Pelvic floor tension symptoms?

My doctors have said I have pelvic floor tension for years and it gets quite severe when my anxiety gets worse. Right now my anxiety is terrible and am even getting some panic attacks. I have been having frequent urination and penis pain and both go away if I take anti anxiety medication (benzos). Are these pretty normal pelvic floor issues? Has anyone had any luck treating them without medication?

[Bluesockpupets56]

I had to deal with that condition for an entire year. I was constantly in pain which wasn’t helping my anxiety. If you learn to control your anxiety it will likely go away. Going to the gym did the trick for me but you could try reading, yoga, talking to friends, or doing literally anything to keep busy and distracted. It goes away.

[Vicx]

I have had back and pelvic floor pain and tension for years. I have recently discovered reverse kegel exercises which help both men and women with pelvic floor tension. It’s been a revelation for my symptoms. All about relaxing down there with deep breathing which all helps anxiety too. Google them. There are plenty of videos on utube. I don’t know why I’ve never heard of them before. Good luck

[willemine]

If it is tension in the myscles you can see a pt they can help you to relax your pelvic. If its nerve related then you can t do nothing about the pain. But with muscles you can work. You also can do a body scan with guided meditation then you can learn to let the tension go. Its a hard job to learn to relax your muscles but possible you have to learn to be self aware and cool your self down. Pt can help you there are special pt s for the pelvic

[RobertVerde]

when you are anxious as you know all your muscles will tense up causing the unusual pain. You have to leave to relax the muscles even when you are tense. It can be done - took me a while to learn but it can be done. Deep breathing and focus on the specific muscles in your pelvic area. Sounds like crap but it does work.

[Hidden in reply to RobertVerde]

I will focus on the deep breathing and trying to relax those muscles. Where did you experience pain if you don't mind me asking?

[RobertVerde in reply to Hidden]

Same as you - I am finally starting to feel somewhat normal - I found a PT that helped me quite a bit. Here is a link that can help you find someone close to you: pudendalhope.info/node/63

[Hidden in reply to RobertVerde]

You even had the penis pain? what did it feel like? That was the symptom that surprised me the most. I had worked with a PT and a urologist about the urinary problems before but the penis pain didn't happen until much later when my tension got way worse. Thanks for the link!

[RobertVerde in reply to Hidden]

yes - it was all tied together - the PT did internal massage - is that what you had?

[Hidden in reply to RobertVerde]

Yes, that's what I had done at PT a long time ago for my urinary problems caused by the pelvic floor tension. I think I am going to go again since it should help with the penis pain it is causing as well

[Arisaema]

I’m getting better but I’ve been in PT for a year now. I’m learning what to do to let the tension go. It’s pretty amazing how bad the symptoms can be and mimic other problem. After months of therapy and still experiencing pain, an MRI revealed tears in my hamstrings and gluteus medius plus a bit of hip bursitis. Being in pain makes you tense and anxious. I’d been over stretching and foam rolling and being too aggressive with the exercises, attempting to do my very best to alleviate the pain but more isn’t always better. I backed off on the stretching and exercises and applied diclofenic/volarten gel on the aggregated hamstrings and glutes and hip. I still take OTC ibuprofen and acetaminophen to take the edge off. During the worst times I’d take sitz bathes two - three times a day and that helped relax the tense pelvic muscles. I’m now concentrating on strengthening weak areas that will stabilize my pelvis and in my case lower back. I still have issues with burning pain but the bad flare ups are becoming less frequent. There is light at the end of the tunnel but it took me years to get a proper diagnosis. The thing that really aggravates my pain is prolonged sitting in any kind of slouched position or heavy lifting but I’m better off moving and being active.

[Hidden in reply to Arisaema]

Mine also gets really bad from sitting all day. Sometimes after a road trip I get the penis pain I was talking about. That was scary and I used to think were other problems. Do you know if the pain in that area is caused from nerves being aggravated by tension?

