Foam Rolling To Release Pelvic Floor Tension
Foam rolling is a funny thing, we all seem to love it or hate it. The hate probably comes from the intensity of the pain that you feel while you’re doing it. The love, from the feeling of relief that comes afterward. So, why do it? Why put ourselves through the pain?
People often think of foam rolling for conditions like iliotibial (IT) band syndrome or plantar fasciitis, but have you thought of foam rolling to address a tight pelvic floor? Foam rolling for pelvic floor muscle tension can be so helpful!
As an aside, want to learn how to assess your own pelvic floor for muscle tension or weakness? Click here to watch to replay for our webinar diving into demonstration and palpation of your own pelvic floor.
But first, some general benefits of foam rolling:
1. Foam rolling increases blood flow to the rolled area
2. Foam rolling helps decrease muscle tension and connective tissue restrictions
3. Foam rolling can improve mobility
4. Foam rolling can help decrease muscle soreness
You might be wondering why a pelvic floor physical therapist is talking about foam rolling. I can hear the thoughts of “but I can’t put a foam roller… up there” from my desk and what I will say is that you are right. But what you can do is foam roll the muscles that attach to your pelvis and even the external muscles of your pelvic floor!
By foam rolling your quadriceps, hamstrings, IT band, glutes, calves and adductors you are bringing blood flow to the muscles that surround your pelvic floor. People who have tension in their pelvic floor often have tension in these muscles as well. If we just address the pelvic floor and not the surrounding musculature, then we’re not addressing the whole picture. The pelvic floor may relax, but then tighten again from the pressure from other muscles.
Believe it or not, you can actually foam roll your tight pelvic floor muscles as well. The pelvic floor muscles span between pubic bone to tailbone and sit bone to sit bone. So if you sit on a foam roller, as shown below, you are targeting your external pelvic floor muscles. While some people find this helpful, it could aggravate some people’s pain. If it feels good - great! Go for it! If it feels aggravating, hold off.
Those who have nerve injuries might find the compression irritating. This is where seeing a physical therapist comes in handy. If you’re unsure if you should be foam rolling your pelvic floor, ask your pelvic floor physical therapist, and if you're in Austin, TX, come see us in the clinic!
And if you have tried foam rolling before and didn’t think it was for you, try these two foam rolling tips to see if they help:
1. You have to be consistent. The first time you foam roll, it is likely going to hurt, but this gets better the more you do it. Start with foam rolling a few times a week and by the end of a couple of weeks you will notice that it doesn’t hurt as bad as it did the fist time.
2. Try to modulate how much body weight you put on a certain area. If your quadriceps are really tight and it’s too painful to foam roll, try doing both at the same time instead of one at a time. This will spread the load of your body weight and decrease the intensity. This can be done for your hamstrings and calves as well. For the muscle groups you lay on your side to foam roll, like your IT band, brace yourself with your hands and other leg so that you can control how much pressure you are putting on your leg.
Foam rolling can be a great tool to add to your tool box. There are many ways to work on pelvic floor muscle tension and connective tissue restrictions at home and foam rolling is one of them. Another great option is cupping - check out this blog post to learn more about cupping for pelvic floor muscle tension.
Want to learn more about managing pelvic floor tension? Manual therapy like soft tissue release, trigger point release and connective tissue mobilization techniques can be so helpful. Contact us for pelvic floor physical therapy in Austin, TX or schedule a virtual appointment from anywhere in the world!
And worried about how pelvic floor tension may impact birth? Click here to learn more about our online birth preparation course to learn more about releasing pelvic floor tension for birth!
By Dr. Jessica Chastka, PT, DPT, WCS
Jessica (she/her) earned her Bachelor’s in Exercise Science from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, while playing softball. She received a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in August 2015. In 2019 she became Board Certified in Women’s Health, through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists.
For the last five years she has been working as a pelvic floor physical therapist, treating people who have pelvic pain, leakage, urgency, frequency and constipation. This includes the pregnant and postpartum population as well as people with chronic pain. She is passionate about making her patients feel heard and seen, validating those who feel that their problems are not worth mentioning because everyone has them or because embarrassed to talk about them.