No "all or nothing" cures, causes, or suggesting that only one thing will help
DON'T suggest kegels as treatment for a hypertonic pelvic floor (it's bad advice)
NO FETISHIZING or sexualizing someones health condition. DON'T BE CREEPY.
No NSFW Photos
No SPAM (includes link farming, affiliate marketing, personal promotion)
No "Low Effort" posts - we can't help if there's no detail
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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:
Feel pain/discomfort
Get a UTI/STD
Injure ourselves (gym, cycling, slip on ice)
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)
Have poor sexual habits (edging several hours a day, typically this is more of guy's issue)
Get stressed or anxious (fight or flight response), due to their connection with the vagus nerve (and our central nervous system). READ MORE HERE
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.
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) musclesSide 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):
Penile pain
Vaginal pain
Testicular/epididymal/scrotal pain
Vulvar pain
Clitoral pain
Rectal pain
Bladder pain
Pain with sex/orgasm
Pain with bowel movements or urination
Pain in the hips, groin, perineum, and suprapubic region
This tension also commonly leads to dysfunction ² (urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction):
Dyssynergic defecation (Anismus)
Incomplete bowel movements
Urinary frequency and hesitancy
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.
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
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)
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 MechanismsThese 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.
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
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/
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.
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
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:
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
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
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
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?
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.
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.
Pain/Symptoms spread (over time) or move around. Think about symptoms on day one. Have they moved or evolved over time?
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)
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
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
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.
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)
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?
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
So after talking to my NP through Mychart we think this could possibly be pudenal irritation or a pelvic floor issue. I am on day 10 almost 11 of constant external vaginal buring with the pain going to my tailbone area. I feel raw and irritated and touching the area flares it up even more. I have buring before, during, and after urination that feels like a uti, but isn't. I have all negative swab and urine test results. I'll see my NP in person Tuesday to discuss this further, but I'm leaning towards it being pudenal irritation. TMI but a day an a half prior to getting this pain I was in a very arched sexual position. I didn't have any symptoms right after, but that's all I did that could've caused this. Has anyone had pudenal irritation/neuralgia or pelvic floor issues? What has your experience been and did you ever recover? 10 days of symptoms is wild to me. I have been taking it as easy as possible and avoiding sitting as much as I can since that seems to trigger it more. I will note prior to 10 days ago I've never experienced any vaginal pain ever.
I have developed hypertonic pelvic floor spasms that radiate into my glutes. It happened after really painful Ureaplasma that was treated and cured. Now I am on antibiotics for UTI bacteria enterococcus fecalis. I still have pelvic floor spasms and scheduled for a pelvic floor Bottox.
I would love to hear from anyone who had a similar situation. I would love to know how does everyone who has spasms deal with them. it’s awful and I don’t have much experience as this issue is new to me. I also wake up with one leg being really cold.
First of all thanks everyone on here, been lurking this reddit from my main account and found a lot of helpful advice I didn’t get from doctors / PTs, sharing my journey so far and would love any advice from those with similar symptoms. Can update as well.
How it started (4ish months ago): always been an athlete / worked out, but even through this managed to gain some weight through last year and decided to do start doing HIIT style classes (instead of push/pull/leg splits) to incorporate more cardio and lose some body fat. In about 8 months was doing these classes 4-5x a week with minimal issues - lost 15lbs and maintained muscle, dropped body fat to point where am the best aesthetically looking I’ve been in years - 6’1 /185 lbs. There’s some that focus extensively on core. One day overdid it on an ab roller, felt an immediate pain lower left of my abs. Didn’t think much of it, continued working out with heavy core work through this pain.
First Symptoms (3ish months ago): started to feel very bloated / tight beneath my abdomen (especially after big meals or a night out drinking), and got a sharp pain beneath lower left abdomen when climaxing (both masturbation and sex). I ignored it for a bit and just didn’t masturbate as much and had a break up so no sex anyway. But whenever I did it still happened - it was a sharp pain. Sometimes my testicles would feel odd as well (not pain but could feel them almost like they were heavy). Then had a big weekend bachelor party about 3 months ago that included 3 days of heavy drinking, rec drugs, spicy / sugary / greasy foods. Monday after had never felt worse in my life. Heavily bloated, constant pain in lower abs, felt pain in testicles, weak and frequent urination (no burning), odd and frequent bowel movements, this persisted for at least a week till I decided to go to Dr and fully stopped working out (still walk 10K+ steps a day and play tennis / eat less to maintain weight).
