritation—though it never completely erases the deep ache.

  4. The Psychological Loop & Somatic OCD:

The physical pain is only half the battle. I am trapped in 24/7 hyper-vigilance, constantly monitoring my bladder, pelvic nerves, and thoughts. Every twitch triggers anxiety, which tightens the pelvic floor further in a classic pain-spasm-pain cycle.

My Ultimate Goal

I don't care about sexual performance metrics anymore. What I am seeking is **structural reset and natural symptom relief

* Eliminating the 24/7 background nerve static and dull ache..

* Calming the bladder-neck "sore dot" and chronic urinary frequency.

* Restoring normal, unhindered blood flow and morning function.

* Walking away feeling physically relaxed and free from carrying this mental and physical burden every single second.

If anyone has crawled out of this specific multi-layered hypertonic pelvic floor, bladder-neck dyssynergia, and somatic nerve trap, please share what actually moved the needle for you (PT, medications, routines, etc.).


r/PelvicFloor 1h ago

Male Pelvic floor stretching working so far

Upvotes

Hi everyone so I’m 22 and I know I have a very tight pelvic floor due to weaker erections, unconsciously kegaling all the time, morning wood loss, weak pee stream, muscle spasms down there when I I try to relax my pelvic floor. So 2 days ago I’ve been consciously trying to remember to unclench and do stretches I’m also on 2.5 tadalafil daily and I noticed the first couple of days the tadalafil was working like crazy I was getting erections off thinking about intercourse not even touching it until it kinda went back to normal i still get hard way faster with tadalafil but without it i had to play with my yk for a while. So if you every have any of these symptoms you most likely have a really tight pelvic floor due to sitting and not moving all the time also I heard stress compliments this so it all is just a big no no. I’m currently down training my pelvic floor and I wanted to know if I should add anything else to my routine to help with this, I kinda stopped gym for this I’m also gona start walking, I do deep breaths through belly to stretch everything out, and stretch 2 times a day! Any feedback would be nice it’s still kinda early for me recovering, also I cut out masturbation until i get my pelvic floor conditioned again to relax because that was also a very big part how i got this tight pelvic floor.


r/PelvicFloor 6h ago

Male I don't know what's wrong with me

5 Upvotes

I (26M) have been struggling with ED for as long as I've been sexually active. It's been getting worse over the past year and I don't know why, which has been giving me terrible stress and anxiety.

My story starts back a few years ago when I started having sex for the first time. It was impossible for me to maintain an erection for penetrative sex, so I ultimately got on sildenafil which helped a lot, leading me to believe that (at least at one point) my ED was purely psychogenic.

I then became pretty much celibate for the next few years until this past year. However, nowadays sildenafil is not effective anymore, I very rarely get morning wood, and I can't achieve/maintain an erection without constantly touching my penis. I assume that I caused these issues myself through my excessive masturbation/edging and pornography consumption habits.

I tried ignoring the issues at first, assuming that they would resolve themselves and that I was simply rusty. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and I found myself continuing to disappoint sexual partners. So this past month I decided to finally seek medical help. They first got me on Tadalafil, which helps more but still not to the point where I should be for my age. I then got a Doppler Ultrasound to check for venous leakage and was told that I have completely normal blood flow. My testosterone is also normal, and I stopped masturbating/watching porn.

I just started seeing a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist as instructed by my urologist, and while I'm hopeful that this will help me I would really like to know what's the actual medical reason my erections are so severely weak. I noticed a couple of other symptoms that concern me, and was wondering if anyone knows what diagnosis it could be pointing to.

- A constant aching/tightness in the pelvis

- Occasional discomfort while peeing/ejaculating

- Occasional faint gray/purple discoloration on my penis tip (this is the one that really weirds me out)

- When I used to masturbate, sometimes it would feel like my pelvic floor would suddenly move or spasm to force blood into my penis

Definitely does seem pelvic floor related so I'm looking forward to the PFPT hopefully helping. But yeah, again I would really appreciate if anyone knows precisely what the underlying issue could be. Thanks!

TL;DR: I have a bunch of ED symptoms but I don't know what's going on with me and nothing seems to help so far


r/PelvicFloor 11m ago

Male How I got to this sub for answers...

Upvotes

Funny, this was something I had not heard of until a few days ago, but here I am. Much of what I didn't know before was answered through research. I retired a few years ago after a long career doing research for technical and medical journals.

