Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Weakness, Tension, and What to Do About Each
Pelvic floor dysfunction is a broad clinical term covering two functionally opposite problems: muscle weakness, which can cause urinary incontinence and reduced sensation, and muscle over-tension (hypertonicity), which can cause pain during penetration and general pelvic discomfort.
Weakness is most commonly associated with pregnancy, vaginal childbirth, menopause-related tissue changes, and chronic high-impact strain. Standard treatment involves supervised strengthening exercises, often guided by biofeedback tools that confirm correct muscle engagement.
Hypertonicity is less commonly discussed but equally significant, and is frequently linked to chronic stress, prior pain, or protective bracing patterns. Strengthening exercises are the wrong intervention here; relaxation techniques and, often, pelvic floor physiotherapy are more appropriate.
A pelvic floor physiotherapist can accurately distinguish between the two through internal assessment, which is the recommended first step for persistent symptoms rather than self-diagnosing based on symptoms alone.
For at-home strengthening once weakness has been identified as the issue, biofeedback-based trainers such as the one at https://inwonderstate.com/products/pelvic-trainer-kiwi/ can support consistent practice between clinical sessions.