Hypertonus pelvic muscles have too much tone (tightness). They can interfere with the ability of a patient to void properly. It can also cause pain during sexual intercourse and cause difficulty with bowel movements.
The alignment of the bones can also play a part in pelvic floor problems. The sacroiliac (SI) joint is comprised of the sacral bone surrounded in a circular fashion by the two iliac bones. Together they house the pelvic organs and provide stability for movement. If the symmetry of the SI joints are incorrect, it can prevent the pelvic floor musculature from working properly.
Sometimes the SI joint is brought out of alignment by the surrounding soft tissue. If the anterior muscles are too tight on one side, they rotate one of the iliac bones forward. This causes the posterior muscles to become weak and causes pain on the side of the rotation. A series of test will confirm misalignment: soft tissues are tested to seek out the cause of imbalance.
Treatment
With diagnosis of weak muscles your GP, Consultant or Therapist may suggest Kegel exercises (the tightening and relaxing of the pelvic floor muscles), biofeedback, and/or electrical stimulation to help strengthen the muscles.With a diagnosis of hypertonus muscles Kegel exercises can help reduce hypertonicity, as can electrical stimulation and internal massage by a properly trained therapist or urological professional.
Treatment of the misaligned SI joint may include manual therapy to correct the misalignment, stretching the shortened muscles and strengthening the weak muscles
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.b-p-s-a.org.uk)