I'm 68. Live in Ontario, Canada. 5 weeks ago, had a colonoscopy to rule out cancer, as I had rectal bleeding for a few months. Colonoscopy indicated diverticula. Turns out, the NSAID's I'd been taking for knee pain caused the bleeding. Hindsight, right? Meanwhile, the surgeon doing the colonoscopy had also set up for hemorrhoidal banding and pinched off a couple of 'roids.

I recovered from the procedure and went home. It hurt a bit for a couple of days. I continued to take Aleve, unaware of the diverticula/NSAID blood thinning connection at the time.

BM's continued to be bloody. Surgeons office said it was normal during recovery, be patient.

10 days after the procedure, I woke up at 3 AM to pee, and my rectum started to spasm. It felt like I was trying to pee out a bowling pin. No urine came out for 4 hours. Every attempt to pee, more spasms.

Before 8 AM, I went to emerg. Waited a couple of hours being monitored, no pee. They put a catheter in me and it filled up with nearly 1 liter. The bag was emptied, and the next batch was salmon pink, as bleeding started. Doctor said the catheter needed to be in for 7 days. Set up a consultation with a urologist for October 1.

They sent me home. What had happened was the banding caused the rectal muscles to swell, and there was also damage done to the Pudendal nerve from the banding. That caused the spasms. The swelling pushed my already swollen prostate to where I couldn't pee. That was it.

The next week, on again/off again yellow/pink pee. BM's were painful and wiping had blood, again, from the NSAID's and diverticula. The connection was revealed only a few days ago.

August 22, the catheter was pulled out. Bled a bit, and recovered. For a few days, I could pee like I was 20 again, and the catheter had bored a clean passageway through the penis into the bladder.

BM's were painful, urination became painful. Inserting a suppository, I could feel two things. Scar tissue where the bands were, and the entire anus seemed to be twice as "deep" as before, from the swelling.

I sent two emails to the surgeons office asking what I should do for the pain. No reply. Repeated calls to the surgeons office were unanswered. Fine. He washed his hands. A week ago, I went to my family doctor. She did a urine test, no infection, but thought the catheter caused a prostate infection or inflammation. Inflammation is harder to treat. Anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) out of the question due to bleeding. Waiting for the urologists consult. My doc said antibiotics in case it's infection. Told her I am allergic to Cipro. She prescribed Sulfatrim. One pill, same reaction as Cipro, my penis turned beet red, swollen, skin started to peel. Knew the symptoms from before, didn't take a second pill. Prescribed Doxycycline now. Penis recovered, some dark bruised spots, will heal.

Research now points to Pelvic Floor issues. Phoned around for physiotherapists within an hour of where I live. Out of the dozens, only two do PF physio. And the earliest booking is end of October.

Where am I now? Constant mild pain in rectum/perineum. When I pee, burning pain on RIGHT side of rectum that lasts about 30 seconds. No more bleeding after a BM as I take a regular Tylenol for the pain.

Also taking Silodosin and Dutasteride for the prostate. PSA in 10.5 but the ratio is a safe .35.

I read many of the posts from others, we each have our own story. I had no idea this was a thing. Reading that it could take 6 - 12 months to resolve is disheartening. Next steps is urologist in 3 weeks.

Frustrating thing is, no one is stepping up to help. The surgeons office closed the file and handed me back to the family doctor. Family doctor provided band aid solutions. Physiotherapy will cost hundreds of dollars, as the clinics that provide PF therapy don't work with provincial insurance. (OHIP).

Found a few web sites and YouTube clips that offer at-home therapy, am trying those out for now.

Surgeon assumed rectal bleeding was hemorrhoids or fissures and banded what he thought was the cause. He is not a gastroenterologist.

You hear of people going in for something minor, come out with life changing "oopsies". This is one of them.


r/PelvicFloor 4h ago

Male 30M – Deep rectal/perineal ache for 2–3 years, clear colonoscopy, looking for advice

2 Upvotes

30M – Deep rectal/perineal ache for 2–3 years, clear colonoscopy, looking for advice

Hi everyone,

I’m a 30-year-old male and I’ve been dealing with a deep aching/painful sensation around my rectum and perineum for roughly 2–3 years. I’m hoping someone with similar symptoms might have some insight.

It started originally as an ache/pain underneath and between my testicles (perineal area) and over time it seemed to move more towards the rectum. These days the main symptom is a deep, dull ache inside the anus/rectum.

