Chronic Low Back Pain: When the Pelvic Floor is the Missing Piece

Have you tried everything with no long lasting relief?

Do you struggle with chronic low back pain? Does it interfere with your ability to participate in life? Maybe you have tried it all - chiropractic, physical therapy exercises, core strengthening, stretching, medications. Maybe they made you feel better for a short amount of time but then the pain would creep back and you are held up yet again, unable to live the way you want to. My question for you is: have you ever had your pelvic floor assessed? 

Low Back Pain may actually just be undiagnosed pelvic floor dysfunction

I was a general orthopedic physical therapist before I took additional classes to learn how to treat the pelvic floor. Since I have experience in how treatment is targeted to both settings, I am now convinced that many low back pain and dysfunctions are actually just undiagnosed pelvic floor dysfunctions. This is good and bad - good that you have found your way here and now you have the awareness to seek out pelvic floor physical therapy to see if it is part of your problem. This is bad because there are a lot of people out there who simply are unaware that this treatment is related to low back pain and treatable. 

How is my low back related to my pelvic floor? 

Basically, the pelvic floor is a group of muscles and soft tissue that create a bowl-like structure on the bottom of your pelvis. When you sit, you are sitting on top of your pelvic floor. The way that this group of muscles works is in synergy - or unison, with other muscles that support the trunk such as the abdominals, the diaphragm, and the low back. The pelvic floor is the base of this trunk support system so if there is dysfunction in that area, other areas (like the low back) will be compromised and can present as low back pain. Unfortunately, when someone complains of low back pain it is rare to then be recommended to have an assessment of the pelvic floor. Unless of course you got lucky and were assigned to a therapist with pelvic experience. 

Seek treatment from a pelvic floor therapist

Spread the word! If you know someone who has persistent low back pain just ask them: have you ever tried pelvic floor physical therapy? I bet the answer is no…..

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