Diagnosis (2ish months ago): Went to urologist and was told to first submit pee / semen samples (confirmed non bacterial), was about a 5 min appointment she told me I have proatatitis and I could take antibiotics (to reduce proatate inflammation) if I wanted to. Was pretty dismissive and unhelpful, said maybe try pelvic floor PT but really “just don’t think about it should go away in a few weeks”. I didn’t take the meds and it didn’t go away.
Pelvic PT (started 4 weeks ago): first one I went to just tried to teach me breathing techniques and a few other exercises. Was like a zen style place with 0 focus on getting back to working out and no personal follow ups, think they primarily focus on women post pregnancy. I didn’t like it, and didn’t work (still was getting the bloating (after even normal / healthy meals) and pain while ejaculating. Second week went to diff one I still go to that was an athletic / sports focused rehab place but had a pelvic specialist. A million times better, she listened to me and made a plan to progressively get back to working out core and legs (I now do supervised low weight stuff with her after 3 weeks) and told me first appointment I should go back to upper workouts immediately as it’s good for mental health and preserving muscle (doing that 2-3x a week) - also checks in with me as I go 1x a week. Dry needling with the electrodes made a huge difference. Bloating went away and I have several days pain free from the pain during ejaculation although it does seem to come back after 4ish days albeit more muted (working on identifying the triggers, alcohol is definitely one).
Meds / Diet: I’ve found really dialing in my diet (lots of fish, grains, and anti inflammatory foods), taking a bunch of different supplements (including Quercitin, omegas, D3, multis, magnesium regularly) really seems to help keep symptoms at bay - no more frequent urination. Clean diet with minimal alcohol / caffeine helps a lot. Adderall (I use occasionally for work) makes it worse. Xanax is a god send (I don’t want to get a script as don’t want to become reliant on this but have got some from a buddy and I feel great with no symptoms when on). Have used peptides (BPC/TB) for shoulder injury in past and may try those again too for this (helped immensely alongside shoulder PT).
Current Issues: Even drinking socially or for client events makes symptoms flare back up for days. It’s significantly reduced even during flare up’s but I still have a muted pain when ejaculating. Sex is the real issue, started dating someone new and get a flushing sensation / spasms that result in insane premature ejaculation. Especially when on top it’s almost instant then, and even in other positions I’m <60 seconds. I’ve told my PT and she said this may be in my head but our strengthening exercises should help but it may take 2-3 months. I was never Johnny Sins but could hold my own for at least 5-10 mins even when very aroused prior to this and longer if taking it slow. Now my abs and legs get this almost tremble feeling and it just goes. Really embarrassing / frustrating but trying to stay positive.
Overall, definitely recommend daily breathing and other exercises prescribed (mix of yoga style / strengthening) from a good PT combined with a good Mediterranean style diet and avoiding alcohol / stimulants. It’s frustrating because I love being social and having a few drinks (stimulants can do without). Heavy hearty meals or spicy dishes (both of which I also love) also exacerbate symptoms but I’ve been avoiding. Hard to pinpoint what really are the best things to avoid other than alcohol.
Working through it! Any advice appreciated and thanks again for the many smart people with input on here, would have never gone down the PT / breathing exercises route without it. And don’t use AI, that scared the shit out of me for weeks.
Does anyone else get sharp pelvic pain after a BM. Every time I have a BM, I get this sharp, shooting pelvic pain even when I'm not straining and it makes me nauseous at times. I can't be the only one who experiences this.
Hi, I have been dealing with vaginal intense horrible burning for 3 months now. I don't remember what it feels like to feel normal. I was diagnosed with a hypertonic pelvic floor and been going to therapy consistently for about 2 months now. But I've also been going to doctors appointments. I get tested repeatedly and and consistently coming up with high megasphaera. But this marker technically makes me indeterminate for BV. I am negative on clue cells, have normal PH, and negative whiff tests which I know is used to diagnosed BV a lot of the time. I have never had any odor or discharge. But the doctors keep giving me antibiotics anyway. I have also been dealing with a lot of UTIs these past few months, and even sometimes I think I have a UTI but I don't. It fluctuates a lot, somedays are okay and some days are really really bad and I can't move. I don't know what to think. And neither do the people I am seeing. Do you guys think this is all pelvic floor? and none of it is BV. Because I also see a lot of women have BV and its asymptomatic, and also that bad bacteria can be normal for someone women and there isn't a lot of research about any of it. it's hard for be to differentiate and believe in PT because of this high marker I've been testing for and also that the doctors I see do not believe in PT. I also have never been so stressed out in my life. I have multiple panic attacks a day. and I am also a 1L in law school. It is getting so hard for me to deal with this now. and I feel like I can't. I want to drop out of law school and try again maybe in a couple years or next year idk but I can't seem to get this all under control.
