If you deal with pelvic floor tension, you or a physical therapist has likely discovered tight adductors as well. Due to shared fascial connections and synergies between the muscle groups, the pelvic floor and adductors are closely related in regards to tension held within them. Pelvic floor tension can affect adductor tension and vice versa, adductor tension can influence pelvic floor tension. If you have pelvic floor tension, you may have been told to stretch your adductors. Here are two reasons why you shouldn’t stretch, but rather strengthen your adductors to improve your pelvic floor tension:
Here at Mend physical therapy, we pride ourselves in evidence based practice which tells us that stretching is not the best way to increase muscle flexibility, strengthening is. A systematic review by Diong and colleagues found eccentric strengthening to be more effective than static stretching in improving muscle flexibility (Musculoskeletal Sci Prac. 2022). We therefore need to be applying that principle to the adductors as well.
Pelvic floor tension often arises when there is a weakness present in a surrounding muscle group. This causes the pelvic floor to overgrip to create stability in the lumbopelvic region to make up for the weakness elsewhere. Strengthening the adductors can help take some of the load off of the pelvic floor and therefore decrease the tension it holds. If you have tight adductors, do not assume that is because they are strong. Often muscles can be tight and weak.
So how do we strengthen our adductors? See some examples in the video below.
We recommend anyone with pelvic floor tension should consult a pelvic health physical therapist before implementing an adductor strengthening plan to make sure it is right for you.
Our pelvic health specialists at Mend in Boulder and Lafayette provide thorough pelvic floor evaluations as well as high level adductor strength testing to develop an individualized plan for your concerns. Schedule an appointment today!