Understanding Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Its Symptoms
Picture this— you experience the urgent need to urinate, frequent trips to the bathroom, and even a sensation of burning or discomfort. It sounds like a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), so your doctor sends you to get blood work. But when you get blood work performed, it comes up clean! Does this story sound familiar to you? These symptoms without an actual infection can be both confusing and frustrating. While these symptoms often make us think of a urinary tract infection (UTI), they can also indicate Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD), where the pelvic floor muscles are tense or overactive. Learning about this condition and how pelvic floor therapy can help is empowering for anyone struggling with constant UTI-like symptoms in the absence of an infection.
Shared Symptoms Between Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and UTIs
Pelvic floor dysfunction can cause many of the same symptoms associated with a UTI, including:
- Urgency to urinate
- Frequent trips to the bathroom
- Burning or discomfort
People with PFD may even be misdiagnosed with recurring UTIs due to the overlap in symptoms. But if tests reveal no bacterial infection, pelvic floor dysfunction is a likely cause of these sensations.
Anatomy of the Pelvic Floor and How It Relates to Urinary Function
The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that stretch like a hammock across the base of the pelvis, supporting the bladder, intestines, and, in women, the uterus. Key muscles in this region include:
- Pubococcygeus
- Puborectalis
- Iliococcygeus
- Coccygeus
- Obturator internus
These muscles serve several functions related to urinary and bowel control, stability, and sexual health. Ideally, they maintain a balanced tone, contracting to maintain continence and relaxing when it’s time to void the bladder. However, when the pelvic floor muscles become overactive or hypertonic, they may remain tense and resist relaxation. This constant contraction can create sensations of urgency, frequency, and pain, even if there is no actual infection.
How Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Leads to UTI-Like Symptoms
When the pelvic floor muscles are tight, the nerves around the bladder and urethra can become irritated, leading to sensations similar to those of a UTI.
How Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Can Help
Pelvic floor physical therapy addresses the root of these UTI-like symptoms by targeting the pelvic floor and surrounding involved musculature. A physical therapist specialized in pelvic health can assess, treat, and help you manage pelvic floor dysfunction through several techniques:
- Manual therapy techniques
- Postural assessment
- Neuromuscular re-education
- Strengthening exercises
- Body mechanics education
Experiencing persistent urgency, frequency, and discomfort without infection is challenging, but pelvic floor dysfunction is a common cause of these UTI-like symptoms. Pelvic floor therapy offers effective relief by addressing the muscular tension at the root of the problem, empowering you with the knowledge and tools to manage your symptoms and regain comfort.
Suffering from constant UTI symptoms?
Reach out to us at Pelvic Health Center in Madison, NJ to set up an evaluation and treatment! Feel free to call us at 908-443-9880 or email us at receptionmadison@pelvichealthnj.com.