The Hidden Link Between Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Back Pain

If you’re someone who has been battling chronic back pain for months (or even years), you might feel like you’ve tried everything—stretching, medication, maybe even a few adjustments here and there. Yet, no matter what you do, that nagging discomfort seems to hang around. But what if the root of your pain isn’t where you thought it was? What if the real culprit is something deeper, something you may not have considered—your pelvic floor?

How Can Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Lead to Back Pain?

The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that support your bladder, uterus (in women), and rectum. These muscles work in harmony with your core to help you move, stabilize, and even sit without discomfort. But when these muscles become weak, tight, or imbalanced, they can affect how your entire body moves, including your spine. Here’s how:

1. Weak Pelvic Floor = Unstable Core

Your pelvic floor is a vital part of your core, working alongside your diaphragm, abs, and back muscles to stabilize your body. When these muscles weaken or malfunction, it disrupts the entire core’s ability to support your spine, leading to poor posture and excess strain on your lower back.

2. Pelvic Misalignment = Back Pain

The pelvic floor helps maintain pelvic alignment, which directly impacts spinal health. Dysfunction here can lead to an anterior pelvic tilt, where the pelvis tilts forward, causing excessive curvature in your lower back and triggering pain in your spine, hips, and pelvis.

3. Muscle Compensation = Increased Strain

When the pelvic floor is dysfunctional, other muscles—especially in your back and hips—may overcompensate, leading to muscle imbalances. Over time, these imbalances increase the risk of chronic pain and may worsen your back discomfort.

4. SI Joint Dysfunction = Limited Mobility

Pelvic floor dysfunction can affect the sacroiliac (SI) joint, where your spine connects to your pelvis. This can lead to pain in both the back and pelvis, as the SI joint is critical for shock absorption and weight distribution. Dysfunction here can cause significant discomfort and mobility issues.

5. Referred Pain = Widespread Discomfort

Conditions that Can Cause Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

So if back pain is the symptom and pelvic floor dysfunction is the cause- what causes pelvic floor dysfunction to arise in the first place?  Pelvic floor dysfunction can develop from several different conditions, and it’s important to understand these potential causes in order to address the problem effectively:

Pregnancy and Childbirth
As you might imagine, pregnancy and childbirth can put a significant amount of strain on the pelvic floor muscles, leading to weakening or injury. This is especially common for postpartum women, who may struggle with pelvic floor issues long after giving birth.

Chronic Health Issues
The pelvic floor is just like any other muscle group- if it’s strained or overworked, it will often lead to pain and weakness. If you’ve been dealing with ongoing problems like chronic constipation, pelvic pain, or certain nerve-related conditions, it can take a toll on your pelvic floor contributing to dysfunction and, by extension, back pain.

Injury
Any injury to the pelvic area or surrounding muscles can cause pelvic floor dysfunction. These injuries can be from obvious things like pelvic fractures or pelvic surgeries but can also result from organ prolapse, prolonged labor, or heavy lifting.

Why Traditional Back Pain Treatments May Not Be Enough

You’ve probably tried the usual back pain treatments: over-the-counter medications, chiropractic adjustments, and maybe even traditional physical therapy. But if your pelvic floor dysfunction is the hidden cause of your back pain, these treatments are likely not addressing the real issue.

The back is an extremely complex region of the body and treating it effectively requires a comprehensive look at the system as a whole (not a part). While some practitioners have gotten better at assessing back pain contributors like poor foot alignment, lack of hip mobility, and poor movement patterns, many still fail to consider or don’t know how to properly assess the pelvic floor

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy: The Game Changer for Chronic Back Pain Relief

At Breakaway Physical Therapy, we specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy that targets the root cause of your discomfort. By strengthening and balancing the muscles of the pelvic floor, we can help you achieve lasting relief from back pain. Here’s how:

The Benefits of Proper Breathing for Pelvic Floor Health

By improving your breathing habits, you can experience a wide range of benefits, including:

Breathing Techniques to Improve Pelvic Floor Function

Chronic back pain doesn’t have to be your norm. If you're tired of back pain dictating your life, tried everything without results, or are ready to tackle the root cause of your discomfort, pelvic floor physical therapy might be the solution you've been searching for. At Breakaway Physical Therapy, we offer compassionate care and personalized treatment to help you get back to doing the things you love, without the pain holding you back.

Want to get to the bottom of your back pain? We’re here to help. 

Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our Crofton clinic, and let’s explore how pelvic floor therapy can transform your back pain relief.

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