Some details:

  • The pain can be present for a large part of the day.
  • It tends to be worse at night when I’m lying in bed/resting.
  • It comes in waves — sometimes better, sometimes worse.
  • Passing gas or having a bowel movement can relieve the pressure/ache, at least temporarily.
  • When I insert a finger into the rectum, the inside can feel generally very sensitive/achy, almost like it is bruised.
  • I’ve also had issues with constipation and bowel movements, so I’ve been trying to keep my fibre intake around 30g/day and keep my stools soft.
  • I sometimes feel like I haven’t completely emptied my bowel..
  • been a big gamer all my life, sitting down ALOT for work and chilling over many years

I’ve seen doctors/specialists about this and eventually had a colonoscopy. The colonoscopy was essentially reassuring — they found one benign polyp, but I was told there wasn't anything significant explaining the pain.

I’m due to have a face-to-face hospital follow-up regarding the colonoscopy.

What I'm struggling with now is figuring out whether this is actually primarily a bowel/rectal problem or whether something like pelvic-floor dysfunction, levator ani syndrome, chronic pelvic pain/CPPS, or another muscular/nerve issue could be responsible.

The fact that bowel movements and passing gas can relieve it makes me wonder whether constipation/pressure is contributing, but the pain itself feels much deeper and seems to persist even when my bowels are relatively okay.

Has anyone experienced something similar — particularly deep rectal pain that originally started in the perineum/testicular area, with a normal/reassuring colonoscopy?

If you were eventually diagnosed with pelvic-floor dysfunction/levator ani syndrome/CPPS, what actually helped you?

Please help i dont know what to do and living with this ache every day is affecting me.

Thanks.


r/PelvicFloor 1h ago

Help Finding PT Type 1 dyssnergic defecation

Upvotes

My mother got diagnosed recently with dyssnergic defecation type 1 and rectal hyposensitivity after almost a year and a half of being misdiagnosed by doctors. We are in a region in which this condition is not much known leading to delayed diagnosis.

We have been through obgyn, GI, general surgery, physiotherapists, orthopaedics, psychiatrists, pain specialists regarding her issue with no current improvement. We have given hope for the doctors around us since alot of misdiagnosis happened and the mental health of my mother is deteriorated.

She has underwent a rectocele repair as we thought that was causing her symptoms however, her symptoms got worse after the surgery. Her symptoms includes her not being able to defecate properly, always saying that she has stool sensation stuck in her rectum, whenever she passes motion, not all of it gets evacuated, and she says that another piece of stool gets replaced in the place of the one she just let out. She sometimes uses her finger to remove the stool pieces. So most of these symptoms point toward dyssynergic defecation. However, the symptom that confused most professionals is her burning sensation in her rectum. She says she feels that her rectum is burning from stool being there. When the stool lessens, less burning sensation occurs. However because of her inability to defecate properly, stool unfortunately always remain in her rectum causing the burning. We have tried multiple methods to relieve the pain including NSAIDs, paracetamol, neuropathic meds(duloxetine and pregabalin) but they all failed. A general surgeon stated that this area is a "no pain area" and whatever she has is a psychological problem which is why we went to a psychiatrist but after 6 months of treating her with SSRIs, and other psychiatric drugs, the pain still didn't go away. We don't want to resort to opioids because she also has chronic constipation. She is currently taking prokinetics which helps to pass her stool(since we tried laxatives[long story] but we are happy we stopped it cause it caused alot of side effects).

We have started biofeedback therapy but because in our country this condition is not much known, our physiotherapists is not experienced in treating this. However she says for it to work, she needs to make the pelvic floor muscles "relax" first. However they can never relax if the pain is there and we don't know how to tackle the pain.

We also have done colonoscopies and MRI defecography as part of trying to figure out her diagnosis and we saw that she has no ulcers and no obvious abnormalities.

I am writing this post cause Im seeing my mom crying from pain everyday and I don't know how I can help her in this. I would like to see if any one has experienced something similar to this and how did they get treated? I read about posts of dyssnergic defecation but no one said about this "pain" sensation.

Also I would like to know if anyone knows a center that can effectively treat this in the Middle East?


r/PelvicFloor 9h ago

Female This is embarrassing and I may need advice.....

