Interstitial Cystitis & Endometriosis: Why Pelvic Floor Therapy Is the Hidden Hero
If you live with interstitial cystitis (IC) or endometriosis, you already know how exhausting it can be to chase answers.
You may have been told:
“Your tests look normal.”
“Painful periods are common.”
“Just avoid trigger foods.”
“This is something you’ll have to manage.”
And while medication, surgery, and dietary changes absolutely have a role, there’s one piece of the puzzle that is often overlooked:
The pelvic floor.
For many women, pelvic floor therapy is the missing link — and the hidden hero — in treating both IC and endometriosis.
What IC and Endometriosis Have in Common
Although interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome) and endometriosis are different diagnoses, they often overlap in symptoms:
Pelvic pain
Urinary urgency or frequency
Pain with sex
Lower abdominal pressure
Tailbone or hip pain
Pain that fluctuates with stress or hormonal cycles
Both conditions also share something else:
nervous system sensitization and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.
Over time, chronic inflammation and pain can cause the pelvic floor muscles to become tight, guarded, and poorly coordinated. Even when inflammation decreases, the muscles may stay in protection mode.
This is where pelvic floor therapy becomes essential.
The Pelvic Floor: The Muscle System No One Talks About
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support your bladder, bowel, uterus, and coordinate with your core and diaphragm (this is where 360 breathing becomes powerful).
With IC or endometriosis, the pelvic floor often becomes:
Overactive and unable to relax
Tender and hypersensitive
Poorly coordinated during urination or bowel movements
Reactive to stress
When these muscles stay tight and protective, they can amplify:
Bladder urgency
Burning or pressure sensations
Pain with penetration
Hip or tailbone pain
“Flare-ups” that seem unpredictable
You can treat inflammation and still have pain if the muscle system hasn’t been addressed.
Why Pelvic Floor Therapy Is the Hidden Hero
At Health Elevated in St. Joseph, Michigan, pelvic floor therapy for IC and endometriosis focuses on:
1. Calming the Nervous System
Chronic pelvic pain isn’t just structural — it’s neurological. We work to down-regulate sensitivity and reduce pain amplification.
2. Restoring Muscle Coordination
This is not about doing endless Kegels.
In fact, most women with IC or endometriosis need to learn how to relax and lengthen their pelvic floor safely.
3. Improving Bladder & Bowel Mechanics
We address how you urinate, how you empty, how you breathe, and how your core functions as a system.
4. Reducing Pain With Intimacy
We gently retrain tissue tolerance and muscle control so intimacy does not have to equal fear.
5. Giving You Tools for Flare-Ups
Instead of feeling helpless, you learn strategies to manage urgency, pressure, or pain when symptoms spike.
Pelvic floor therapy doesn’t replace medical care — it complements it. And for many women, it’s the first time their symptoms truly make sense.
“But My Doctor Never Mentioned Pelvic Floor Therapy…”
That’s common.
IC and endometriosis are often treated medically or surgically, but muscular and nervous system components are frequently overlooked — even though they are highly treatable.
Many of my patients in Southwest Michigan come to me after:
Multiple rounds of antibiotics
Laparoscopy
Hormone therapy
Being told “everything looks fine”
And they finally feel relief when someone addresses the muscular and coordination piece.
You Deserve Comprehensive Care
If you are living with:
Interstitial cystitis
Endometriosis
Chronic pelvic pain
Painful bladder symptoms
Urgency that won’t calm down
Painful sex
Persistent hip or tailbone pain
There is more that can be done.
Pelvic floor therapy is often the hidden hero because it addresses the system that holds everything together — literally.
At Health Elevated, we provide one-on-one pelvic health therapy in St. Joseph, Michigan for women navigating complex and chronic pelvic pain conditions.
You do not have to normalize pain.
You do not have to “just manage.”
And you do not have to figure this out alone.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re in Southwest Michigan and struggling with IC or endometriosis-related pelvic pain, schedule an appointment and let’s create a plan that supports your whole system — not just one piece of it.