You are right about pain mimicing other problems, I even had really bad referred lower back pain from my pelvic tension that I thought was a kidney from until I got it checked out. I will try to foam role and stretch a lot until I can get into a PT. I need to work on relaxing more because it has been crazy how much worse everything got in just a few weeks while my anxiety got out of control. Not only was the pain worse but it started hurting in new areas around the pelvic floor

[kellerfly in reply to Hidden]

YES. Sitting is the enemy. Even standing the wrong way. I’ve been dealing with this very issue for years. It’s definitely chronic, for me anyway. It can be fibro related. It’s in my hips/sciatic too. I’ve tried it all. I am seeing a therapist for my anxiety, a spinal PT — everything is connected. But yes, epsom baths help get me through the day. I’ve also been doing Botox treatments to essentially help me sit. But even then... I have to watch overdoing anything. I sleep on my back with a pillow wedge under my legs. That really does help me wake up with less pain.

[RobertVerde in reply to Arisaema]

you sound like me. Its zero fun - there were many nights when the pain was excruciating and I didn't know what to do. I ended up going to see a doc in Cleveland Ohio that specializes in this - he was literally the only doc I found that understood and helped - Daniel Shoskes out of the Cleveland Clinic. Diagnosed me in two minutes. I have come to find that most docs are not willing to admit when they don't know what something is - they just prescribe drugs and hope it works. Wasted a lot of time.

[Konagirl60 in reply to RobertVerde]

I can relate to your visiting many doctors and getting no answers.

I had to manage my own case because every doctor was indifferent and judgemental of my mental health.

Good luck finding answers.

[David_H]

Hi, mine started with prostatitis (i think) but I've had problems with rectal and perenium pain on and off for a very long time. I'm seeing a PT who specializes in the pelvic floor. Symptoms are mainly burning pain in rectum which can go on for hours and can cause sleepless nights. This lead to anxiety and stress and may start taking antidepressants (but holding off at the moment). The PT diagnosed tight pelvic floor muscles which are treated with massage and exercises she gave me. Only been seeing her a couple of weeks and could be a few months to see improvement. At least it's a diagnosis which is more the the GPs and Urologist gave me

[leoxvirgo]

Haven't read these comments but:

1. Reverse kegels

2. Internal massage even if u don't have diagnosed trigger points internally. Do the 'clockwork' method where you apply pressure to one spot with your wand or finger, release, and move to a spot right next to that one. DEEP BREATHING IS KEY. you will feel the release. DO THIS TWICE PER DAY as directed by your PT. After a month I noticed huge differences in my pelvic floor tightness (much more relaxed) that I didn't even realize were there a month prior.

3. Massage the hell out of the fascia of your pelvic including the fascia of your hips, thighs, and lower back. I noticed that when foam rolling my lower back, I would experince my urinary and pelvic pain symptoms, which would stop when I stopped rolling.

4. Get a pelvic pillow with a donut hole in the center which will eliminate the issue of prolonged sitting. My tightness and trigger points are mostly flared by sitting 8 hours a day five days a week. I am near in tears if I don't walk a mile every morning.

5. If you're massaging the fascia and your symptoms get worse, pull back, but don't stop the massage. Try stretching too.

6. Aleve or ibuprofen not tylenol.

7. Heating pads.

8. Magensisum chlroide supplements (cheap from CVS)

9. Transdermal magnesium salt lotion ( can get homemade from Etsy or can buy commercial from Amazon).

10. sitz baths

11. Lidocaine spray/ BioFreeze

12. Walk, walk, walk. I cannot do yoga or any core strengthening work because it makes my symptoms flare almost as much as they do from sitting too much.

[simonasays in reply to leoxvirgo]

This message is old so i kist stumbled upon it. But your post is spot on. You sound like you had a good PT👍

[Konagirl60]

Try taking passionflower tablets. They’ll calm your anxiety.