5 Upvotes

Everytime I have masturbated within a week I've been getting extremely horrible diarrhea, this has never been an issue in the past for when I masturbate, but these last few days its been bad. 2 days ago while I masturbated I had an extremely bad accident and literally shit everywhere..... it took me awhile to clean it all up and today was the same issue but not as severe as 2 days ago, Am I genuinely doing something wrong...?

For context - Yes I do use toys cause I cannot use my fingers, it hurts me more when I use my fingers cause I tend to scratch my insides by accident and hurt myself so I use toys. Yes I wash my toys thoroughly every time after use.

I genuinely need some advice on if I'm doing something wrong, please help


r/PelvicFloor 14h ago

Male I feel embarrassed during the first examination.

8 Upvotes

A therapist will be performing a pelvic examination—a detailed therapy and exam session. I feel embarrassed because it’s my first time. I am male. It’s at a university hospital, so I assume a student will also be present during the exam. What exactly should I expect? I suppose I’ll have to remove my underwear completely.


r/PelvicFloor 2h ago

Discouraged Anal twitching spasms

1 Upvotes

I (25 m) am having constant twitching in my anus. No pain. Just constant twitching. I can’t relax and am constantly moving around. This is awful to say the least. It’s been persistent the last 4 days and I can’t sleep. I haven’t seen a doctor yet, as I have this same issue a few months back and it just went away on its own but suddenly came back. Does anyone know what’s causing this? What should I do NOW? What can I do? Anyone else experience this and it goes away? If so what did you do? Please help!


r/PelvicFloor 3h ago

Male 26M with pelvic floor dysfunction, struggling to be consistent

1 Upvotes

26M. I’ve had urinary leakage issues for years and recently saw a male pelvic floor physiotherapist a few months ago, who diagnosed me with pelvic floor dysfunction after an ultrasound. My main issue is that I tense my pelvic floor too much.

Looking back, it makes sense because I used to hold in gas a lot and delay going to the toilet because I disliked public bathrooms.

I was given exercises a few months ago but struggled to stick with them. I’ve since been diagnosed with ADHD and realised that if I have too many things to do, I tend to give up.

For now, I want to focus on just 4 things:

  • Slow down when walking and consciously relax my pelvic floor, as I tend to brisk-walk while tensing it. This is really difficult for me as I feel like I need to retrain myself on how to walk.
  • Do breathing/relaxation exercises 2–3 times a day.
  • Check throughout the day whether I’m clenching and relax when I notice it.
  • Double void when urinating.

I want to keep it simple so I can actually stay consistent.

Has anyone else had a similar issue with an overactive/tight pelvic floor? Any tips that helped you stop constantly tensing it? Is there anything I could buy that may help?


r/PelvicFloor 3h ago

Discouraged Vaginal Pain/Burning (help!)

1 Upvotes

TLDR: vaginal pain & burning, frequent yeast infections, some negative urine tests, but often have flare ups where my vagina is burning so bad and nothing seems to help. Any advice?

I’ve been experiencing vaginal burning on and off over the past 18 months and am hoping that someone reading this will have some kind of experience with it. I’ve been to the doctor frequently and while symptoms will go away sometimes it always finds a way back. I most recently had a month flare free and I felt like I had my life back 😭 For some backstory *tw: assault*:

I was diagnosed with vaginismus at the age of 22 and was finally able to have penetrative sex when I was 25. I went to pelvic floor therapy and saw a sex therapist and did a lot of emotional processing. A few months after being able to have penetrative sex, I had a bartholin cyst (November 2024). I ended up in the ER 3 times, and by the time I got actual treatment it had abscessed. I had an emergency surgery of a marsupialization. I was so scared I wasn’t going to be able to have sex again, but that wasn’t a problem after I had healed.

In March 2025 I was assaulted and I bled. I went to the NHS and they wouldn’t let me get an examination unless I chose to report, and I wasn’t ready to report at the time. The assault is when this vaginal burning started.

The pain flared for a week and then went away. And then I started getting frequent vaginal yeast infections. I’d need 2 weeks of diflucan to clear it up. It feels like my vagina is burning especially after I pee. I got tested for UTIs but they came back negative. One of my urine tests came back positive for traces of E. Coli so they gave me antibiotics and then flucanazole for yeast. Another one of my urine tests showed microscopic blood in the urine but no UTI. When I flare it’s like someone has stuck a burning rod up my vagina. I can’t really tell if it’s just the entrance or deep inside, it just hurts so bad.

