Chronic pelvic pain syndromes are characterised by pain below the level of the navel lasting more than six months. They occur more often in women than in men.
Physiotherapy for pelvic pain begins with functional assessment. It allows the pelvic floor muscles to be evaluated: their tone, their capacity to contract and their capacity to relax.
Research shows that women with pelvic pain typically have raised pelvic floor tone. It shows itself as pathological activation, which makes the muscles difficult to release, reduces the force and endurance of contraction, and leaves the contraction poorly controlled.
An important part of the assessment is mapping trigger points in the pelvic floor muscles as well as in the surrounding muscles — those of the pelvic girdle, the lower limbs and the trunk. Functional assessment includes the history, physical examination and an internal examination. Manual therapy in the treatment of pelvic pain aims to release the muscles, free tension and trigger points, improve blood flow and improve mobility and postural balance.
Therapy
- Trigger point therapy
- Deep tissue massage
- Relaxation massage
- Fascial therapy
- Learning self-treatment
- Dry needling
- Cupping
- Osteopathic techniques for the sacrum