What’s That Feeling of Heaviness In Pelvic Area?
Discover what might be causing the feeling of heaviness in the pelvic area, and what you can do about it.
A feeling of heaviness in the pelvic area is a common concern that patients report in pelvic floor therapy. Pelvic floor PTs aims to determine what you are describing (does it feel like a bulge, like something is there, like a soreness, or like true heaviness?). We also need to determine exactly what might be contributing to the feeling of heaviness.
A few things that might be causing the feeling of heaviness in pelvic area include:
Pelvic congestion syndrome which are essentially varicose veins in the pelvic girdle.
Another reason someone may have a feeling of heaviness in pelvic area includes having pelvic organ prolapse. For more on pelvic organ prolapse, click here.
The last reason you may be experiencing a feeling of heaviness in pelvic area can be due to pelvic floor muscle tightness.
Pelvic congestion syndrome is very common during pregnancy, in people with increased abdominal tissue, and with women that perform a lot of upright activities such as standing.
When someone struggles with pelvic congestion syndrome there is added pressure on the veins that are going into the pelvis and down the legs. When there is added pressure through the veins, a person will report feeling of heaviness in pelvic area.
During pelvic organ prolapse, there is a loss of ligament support of the pelvic organs (the bladder, uterus, and/or rectum). This loss of support puts more pressure down on the pelvic floor muscles which can give rise to a feeling of heaviness in pelvic area.
Lastly, when the pelvic floor muscles are tight, they can restrict blood flow to the pelvis, and thus contribute to feelings of heaviness.
How to get rid of feeling of heaviness in pelvic area?
In terms of how to treat the feeling of heaviness in pelvic area, the first step is figuring out exactly what you are experiencing, and what might be the contributing factors (is it something listed above).
If you are feeling heaviness due to pelvic congestion syndrome, that may be a different treatment than if you were feeling the heaviness due to pelvic organ prolapse. In addition, we want to figure out WHEN the heaviness is happening. Is it happening at the end of the day, after a lot of walking or standing, or is it there constantly?
In many situations (unless you are pregnant), we may recommend that you lay down on your back with your feet elevated for a few minutes. Sometimes, this elevation is best with some pillows under your bottom. This helps to take the pressure off the veins and muscles that sit in our pelvis.
While laying on your back with your feet elevated may be a helpful short term fix, we want to reduce the tension in any muscles that might be restricting blood flow, and thus contributing further to the tension and feeling of heaviness in pelvic area. Many times this tightness in the pelvic floor muscles occurs due to compensations and overuse of the pelvic floor muscles.
While stretching and relaxation exercises might be short term solutions to tightness, we really need to investigate what the pelvic floor muscles are compensating for. Many times, this can be due to some tension in our hips, lower back, mid back, or core muscles.
The key to lasting relief of the heaviness in pelvic area is understanding where it is coming from and what are the factors that are contributing to it. It is important that you get it addressed because if left untreated can worsen, and/or create compensations within the body. This can lead to pain, and other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction such as leakage, or pain.
If you are struggling with a feeling of heaviness in the pelvic area, call us to set up an appointment. We are happy to do a virtual session if you are too far from us!