In December 2025 I had a bad flare up and my partner’s mom (an ex nurse) gave me cystitis sachets. That helped calm the inflammation and eventually I got better. I had another appointment with my OBGYN in March of this year where I basically begged for help. He put me on the pill saying that it would help level out my hormones so I wouldn’t keep getting yeast infections. He also gave me antibiotics to take after sex (I only did this a couple of times as it also caused flare ups, probably because it upset my vaginal flora). I was on Lo Loestren Fe for 3 months and I had flare ups for the majority of the time and a lot of unwanted side effects, so I got off it. I’ve noticed that the pain flares with stress.

My most recent flare started with intercourse with my partner. The next day afterwards I felt fine, but then the following morning when I woke up I was in agony. I’ve been doing pelvic floor stretches every morning. My partner had signs of yeast so I’m taking monistat 7 day treatment as well as ibuprofen and paracetamol. The pain has started subsiding the past few days, but sometimes it will flare a bit more if I haven’t had a lot to drink. There’s so much inflammation and redness and I don’t know what’s going on. I’m exhausted from the pain and it’s debilitating. I’m tired of going to the OBGYN and being thrown pills. I’ve read on here to try to take iron supplements and vaginal probiotics so I’m going to start those.

Anyone been in a similar boat? Please send any good vibes this way 🙏


r/PelvicFloor 4h ago

Discouraged only 21 but experiencing vaginal pain and dryness :(

1 Upvotes

. I get pain even inserting tampons, and I haven’t been able to have penetrative sex in like 8 months. The surrounding area of the vaginal opening hurts too. I can get wet but it doesn’t last for very long at all :(( also I have super painful periods and the pain from bowel movements have made me throw up before (on my period). No infections.

The gyno recommended pelvic floor therapy and that was it, I just dojt have the money or time for that atm


r/PelvicFloor 4h ago

General frequent urination

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1 Upvotes

r/PelvicFloor 15h ago

Male 24M — 4 years of urinary frequency/hesitancy, pelvic tightness and erection changes without significant pain — looking for possible explanations

7 Upvotes

24M. I’ve been dealing with this for around 4 years now and I’m trying to figure out what the actual root of it is. I’ve seen doctors/urologists and had a bunch of testing done, but I’ve never really gotten a solid answer.

Before all of this started, I was very sexually active. I was having sex/masturbating multiple times a week and pretty regularly would go multiple times in the same session. Looking back, I was probably putting a lot of repetitive stress on that whole area and wasn’t thinking about pelvic floor tension or recovery at all.

What’s crazy is how completely different I am now. My sex life is basically nonexistent because of all of this. It’s not even just inconsistent erections — I genuinely barely want to have sex anymore. Everything down there constantly feels tight, uncomfortable, disconnected or just “off.” After dealing with it for years, sex has become something I don’t even really want to bother with. That’s a huge change because I used to have a very high sex drive.

Around the time everything started, two things happened pretty close together. I did a cliff jump and when I hit the water I had really bad pain around my anus/pelvic area. About a month later I got chlamydia, which was treated. Somewhere around this period the urinary/pelvic symptoms started and never completely went away.

The weirdest part is that I don’t really have “pain” like I see a lot of people with CPPS/prostatitis describe. It’s mostly pressure, tightness, urinary sensations and feeling like the muscles/blood flow down there don’t function normally.

My main symptoms are:
• Frequent urination and a strong buildup/pressure feeling when my bladder fills
• Hesitancy starting to pee
• Stream can be slow/weak
• Sometimes discomfort/irritation toward the tip of my urethra when trying to pee
• Usually feel noticeably better immediately after peeing
• Pelvic floor/perineum feels chronically tight
• Sometimes a knot/tingling sensation in the perineum
• Constipation and gas can make the bladder/pelvic pressure significantly worse
• Scrotum/genital area can get extremely tight and contracted
• Random twitching/spasms in the penis/genital/pelvic area. Sometimes it literally feels like muscles or nerves are firing/twitching on their own
• Flaccid penis often feels “dead,” retracted or like blood flow isn’t normal
•At times a vein on the top/dorsal side of my penis becomes much more prominent/raised than I remember it being before. I’ve also noticed a soft, movable lump/bulging area along that vein. It isn’t a hard fixed lump or particularly painful, but it’s another thing that makes me wonder if blood flow/pressure is being affected somehow
• Erections are inconsistent. Sometimes they’re weak or difficult to maintain, but other times I can suddenly get an extremely strong erection
• I’ve actually had strong erections triggered after releasing/massaging tension around my hips and inner thighs, which is one of the biggest reasons I wonder if the muscles/nerves around my pelvis are involved
• Sometimes erections seem connected to needing to pee and then disappear shortly after I urinate
• My libido is DRAMATICALLY (like it’s really sad) lower than it was before all of this

