What Is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction? Signs Your Pelvic Floor May Need Help

Leaking urine when you laugh or sneeze? Sex becoming painful or uncomfortable? Feeling pelvic pressure, tightness or pain? Running to the bathroom more often than you used to?

These symptoms may seem unrelated, but they can all be signs of pelvic floor dysfunction—a common problem that can affect women at virtually any stage of life.

At NewLife Naturals, we work with pelvic floor physical therapists and pelvic health practices that use our hyaluronic acid and vitamin e vaginal inserts and vulvar balms like JButter and SheaCalm with their patients. That's because pelvic health isn't only about the pelvic floor muscles. Vaginal dryness, vulvar dryness, painful sex, menopause and pelvic floor dysfunction can overlap, and supporting vaginal and vulvar moisture can be a great complement to pelvic floor physical therapy when dryness and discomfort are also part of the picture.

What Is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?

Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues at the bottom of your pelvis that help support your bladder, uterus and rectum. These muscles are also involved in bladder and bowel control, sexual function and pelvic stability.

Pelvic floor dysfunction happens when these muscles aren't working together the way they should. They may be too weak, too tight, unable to relax properly or poorly coordinated. This is why pelvic floor problems aren't always solved by doing more Kegels—in some women, the muscles actually need to learn how to relax.

What Are the Signs of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?

Pelvic floor dysfunction can look very different from one woman to another, which is one reason it can go unrecognized. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• Pain during sex or vaginal penetration
• Pelvic pain, aching or pressure
• Urinary leakage or incontinence
• Leaking when coughing, laughing, sneezing or exercising
• Frequent or urgent urination
• Difficulty emptying the bladder
• Pelvic organ prolapse or a feeling of heaviness or bulging
• Pain with tampon insertion or pelvic exams
• Pelvic tightness or difficulty relaxing the pelvic floor
• Symptoms following pregnancy or childbirth

You don't have to experience every symptom to have a pelvic floor problem. And pelvic floor dysfunction isn't limited to women who have given birth—it can occur during different stages of life and for many different reasons.

Why Can Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Make Sex Hurt?

Painful sex is one of the areas where pelvic floor health and vaginal health can overlap.

Some women have pelvic floor muscles that are overly tight and don't relax properly during penetration. That tightness can make sex painful. But the muscles aren't always the entire problem. Vaginal or vulvar dryness can also increase friction and discomfort, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.

This can create a frustrating cycle. If penetration hurts because the vaginal or vulvar tissue is dry and sensitive, your body may naturally respond by tightening the pelvic floor muscles in anticipation of pain. That tightening can then make penetration even more uncomfortable.

So for some women, addressing both pelvic floor function and vaginal or vulvar moisture may be important for improving comfort.

What Does Menopause Have to Do With Your Pelvic Floor?

Menopause can affect much more than periods and hot flashes. Declining estrogen can cause changes to the vagina, vulva, bladder and urethra known collectively as Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM).

GSM can cause vaginal dryness, vulvar dryness or irritation, decreased lubrication, painful sex, urinary urgency and frequency, and other urinary symptoms. These symptoms can overlap with pelvic floor dysfunction, which is why figuring out what's actually contributing to the problem matters.

For example, painful sex during menopause could involve vaginal dryness, sensitive vulvar tissue, pelvic floor tightness—or a combination of all three.

How Can Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Help?

A pelvic floor physical therapist is specially trained to evaluate and work with the muscles and structures of the pelvis. Depending on what's causing your symptoms, pelvic floor physical therapy may focus on relaxing overly tight muscles, strengthening weak muscles, improving coordination, reducing pelvic pain, improving bladder control or making sexual activity more comfortable.

Treatment is individualized. A woman experiencing bladder leakage because of weakness may need a very different approach from someone whose pelvic floor is chronically tight and contributing to painful sex.

That's also why simply telling every woman to “do Kegels” misses a big part of the picture.

How NewLife Vaginal Suppositories and Vulvar Balms Can Complement Pelvic Floor Therapy

Pelvic floor physical therapy addresses the muscular and functional side of pelvic health. But when vaginal or vulvar dryness is contributing to discomfort, supporting moisture can address another part of the picture.

That's why NewLife products are a natural complement to pelvic floor physical therapy for women who are also experiencing vaginal or vulvar dryness.

HAPure Hyaluronic Acid Vaginal Inserts provide hormone-free vaginal moisture support with hyaluronic acid, an ingredient known for its ability to attract and retain moisture. We have a 5mg and 12.5mg option for extra support. 

E-Soothe Vitamin E Vaginal Inserts offer another hormone-free option for women looking to support vaginal moisture and comfort. We have a 40Iu and 100IU option for extra support. 

For external dryness, JButter and our other vulvar balms help moisturize, soften and protect delicate vulvar skin. Our balms are made with naturally derived moisturizing ingredients without added fragrance or essential oils.

For a woman experiencing painful intimacy related to both pelvic floor tightness and vaginal or vulvar dryness, pelvic floor therapy can work on the muscles while vaginal inserts and vulvar moisturizers can help support moisture and comfort.

Explore NewLife Naturals Vaginal Inserts & Vulvar Balms

How Do You Know If You Need a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist?

If you're experiencing persistent pelvic pain, painful sex, bladder leakage, urinary urgency, pelvic pressure or difficulty relaxing your pelvic floor, it may be worth asking your healthcare professional about pelvic floor physical therapy.

And don't assume these symptoms are simply something you have to put up with after childbirth or menopause. There may be several things contributing to what you're experiencing, and understanding the cause is the first step toward finding the right approach.

The Bottom Line

Your pelvic floor, vagina, vulva and bladder are closely connected. A problem that feels like “just painful sex” or “just bladder leakage” may actually involve several parts of your pelvic health.

Pelvic floor physical therapy can help address muscle strength, tightness, coordination and function. When vaginal or vulvar dryness is also part of the problem, NewLife's HAPure Hyaluronic Acid Vaginal Inserts, E-Soothe Vitamin E Vaginal Inserts and vulvar balms can complement pelvic floor care by supporting vaginal and vulvar moisture and comfort.

Taking care of your pelvic health doesn't have to mean addressing one symptom at a time. Sometimes understanding how everything works together is what finally helps the pieces make sense.

References

1. The Menopause Society. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause. Patient Education, MenoNote.

2. The Menopause Society. Menopause Symptoms: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause and Sexual Symptoms.

3. The Menopause Society. Menopause and Sexual Function. Patient Education, MenoNote.

4. Foundational Concepts Specialty Physical Therapy. Menopause Part 2. The Pelvic Chronicles Blog.

5. Foundational Concepts Specialty Physical Therapy. Menopause: 40, Wine, and Sex—Oh My! The Pelvic Chronicles Blog.