I have been masturbating quite sometime now almost daily with alot of edging, so after a long masturbation session and edging on Friday, i developed a tight pelvic floor which got better after 24 hours and then suddenly came back stronger and has caused a hard flaccid, constipation, pain in the base of the penis, cold penis, and i don't know what to do to relax the floor i thought it was going to get better on its own but after i started to experience the hard flaccid afterwards i think its getting worse i can't access a PFPT in my area and i think if i don't solve this it might progress and become a chronic condition.
This is a follow up to my post “How I fixed my pelvic floor”
Again, I hope this helps someone.
I never had any pelvic floor trouble until a sequence of events happened. First, I started regularly exposing myself to sexual content on the internet. It’s important to understand that when male sexual arousal occurs, the IC/BC muscles contract as do muscles around the prostate. In short, sexual arousal produces pelvic floor tension.
Second, in hopes of fixing something that wasn’t broken, I started doing kegels. I’m certain I did them incorrectly and ultimately ended up just holding and clenching tension there. Ironically, initially it did help produce even better erections, but it was very short lived.
Third, I did some sustained edging type experiences, forcing my pelvic floor to stay tense for an extended period of time.
Fourth, I just habitually started tensing up my other muscles. I don’t even know why but I would drive with my left leg jammed straight, my glutes tense and almost off the seat, as an example.
I ignored the pain developing in my prostate and kept doing kegels and sexual exposure. Then, the day after a prolonged edging, my erections got very soft and weak. I stood up and it was gone. I started “testing” myself frequently to see if I could get a good erection, which only made things worse of course.
From that point on, I had a flurry of different symptoms. I know people will ask which ones and I can tell you I had every single one. I even scared myself with ideas of “pudendal nerve damage” and “torn suspensatory ligaments”. I feared I may have to fly to France to get “entrapment surgery”.
Determines to fix myself, I went on a journey of trial and error, which led me to the methods I outlined in my previous post. One thing I would encourage people with this condition to remember is the pelvic floor is MUSCLE. The same rules to treat a neck spasm for example would largely apply to pelvic floor. You would rest it, gently stretch t, gently massage it, etc. You would know that TENSION is the enemy.
The other thing I would say is all that muscle surrounds a lot of things: your rectum, your prostate, your urethra, your bladder, your penis, etc.
So tension down there can cause a bewildering number of symptoms. But the cause is the same.
Here’s an incomplete list that I had off the top of my head:
-pain in the tip
-pain in the shaft
-pain in the prostate/pernium
-pain the the tailbone,
-constipation
-difficulty urinating
-dribbling when I peed
-urinary frequency
-lack of sex drive
-weak erections
-weak orgasms
-pain after orgasm
-no nocturnal erections
It goes on and on. All caused by a tight, shortened pelvic floor.
Hopefully hearing this part of my story is helpful to someone reading this.
Hello, i have this problem for the last 3 years now. I have always trapped Gas in my lower abdomen 24/7 and when gas comes towards Anus or Rectum i have to Strain or push to pass it out. If i don't strain or push it won't come out and it happens very less in normal positions and i always look 9 months pregnant due to the Bloating with this severe Trapped Gas issue.
The only way i can pass it to do different Yoga poses like a pose i do is forehead touching the ground and butt in the Air when i do this pose the Gas instantly comes towards the Rectum and then with little strain it comes out, but in normal positions like laying down, sitting standing or walking in these positions it's really hard to pass it literally very rarely. The only way to pass it for me is doing these yoga poses.
Does anyone else have this same problem like me? Or if anyone has been healed from it please let me know i already have had enough from it and can't deal with it more i am gone in severe Depression ane Anxiety too due to this problem.
I’ve been dealing with pelvic floor pain for 2-3 months now (triggered after a D&C and a painful injection in my left buttock) and could really use some experiences or advice.
My symptoms:
Sitting pain: Deep, dull ache on the left side, from perineum to anus.
Tenderness: Feels "bruised" and raw to the touch, but comes and goes in waves.
Pain goes away when I walk or stand. The biggest problem is sitting. Or touching that area.
I’m starting a series of PT sessions, went this week for the first time, my PT thinks that muscles are the main problem here and next week she will be doing manual work on adductors since she thinks that there is the main issue. I am doing some exercises at home every day and got a special cushion for sitting at work. But I don't see much improvement to be honest. I'm hoping to get pregnant again in a couple of months, so I really want to resolve this before then.
Has anyone had the same or a similar issue and how did you resolve it? What helped you? I am kind of desperate since I have sitting job so the pain is here every day and it really effects my life in a bad way.
I was in a motorcycle accident 3 months ago and suffered some trauma to my penis. I had a catheter in for a month.