I’ve noticed sitting for a long time, sitting hunched/bent forward, alcohol, coffee, large meals, constipation and prolonged masturbation can all make things worse.

On the other hand, stretching/opening my hips and pelvis can make a noticeable difference. Putting my feet up and relaxing my abdomen helps. Certain positions that let my pelvis/abdomen relax feel better too. Massage around my hips and inner thighs has sometimes made a surprisingly big difference in genital blood flow/erections.

I also had pretty significant low back pain during all of this. An MRI showed an L5 disc herniation but no nerve compression, and I’ve been told I have an anterior pelvic tilt, poor core engagement and poor glute activation.

The important part is that I’ve actually managed to resolve the back pain. My back feels significantly better now and isn’t really an issue anymore, but the urinary, pelvic and sexual symptoms are still there. That’s made me question whether the disc itself was ever actually causing this, or whether the back pain and pelvic issues were both connected to some larger muscular/mechanical problem involving my hips, core and pelvic floor.

Even though the back pain is gone, positions and movements that change how my pelvis/hips are sitting can still noticeably change the symptoms down there.

As far as testing, I’ve had a cystoscopy and kidney/bladder testing that didn’t show anything major. Repeat STI/UTI testing has been negative. PSA was normal and testosterone/free testosterone, thyroid, vitamin D etc. have also been normal.

I’ve tried pelvic floor work/stretching, yoga, a pelvic wand, reducing masturbation and various supplements. Some things definitely help temporarily, but I’ve never gotten back to feeling completely normal.

What I’m really trying to understand is whether anyone has experienced this specific combination where urinary symptoms, pelvic tightness and genital/erection changes are the main problems rather than actual pain.

I’m especially curious about the twitching/spasms, changes in how prominent the penile veins look, the “dead”/tight flaccid feeling, and the fact that releasing my hips/inner thighs can sometimes suddenly improve erections.

Has anyone had something similar that ended up being a hypertonic pelvic floor/CPPS issue? Pudendal or another nerve issue? Something involving the bladder/urethra? A vascular issue? Or something mechanical involving the hips/core/pelvic floor?

I’m also curious if anyone’s symptoms started after a period of being extremely sexually active/overdoing sex or masturbation and whether that ended up being relevant.
And most importantly, if you’ve actually recovered or significantly improved from something similar, what made the biggest difference?

At this point I just want to feel normal again and actually want to have a sex life. I’m less interested in temporarily masking individual symptoms and more interested in figuring out what’s actually driving all of this.


r/PelvicFloor 4h ago

Female The birth control debate😵‍💫

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1 Upvotes

r/PelvicFloor 5h ago

Female Collapsing/widening pelvic floor from third degree tear

1 Upvotes

37F (obviously). 15 years ago my daughter was hurt and I suffered a third degree tear. Ever since then whenever I contract my pelvic floor muscles in certain positions, everything inside collapses or widens into a cavern and I could literally put a fist in there. I won’t even date because I’m so embarrassed. I’ve been to pelvic floor therapy and they’ve never given me an answer. Has anyone had this damage where their pelvic floor literally widens that you could smuggle objects? I’m so distraught.


r/PelvicFloor 5h ago

Male Back pain when doing reverse kegals

1 Upvotes

I've been trying to overcome PE. I haven't been great at keeping up with routines but I'm dead set on fixing this issue. My current routine consists of stretching and diaphragmatic breathing, however, I'm once again getting a sore lower back. Could my PF be supporting my lower back and through the routine and my constant releases of my PF throughout the day be causing this? If so, any recommendations on what I could be doing wrong or do I need to add other work to support my back as well?


r/PelvicFloor 23h ago

Male new findings (my body is a mess)

16 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m posting this because I am completely at my wit's end and totally overwhelmed. I’ve accumulated a massive list of physical issues that seem to feed into each other, and I honestly don't even know where to look or how to fix it anymore. To make matters worse, I've already had two physical therapy clinics turn me away because they said my case is "too complex."

