Hello my friends!
The other day I was treating a patient of mine who arrived with severe increased abdominal bloating and gas due to drinking too much over the weekend. When she arrived, she also mentioned an increase in pelvic pain since the weekend secondary to the increase in bloating. So I was thinking for this blog post to discuss how the pelvic floor is related to abdominal bloating.
Pelvic Floor and Low Back Pain
As mentioned in previous blog posts, we know how the pelvic floor is related to low back pain, in that the pelvic floor is one of the areas that provide stability to the lumbar spine as part of our “core.” We also know that increased abdominal bloating can also reduce how well our abdominal musculature can contract as a second part of our “core” to stabilize our lumbar spine. As a result, if there is imbalance with multiple areas of the core, what can result is dysfunction and pain!
When we think of abdominal distention as a whole, there could be a few causes that impact the amount of bloating that occurs. Food intake makes a difference, as our bodies can have difficulty processing certain types of food, as well as amount of water intake and overall motility. As bloating becomes more severe people become more uncomfortable which can lead to increased low back, hip or pelvic pain.
Treating Abdominal Bloating and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
So how would we treat this? Addressing both the viscera to improve motility and reduce gas followed up with abdominal retraining can help reduce symptoms, after which we could address any pelvic pain.
The important thing to remember is it is important to treat the body holistically, as our bodies are experts at compensating for any imbalance that occurs. In addition, every person is different, and a treatment should never be approached with a “one size fits all” approach.
If you or someone you know wants to find out further about addressing how abdominal bloating can impact both the lumbar spine and pelvis, feel free to contact me at Center for Spine Care and Mobility to develop a pelvic floor therapy plan of care!
