What’s Really Causing Your Pelvic Pain? And How You Can Start Healing

Pelvic pain is more common than most realize, yet it’s often misunderstood and overlooked. It can show up as a dull ache, sharp twinge, or deep pressure that comes and goes. Pelvic Pain can disrupt movement, intimacy, or even the simplest daily moments.

Because pelvic pain can stem from many different sources, muscle tension, nerve sensitivity, hormonal changes, or organ-related conditions, finding clear answers can feel confusing or even discouraging. But understanding what your body is trying to communicate is the first step toward meaningful relief and healing.

What Is Pelvic Pain?

Pelvic pain refers to any discomfort, pressure, or tension felt in the lower abdomen or pelvic region—including the perineum, buttocks, hips, or lower back. It can vary greatly from person to person and is often described as aching, sharp, cramping, or heavy. It can be:

• Acute (short-term) or chronic (lasting more than three months)

• Localized (felt in one specific area) or widespread

• Constant or intermittent (comes and goes)

• Associated with activities like sitting, standing, urinating, or sexual intercourse

Common Causes of Pelvic Pain

Pelvic pain can arise from many different factors, and its root cause often varies from one person to another. While the list below isn’t exhaustive, it highlights some of the most common contributors to pelvic pain and helps you understand how different systems in the body can influence one another. Recognizing these patterns is often the first step toward identifying what your body needs to heal.

1. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

The pelvic floor muscles can become either overactive (tight) or underactive (weak), both of which can lead to discomfort and loss of coordination. When these muscles hold tension or don’t engage properly, pain may occur during movement, intimacy, or daily activities.
Possible symptoms include:
✔️ Pain while sitting, standing, or being active
✔️ Discomfort during or after intercourse
✔️ Difficulty with urination or bowel movements

2. Pudendal Neuralgia

The pudendal nerve runs through the pelvic floor and provides sensation to the pelvic region. When it becomes irritated or compressed, it can cause persistent pain or sensitivity known as pudendal neuralgia.
Possible symptoms include:
✔️ Burning, tingling, or stabbing sensations in the perineal or genital area
✔️ Numbness or hypersensitivity in the pelvis
✔️ Pain that worsens with prolonged sitting

3. Vaginismus

Vaginismus occurs when the pelvic floor muscles tighten involuntarily in response to penetration or even the anticipation of it. This protective response can make intercourse, tampon use, or medical exams painful or impossible.
Possible symptoms include:
✔️ Involuntary muscle spasms in the pelvic floor
✔️ Burning or stinging pain with penetration
✔️ Fear, anxiety, or anticipation of pain during vaginal insertion

4. Painful Periods (Dysmenorrhea) & Early Menstrual Pain

Many women experience menstrual discomfort, but intense or debilitating cramps are not normal and can be a sign of underlying conditions such as endometriosis or hormonal imbalance.
Possible symptoms include:
✔️ Severe cramping that interferes with daily life
✔️ Lower abdominal or pelvic pain before and during menstruation
✔️ Pain radiating into the lower back or thighs
✔️ Nausea, dizziness, or fatigue around menstruation

5. Endometriosis & Other Gynecological Conditions

Pelvic pain can be associated with conditions like endometriosis, ovarian cysts, fibroids, or other menstrual disorders. These may cause both cyclical and ongoing pain.
Possible symptoms include:
✔️ Severe or persistent menstrual cramps
✔️ Pain during or after intercourse (dyspareunia)
✔️ Bloating, fatigue, and digestive changes around the cycle

6. Postpartum Pelvic Pain

Pregnancy and childbirth place significant strain on the pelvis and pelvic floor. Postpartum discomfort may be related to muscle tension, perineal healing, or tailbone irritation.
Possible symptoms include:
✔️ A sensation of heaviness or pressure in the pelvis
✔️ Pain with sitting, lifting, or returning to activity
✔️ Urinary leakage or pelvic organ descent

7. Interstitial Cystitis (Painful Bladder Syndrome)

Chronic bladder inflammation can cause pelvic discomfort that worsens as the bladder fills. It’s often mistaken for urinary tract infections that don’t resolve with treatment.
Possible symptoms include:
✔️ Urgency and frequency of urination
✔️ Pain or pressure that improves after emptying the bladder
✔️ Aching or fullness in the lower abdomen

8. Digestive and Abdominal Conditions

Digestive issues such as IBS, chronic constipation, or bloating can place pressure on the pelvic floor, leading to pain or tightness. The digestive and pelvic systems share close connections through both muscles and nerves.
Possible symptoms include:
✔️ Abdominal cramping, bloating, or gas pain
✔️ Straining during bowel movements
✔️ A sense of pelvic pressure or rectal pain

When to Seek Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy for Pelvic Pain

If you experience persistent pelvic pain that affects your daily activities, intimacy, or quality of life, it’s time to seek help. Many people suffer in silence, assuming their pain is “normal” or untreatable, but pelvic floor physiotherapy can make a significant difference.

How Pelvic Floor Education Can Help with Pelvic Pain

Healing pelvic pain begins with understanding how the body works. When you learn how the pelvic floor muscles, posture, and nervous system interact, you can start addressing the root causes of tension and discomfort, not just managing symptoms.

Rather than relying only on hands-on treatment, self-guided pelvic floor education gives you tools to release pain and restore balance from home, at your own pace.

1. Awareness and Self-Assessment
Understanding your body’s patterns is the first step toward healing. Through guided education, you’ll learn how to:
✔️ Identify tension or weakness in the pelvic floor
✔️ Recognize how posture and breathing influence pain
✔️ Understand how stress and daily habits impact pelvic health

2. Gentle Release and Mobility Practices
Simple, guided movements can help reduce muscle tension, calm nerve irritation, and restore circulation. These techniques encourage the body to feel safe enough to let go of chronic guarding and pain.

3. Nervous System Regulation
Pelvic pain is often amplified by a sensitized nervous system. Learning how to regulate your body’s stress response through breathwork, grounding, and mindful awareness can help calm irritation and reduce discomfort.

4. Strengthening and Coordination
When the pelvic floor muscles regain balance, are able to contract, relax, and coordinate with the rest of the body, pain can gradually decrease. Education-based exercises help retrain these muscles safely and effectively.

5. Knowledge and Lifestyle Integration

Understanding your body is one of the most powerful forms of healing. By learning about bladder and bowel habits, movement patterns, and stress responses, you can make small daily changes that have a lasting impact.

At The Intimate Physio, we’ve transformed over a decade of pelvic health experience and evidence-based research into accessible online education that empowers women to take control of their healing journey. Our courses are designed to help you understand your body, release pain, and restore confidence; privately, safely, and at your own pace.

Ready to Begin Your Journey?

Your healing journey can begin whenever you feel ready. With Intimate Physio’s self-guided courses, you’ll discover step-by-step strategies to help you overcome pelvic pain with confidence and privacy; always on your own terms, in your own space.

👉 Explore our courses and e-books today and discover a path to comfort, confidence, and connection.