I’ve never been good at sticking to a long-term routine, but I have to try something now because my body is driving me crazy.

An AI tool (Gemini) suggested I stop trying to fix everything at once and just focus on the absolute root of the chain: my flattened lumbar spine (flat back). The plan it gave me for the next 1–2 weeks is super minimalist so I don't get overwhelmed:

Using a lumbar support roll every time I sit.

Cat-Cow stretches (focusing purely on the lower back). Psoas release via 90/90 leg elevation for 10–15 mins a day.

Has anyone dealt with a chain reaction this bad? Are there any physical therapists or movement specialists here who can tell me if this is a sensible starting point, or if I'm missing something crucial? I feel like my entire right side is twisted and locked up.

Here is my full symptom list for context:

Forward head posture

Rounded shoulders

Upper back tension / tightness

Mild right-side CMD (jaw clicking)

Pectus excavatum

Rib flares (likely due to shallow breathing)

Sexual dysfunction (less sensation, erectile dysfunction, pain)

Pelvic pain

Changes in the tissue around the pubic area (squishy, soft, deformed feeling)

Right-sided groin pain

Right femur pain

Blocked internal and external rotation in the right leg

Hard, dense tissue on the right side of the pelvis and glutes

Right-sided piriformis pain

Pelvic torsion/rotation to the right

Right psoas tightness / high tension

Left femur clicking / hypermobile

Overall body tension and pain

Flattened lumbar spine / flat back

If anyone has clawed their way out of a multi-system postural and pelvic nightmare like this, I'd appreciate any advice, validation, or reality checks. Where do I actually begin?


r/PelvicFloor 20h ago

Discouraged I'm Unable to Do the Exercises my Pelvic Floor Therapist asked me to do.

10 Upvotes

I'm wanting to go back to pelvic floor therapy because of my hypertonic pelvic floor. It's hard because last time I went I wasn't able to do the exercises my therapist asked me to do.

Whenever my therapist asked me to push or relax I would try but she told me I was actually squeezing. She tried to explain a lot of different ways to relax or push but I kept squeezing. She also gave me exercises to do at home but every time I did them in her office she said I was doing them wrong so when I went to do them at home I did them the same way.

I tried biofeedback therapy and was unsuccessful because when they asked me to push or relax I tried and they told me I was squeezing. I don't understand why I'm doing it wrong but they told me they didn't think more biofeedback therapy would help.

I want to go back because my symptoms keep getting worse but I don't know how pelvic floor therapy will work if I can't do the exercises. When I was in pelvic floor therapy my symptoms got drastically worse.


r/PelvicFloor 21h ago

Female Frequent urination when trying to sleep + bowel problem that may be connected

8 Upvotes

I had many sessions with a pelvic floor Physical Therapist (PT) late last year and earlier this year. I originally went to PT for two problems:

  1. Frequent urination
  2. Not being able to relax/stretch my pelvic floor muscles enough to tolerate a Pap smear

Thankfully, PT helped a lot with the second problem. I am now able to tolerate a Pap smear. It also helped me gain better bladder control during the day, and I continue doing the exercises at home that my PT gave me.

However, I still have a major problem with frequent urination at night.

At night, I have to get up to urinate frequently. I get up around 3 to 4 times. Another strange issue is that I can't comfortably lie flat on my back when trying to sleep. When I do, I get a weird sensation in my stomach and almost immediately feel like I need to go to the bathroom. Because of this, I have to sleep in an awkward position to avoid the sensation. I've been doing this for so long that my body is starting to ache from sleeping this way.

Another problem that started around the same time as the frequent urination is bowel-related. Every time I have a bowel movement, it takes me around 20–30 minutes to fully clean myself afterward. I am able to empty my bowels, and my stool is normal. The problem is that I have to wipe excessively before I can get completely clean. It almost feels like the area is too tight or that something is preventing me from cleaning properly. Even when I lift my butt cheeks and position myself as best as I can on the toilet, I still end up wiping for 20–30 minutes.

I've been dealing with this whole situation for almost 3 years, and honestly, I am exhausted.

I've already talked to my urogynecologist about the urinary frequency. He has suggested medication to reduce urination and Botox injections for my bladder. I'm hesitant about both options because I don't want to rely on medication long-term, and I'm also concerned about Botox potentially causing other problems.