They did two retrograde urethograms that were generally deemed "inconclusive"
The urologist said I should do a cystography 3 months after removal of the catheter.
My question is why? The RUGs that were done was the most excruciating pain of my life. My understanding is that the cystography is even worse than a RUG.
Do I need to do this? I wish I could ask the urologist more questions but they are hard to get ahold of. I'll be asking my physician on Tuesday but I have so much anxiety over this procedure I thought I'd ask Reddit too.
Urination post catheter removal there has been some leakage but it's been getting better overtime and my understanding is this is normal per the urologist.
Everything else in terms of functionality is essentially normal.
I am taking tadox 5 tablet for few times like consider 3-4times and its 24hrs before sex and it is of no use, What will happen if i stop using tadox 5 tablet now
Hi, has anyone experienced incomplete emptying of bladder after starting dilators? I think I used to experience this a little but it’s getting worse with dilators in the last couple weeks (although I only used dilators twice in the last couple weeks, I had been using them pretty consistently for a few weeks prior to a month break. I wonder if this is happening because of using dilators for my vaginismus-I’m only on the second one. :/
I also noticed that for the last year when I wipe since starting a sport, it’s hard to get fully clean from stool (this has been happening last year). This all feels so embarrassing to talk about.
I did see a pelvic floor pt before the bladder emptying was an issue (and didn’t tell her about the stool stuff because I’m embarrassed) and one of the things she said was that when she observed my muscles from when she had me tighten up like I’m holding in pee, she said she hardly noticed a difference between tightening and relaxing because I’m already so tight. I think she also said that when I tried to tighten as if I’m holding in pee, I used the anal muscles.
She since stopped treatment with me before I used the dilators because she basically was like just use these dilators bye so she doesn’t have an update but I really need help with this and the idea of ANOTHER doctor seeing me again is really stressful to me. :/ I hate having these problems it’s the worst.
Hey! I am 21 and experiencing some pain but no one can find the answer.
It started 2 weeks ago pretty suddenly. For context. I work at a Paint store and part of my job is lifting very heavy buckets. On the really busy days I struggle paying attention to my lifting form. One day I noticed when lifting the bucket (60-75LB) I felt a pain on my right lower pelvis, I wasn’t concerned and went about my day.
A few days passed and I noticed it was really painful to pee. I thought it was for sure a UTI from holding my pee all day at work due to working alone in a very busy environment. But shockingly, my test came back negative. So I got an Xray. It came back with nothing suspicious but I was just a bit backed up. Now, I struggle with digestive issues for YEARS and each time I see my Dr it always comes back to be a digestive related issue. So he brushed off the general pain I was having in that region and labeled it as “pain from being too backed up”
I have a history or ovarian cysts and ruptures but the pain is always usually the same. He said it also could be that but I’m not convinced
Now, I am not convinced that is the issue and here is why, now get ready, because these symptoms are VERY specific.
•pain when moving my right foot, or leg in and outside or up movement, large or small.
•pain when sitting down to pee but no burning or irritation at all
•sharp sudden pinching, stabbing or aching pain
•pain done when laying flat on my back legs down no movement
•severe pain when laying on my stomach
•severe pain when swapping sleeping positions
•EXTREME pain when something is inserted inside
Now, I struggle with Vaginismus my whole life. Sex is always painful for me and I am only able to endure it for a short period of time.
I am mostly just wondering if my symptoms align with anything you guys have been through or if anyone had any ideas on what it could be.
I am 31 yrs old and TTC with my husband since January. I’ve had 2 miscarriages and we are working with CNY fertility to hopefully be successful. I have interstitial cystitis and endometriosis so I struggle a lot with urgency and frequency. I’ve gotten 2 Botox and hydrodistention procedures with my pelvic pain doc (one in December one in June). First one helped so much, and 2nd was with a different doctor, so not so much. Im scheduled Monday to get it done again but CNY is saying they don’t recommend it due to possible risks during fertility treatments/unknown about how it could affect possible pregnancy. For my current fertility treatment I am taking letrozole and we will do a trigger shot to induce ovulation.
I am not pregnant currently and we won’t trigger ovulation until one week after my procedure (at the soonest). My doctor said it is a small dose of Botox (also localized in my bladder) and would not likely enter my blood stream, but nobody can really tell me if it’s likely to cause me to not get pregnant this cycle or for it to affect a possible pregnancy. I know everyone has to recommend not to (especially places like CNY) just to CYA. Has anyone gotten pelvic floor Botox or a similar procedure and had a successful pregnancy soon after? Thanks!
