Tight or Overactive Pelvic Floor Muscles: Why Relaxation Matters Just as Much as Strengthening

When most people think about pelvic floor health, they often assume the muscles are too weak. While this can be true, sometimes the opposite problem exists i.e. the pelvic floor muscles are too tight or overactive. An overactive or tight pelvic floor is a common but often overlooked condition. In these cases, learning how to relax the muscles can be just as important — if not more important — than strengthening them.

What Are Tight Or Overactive Pelvic Floor Muscles?

Your pelvic floor muscles sit at the base of your pelvis and help support your bladder, bowel and the uterus. They also play an important role in controlling when you pass urine or stool and in your sexual functions.

These muscles should be able to both:

• Contract (tighten)

• Relax (let go)

A tight or overactive pelvic floor means the muscles are constantly holding tension and are not relaxing properly when they should.

Just like any other muscle in the body, if a muscle is always “switched on,” it can become fatigued and uncoordinated.

Signs Your Pelvic Floor Muscles May Be Too Tight Or Overactive

A tight pelvic floor doesn’t always feel like “tightness.” Instead, it often shows up through a range of symptoms that can feel confusing or unrelated.

You might notice:

• Pain during or after intercourse (dyspareunia) or tampon use

• Pain or burning feeling localized at the vaginal opening when attempting to touch or apply pressure (vestibulodynia)

• Vaginal tightness and frequent spasming of pelvic floor muscles interfering with penetration (sometimes called vaginismus)

• Difficulty starting or fully emptying your bladder

• Constipation or straining with bowel movements

• Pelvic pain, hip, or low back discomfort

• Urinary urgency or frequent trips to the toilet

Many people are surprised to learn that urgency and even leakage can sometimes be linked to tightness, not weakness.

Research shows that an overactive pelvic floor is often linked to sexual dysfunction, painful bladder syndrome (interstitial cystitis), endometriosis, and chronic pelvic pain conditions (Mosca et al., 2022).

What Causes Pelvic Floor Muscles To Become Tight Or Overactive?

Causes may include:

• Traumatic childbirth or pelvic surgery

• Trauma or injury to pelvic muscles or nerves

• Habitual clenching (holding urine for hours or bracing)

• Stress, anxiety, or past trauma that results in muscles staying on “high alert”

• Pelvic pain conditions like endometriosis, IBS, painful bladder syndrome, persistent pelvic pain, vaginismus or vestibulodynia

What Can You Do About It?

Recovery focuses on restoring balance in the muscles, not just building strength.

This may include:

• Learning how to consciously relax the pelvic floor

• Gentle internal muscle release and massage

• Breathing techniques to reduce tension

• Graded exposure to movement and gentle stretching

• Improving coordination between the diaphragm and pelvic floor

• Addressing contributing factors like stress, posture or over-bracing

  
  

In many cases, once the muscles learn to relax properly, strength and function improve naturally.

At Praxis Rehab Physiotherapy at Signal Health Tusmore, our women’s health physiotherapist, Sangeeta Sharda, is here to help you find relief from pelvic pain, bladder and bowel difficulties, and sexual discomfort caused by tight or overactive pelvic floor muscles.

Book an appointment today and take the first step towards recovery.

Book Now

Reference: 

Mosca L, Riemma G, Braga A, Frigerio M, Ruffolo AF, Dominoni M, Munno GM, Uccella S, Serati M, Raffone A, et al. Female Sexual Dysfunctions and Urogynecological Complaints: A Narrative Review. Medicina. 2022; 58(8):981. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina58080981