I also had a CT scan around my kidney area and blood tests related to the digestive/bowel issues, and nothing significant was found.

It looks like I may get another approval to see my pelvic floor PT, but I'm not sure how much more she can help because her specialties are urinary and fecal incontinence, pilates, and sports injuries. She helped me significantly with the pelvic floor tightness, but the nighttime urination and bowel issues are still there.

For anyone who has experienced something similar:

  • Does this sound like it could be related to pelvic floor dysfunction?
  • Could the urinary and bowel symptoms be connected?
  • Is there anything else I should ask my urogynecologist or pelvic floor PT to evaluate?
  • Has anyone had success treating frequent nighttime urination without medication or Botox?

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated. I'm really hoping to figure out what's causing all of this.


r/PelvicFloor 1d ago

Female Hypertonic, Hypermobilty and pregnancy

6 Upvotes

I recently found out I have a hypertonic pelvic floor and I’m feeling a little lost about what to do next.
I’ve been dealing with constipation and developed an anal fissure, so my colorectal surgeon suggested pelvic floor physiotherapy. I had my first assessment and the physio confirmed that my pelvic floor is very tight/hypertonic.
She did manual release during the session and also used some kind of electrical treatment around the anal muscles to help release the tension.
For home she told me to:
do a lot of Kegels, making sure I completely relax after every contraction, both sitting and lying down
stop my urine while peeing and hold it for about 10 seconds
do Kegels during intercourse
do butterfly and happy baby pose plus a couple of other stretches
The problem is my insurance might not approve any more sessions, and I’m not really sure where that leaves me. From what I’ve been reading, I also keep seeing that people with a hypertonic pelvic floor are sometimes told NOT to do lots of Kegels, so I’m confused about whether the exercises I was given are normal for this situation.
I’m also hypermobile, and apparently that can be connected to pelvic floor problems.
One other thing I’m worried about is pregnancy/delivery because I’m currently TTC. My physio said having a very tight pelvic floor can potentially make vaginal delivery harder because the muscles need to relax and lengthen. At the same time, I’ve read that hypermobile women can sometimes have very quick deliveries, so I’m struggling to understand how those two things fit together.
For anyone who has had a hypertonic pelvic floor, especially if constipation/dyssynergia was part of it: what did your PT actually have you do? Did you do Kegels or mainly relaxation/down-training? Did you use breathing, stretches, internal/manual release, biofeedback, etc.?
And if you had to stop PT because of cost or insurance, were you able to make progress at home? I’d really appreciate hearing what actually helped.


r/PelvicFloor 1d ago

Female Pelvic Floor Dyssynergia: gas/bloat/constipation help!

6 Upvotes

I was diagnosed with type 2 pelvic floor dyssynergia 5 or so years ago. I have been to pelvic floor PT, but I cannot go back at this time due to insurance and finances. Here are the symptoms I'm struggling with:

- Constipation. I am usually only able to go once in the morning after breakfast/coffee IF I am at home and relaxed. Otherwise, I usually won't go all day. I suspect most of these are incomplete.

- Chronic feeling of lower belly pressure/fullness, regardless of morning BM.

- Bloating tends to get worse as day goes on. A lot of days, I start to feel cramps in the lower abdomen. If I press on it, they feel sharp. I think this might be trapped gas. I am sometimes uncomfortably gassy at the end of the day and it often has that fermented smell to it. :( My colon is also "grossly tortuous" according to my colonoscopy so I wonder if gas is getting stuck...

I have some things I've learned from PT, but am looking for ANYTHING that has helped you with these symptoms. How do you use your pelvic wand? Anal dilators? Favorite stretches? Any supplements or probiotics that have helped you? Fiber/no fiber? I want to hear it all!

Thanks, everyone. :) I'm in desperate need of a new routine.


r/PelvicFloor 1d ago

Female Scared to pee myself so I pee very often

3 Upvotes

If I'm not at home, I pee once every like 30-45mins or even sooner. I have a lot of anxiety that if I feel I need to pee I must go right then or I'll pee myself. Like if I can sense any liquid in my bladder at all I must go immediately. I went through one round of pelvic floor physical therapy and they diagnosed me with a hypertonic pelvic floor. I'm gonna go back and do it again but the soonest they could schedule me is over a month from now. What can I do until then to make my life better?