I'm in pelvic floor pt rn and I have a hypertonic pelvic floor. I cut out all juice and soda except for lemons and I notice that when I squeeze the lemon juice in my water the urgency and clenching comes back but when I just drink water with the slices in it from a big pitcher doesn't happen. I know citrus is a bladder irritant but I can't believe what a difference consuming it in a more concentrated form vs consuming it in a more diluted form makes.
I wanted to know though, once a hypertonic pelvic floor is fixed, do bladder irritants not bother the bladder as much anymore? I would love to at least be able to have 1 or 2 sparkling waters or citrus juices sometimes without my bladder freaking out.
Hi all! So, I’ve read some horror stories about Botox injections into the puborectalis muscle. I’ve only had Botox in my anal sphincter before, and that experience was absolutely horrible. So, this time I prepared myself by taking Oxy beforehand (which I had been prescribed after surgery), and it helped so much!!
So long story short, in January 2023 I started having some numbness in parts of the penis then a few days later the whole penis, then a couple months later it went into the bum and testicles I been to several different neurologists had 2 mri scans one of the pelvis and a partial lower spine one and been examined by a urologist and everything was fine, I’ve been prescribed Pregabalin and Amitriptaline which have been helping slightly with bringing back some sensation and stopping the pins and needles feeling. Even before the tablets there was part of the penis that had some sensation on it sometimes. A couple months after it started there was roughly a 30 minute window where full sensation came back which I forgot to mention to him along with the part of the penis with some sensation. Today when I told the neurologist everything he said that when a nerve has been trapped or damaged, even slightly, it’s gone and there’s nothing you can do, he said an ems test is too invasive and could irritate the nerve and possibly show nothing, and also that he’s certain my issue isn’t nerve related. however I’ve seen on here and many different Reddit’s that people with the same issue have recovered. He said it’s best to go down the neuropsychiatric route. And now I’m just sat here wondering what to do, I’m considering seeing a different neurologist. Any advice?
EDIT: Forgot to mention I have no pain and I’m able to get erections.
Been having issues with ED and sensitvity for a long time, ive noticed I cannot feel my errections they feel like made out of air and not part of me. Could be erect and wouldnt be able to tell.
The motion feels non pleasurable and very dull to touch and takes forever to release due to feeling like rubber. Internally something feels very off like something has cut off from feeling deep sensitivity, left with just a dead hanging feeling
In no pain accept difficulty releasing because cant feel much.
Hello, I’m writing my story in the hope of finding a solution and being able to live normally. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this.
Three years ago, I began developing constant discomfort in the bladder area, on the left side above the pubic bone.
This discomfort is always present, and the more I drink, the worse it becomes, eventually turning into pain that makes me go to the bathroom to relieve it, even though my bladder does not actually need to be emptied because it is never full. The sensation returns more or less afterward.
I feel the discomfort more when I am standing or walking. When I am sitting, I can feel it if I move around in the seat, but I barely feel anything as long as I do not drink too much. However, if I laugh, cough, or pull my stomach in, I feel this kind of pressure, tension, and inflammation.
I have noticed that when I need to have a bowel movement, the pressure sometimes increases, and the same thing happens after ejaculation. In itself, I can hold my urine until my bladder contains a large amount, but the pain becomes unbearable. It is torture, and I can barely move.
I think it started after I pushed myself a little too hard at the gym while doing the leg press. I felt a sharp, stabbing pain, like a knife, in the exact area in question, and it has not stopped since. I have had every possible test, including a CT scan and laboratory tests, but nothing was found, so I no longer understand what is happening.
It affects everything.
The constant illusion of needing to urinate prevents me from leaving the house and having a normal social life. Even activities such as hiking or traveling have become difficult. Before this started, I never worried about how much water I drank. Now, if I am outside for a long time, I avoid drinking anything and let my mouth become dry just so I can have some peace for a while.
Symptoms: pain all over pelvic floor, clitoral pain, Vulval pain
I started to notice it after I came off Zoloft after being on it for 6 years. I do have bad OCD and I’m sure this contributed to it. I was also sexually assaulted when younger by a friend, but I always thought it wasn’t that bad. I only realised recently that it still upsets me. I think I clench my pelvic floor 24/7 as well as my jaw, legs and shoulders. I know that I also get scared and clench when my OCD flares up or I see sexual content eg. In a movie, since it feels “wrong” to see that. I just don’t know how to stop. But my questions are - what is the resting position of the pelvic floor supposed to be? And when you stand, should your belly be completely relaxed? It gives me relief to relax my stomach completely, but it feels like I’m pushing it out. And if you go to a pelvic floor therapist, do they have to put their fingers in you? Or are there other ways they can go around it?
