Why your pelvic floor braces itself after recurring yeast infections

Jamie (body-focused therapist) explains how recurring vaginal infections may cause your pelvic floor to be tensed, and how you can get out of this step by step. 

Have you had a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis more than once? Then you probably know the itching, the burning feeling, and the stinging pain when you pee. What's much less known is what all that itching and pain does to your pelvic floor.

In my practice, I regularly see women who develop vaginismus after months, sometimes years, of recurring infections. It's called secondary vaginismus: sex used to be fine, but somewhere along the way your body locked up.

Your pelvis braces itself

When you have itching and pain around your vagina, your pelvic floor responds with tension. That's a logical, physical reaction, not something you consciously choose.

After a single infection, that tension usually fades once the symptoms are gone. But when the infection keeps coming back, your pelvic floor never really gets the chance to relax, and your muscles stay a little bit 'on guard.'

Give your body time to settle

Once the infection has been treated and everything feels okay again, you often want to pick up where you left off. Having sex again as if nothing happened, and leaving that annoying infection behind you. Completely understandable, but if your pelvic floor is still tense from the whole ordeal, penetrative sex can suddenly hurt.

Never push through pain, but give your body the time it needs. You can also actively help your body release that tension after a yeast infection with specific yoga exercises.

Why the order of your exercises matters

If you're using yoga to support your pelvic health, do the exercises in a fixed order. Each pose has its own job, and they build on one another.

1. Liberate. You start by relaxing and mobilizing the joints in your pelvic area,
hips and lower back. Everything in your body works together, and your pelvic
floor needs the joints around it to be able to fully relax.

2. Release. Next, you loosen knots and trigger points in your hip muscles. Your
hips and pelvic floor work closely together. Your pelvic floor helps stabilize
your hips, and part of your hips actually belongs to your pelvic area. If your
hips are tight, there's no way around this step.

3. Unfold. Finally, you work on the flexibility and strength of your vagina and
the pelvic floor muscles around it. Only once the surrounding area has softened
does your pelvic floor get the space to give.

The exercises

1. Liberate: butterfly

Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open. Feel free to place two pillows, books or yoga blocks underneath for support. This pose loosens up your inner thighs, hips and pelvic floor.

Breathe in slowly and let your belly rise naturally as the air flows in. Imagine your vagina gently floating or melting. Keep your attention on the relaxing sensations and feel how your pelvic area slowly opens. Notice if you're still clenching or holding on somewhere? Let it go.

2. Release: high five hip flexor

Start kneeling on both knees, with pillows underneath if that's more comfortable. Bring one knee gently further back and let your hips and glutes move slightly forward. You'll feel the stretch at the front of your hip. Hold, then switch sides.

3. Unfold: child's pose

Spread your knees and feet gently apart. Lower your upper body and stretch your arms out in front of you, relaxed. Relax your shoulders, head and chest, and let your hips sink back toward your heels.

With every inhale, let your belly gently drop down. See if you can feel your anus, vagina and pelvic floor slowly blossoming with each breath. Take your time. Your body is allowed to soften.

How to approach it

Hold each pose for 90 to 180 seconds and repeat the whole sequence three times. Four or five times a week is enough, you don't need to do it every day.

Go slowly. Don't force anything. A mild stretch is all you need. If an exercise hurts, stop.

During each pose, bring your attention to your anus, vagina and entire pelvic floor. Try to feel them melting rather than clenching them together. As if you're letting a grape fall out of your vagina. Sounds strange, works well.

If you're in the middle of an infection right now, wait until the symptoms are gone and your tissue has had a chance to recover.

And if it doesn't go away?

Is sex still painful, even once the infections are under control? Then you're not broken, and you don't have to learn to live with it. Your body is stuck in a protective response, but it can always let that go again too.

For more information: visit @healingpainful.sex ¹