8 Overlooked Causes of Pelvic Pain and How to Recognize Them
Pelvic pain can feel mysterious, frustrating, and isolating. It shows up in so many ways — from subtle tightness to sharp discomfort — and often, the root cause isn’t what we assume. At Banyan and Nomad, we approach pelvic health with curiosity, compassion, and deep listening to the whole body. Below, we explore 8 common (and often misunderstood) contributors to pelvic pain — each explained with care to help you better understand your body and what it might be trying to tell you.
1. High Levels of Fear, Anxiety, or Stress
Our nervous systems are deeply connected to our physical experience — especially in the pelvis. When we live in a state of chronic stress, the body responds by tightening muscles, including those deep in the pelvic floor. This can happen unconsciously, even when we’re not aware of clenching. Over time, this protective tension becomes habitual, leading to pain, discomfort, or dysfunction. Think of it as your body holding on, bracing itself — even when the threat has passed.
What’s more, the pelvic floor is intimately tied to the fight-flight-freeze response. Fear, anxiety, and unresolved trauma can all impact how your brain communicates with your pelvic muscles. This can manifest as urgency, pressure, burning, or a feeling of “holding” that’s hard to release. Addressing the emotional layer of pelvic pain is often just as important as physical rehab. Movement, mindfulness, breathwork, and nervous system support can all begin to shift this chronic pattern of holding.
2. Suboptimal Body Mechanics and Posture
How we sit, stand, and move affects everything — including the pelvis. Slouching, leaning into one hip, or walking with poor alignment places strain on the pelvic floor and surrounding musculature. Over time, this imbalance leads to overactivation in some areas and underuse in others, disrupting the coordination of muscles that support the pelvis and spine. You may notice discomfort when standing too long, walking, or even when trying to relax.
The tricky part is that postural habits are often subconscious. You may not realize how much you’re relying on your lower back, glutes, or hip flexors to compensate for weak or misaligned pelvic support. Small shifts in awareness, along with gentle strength and alignment exercises, can make a significant difference. This is where guided movement practices (like those offered in our Balance Training videos) can help you retrain how you move — not just for strength, but for ease and efficiency.
3. Overuse of Muscles
The pelvic floor, like any other muscle group, can become overused and overworked. Many people with pelvic pain have been unknowingly gripping or tensing the area for years — often in response to pain, posture habits, or emotional stress. This overuse leads to fatigue, trigger points, and even reduced blood flow, which further exacerbates pain and dysfunction.
You might notice symptoms like a dull ache, tightness, or pain during everyday movements like sitting, walking, or lifting. Overuse can also affect your ability to fully relax during rest or sleep, leading to a cycle of chronic discomfort. Learning to let go — through intentional relaxation, breath-based movement, and somatic awareness — is just as important as strengthening. At Banyan and Nomad, we teach strategies to bring balance back to an overactive system.
4. Childbirth and Childbirth Scars
Even the most “normal” birth can leave behind subtle trauma in the tissues of the pelvis. The experience of vaginal delivery, C-section, or any assisted birth may lead to muscular imbalances, scarring, or nerve sensitivity that lingers long after postpartum healing appears to be complete. Scar tissue in particular can restrict movement, reduce elasticity, and cause pain during activity, intimacy, or bowel/bladder function.
Many people don’t connect their pelvic pain to childbirth — especially if it arises months or years later. But the body remembers. Scar mobilization, breath-led core reactivation, and mindful pelvic floor training can help restore functional movement and decrease pain. It’s never too late to revisit postpartum recovery with the right support, especially through slow, embodied movement that meets the body where it is.
5. Trauma to Muscles from Injury or Surgery
Surgical interventions (like hernia repairs, hysterectomies, or pelvic fractures) often impact the surrounding muscles and fascia, even when the surgery is successful. Scar tissue and disrupted muscle patterns can result in long-term tension, altered movement patterns, and reduced coordination of pelvic floor support. Injury or falls that affect the hips or tailbone can also contribute to lasting imbalance in this area.
Because this trauma often sits deep within the body, the pain may feel vague or diffuse — a heaviness, pulling, or internal ache. Over time, the body may start “compensating,” recruiting other muscles to do the job of the injured or weakened areas. This can create a ripple effect of dysfunction throughout the pelvis and core. Gentle, consistent movement that rebuilds neuromuscular connection — especially in safe, supported environments — is key to restoring comfort and function.
6. Input from Visceral Structures
Sometimes pelvic pain isn’t muscular at all — or at least, not entirely. The organs in the pelvic and abdominal cavity (like the bladder, uterus, intestines, or prostate) share fascial and nerve connections with the musculoskeletal system. If one of those organs is inflamed, restricted, or under stress, that signal may be interpreted by the brain as muscular pain in the pelvis.
This kind of referred pain can feel confusing. You might experience it as bloating, deep aching, or a sensation that shifts throughout your cycle or digestion. In these cases, addressing pelvic health requires a whole-body lens — including gut health, hormonal balance, and organ mobility. This is why at Banyan and Nomad, we integrate a holistic approach that respects the complexity of the body, not just its isolated parts.
7. Nerve Irritation
Nerve-related pelvic pain can feel sharp, electric, burning, or tingling — and it doesn’t always stay in one place. The pudendal nerve, in particular, travels through the pelvic floor and can become irritated by compression, inflammation, or mechanical strain. This type of pain often increases with sitting or certain movements and may be misdiagnosed as muscular tension.
What makes nerve irritation tricky is that it doesn’t respond to traditional stretching or massage in the same way. Instead, the focus shifts to creating space, reducing inflammation, and calming the nervous system’s pain response. Breathwork, gentle decompression, and alignment-focused movement can help reduce symptoms over time and restore the body’s trust in movement again.
8. Urinary Retention
Struggling to fully empty the bladder or experiencing frequent urges without full release is not just a urological issue — it can also signal pelvic floor dysfunction. Muscles that are too tight or uncoordinated can interfere with the body's natural urge-response cycle, creating residual tension and pressure in the lower pelvis.
Over time, this can lead to discomfort, pelvic heaviness, or even pain in the lower back and abdomen. If left unaddressed, it may also contribute to infections or irritation. Restoring functional voiding patterns involves retraining the nervous system and the muscles to work together — and that starts with awareness, education, and gentle movement to help the body feel safe again.
How to Relieve Pelvic Pain Through Awareness and Gentle Movement
Pelvic pain is never “just in your head” — but it’s also not just in your muscles. It’s often a blend of physical, emotional, and functional factors that deserve a holistic, informed approach. Whether you're postpartum, post-injury, or simply unsure why your body feels the way it does, there is a path forward — and you don’t have to walk it alone.
At Banyan and Nomad, we create spaces where the body can re-learn trust through movement, breath, and compassionate care. Stay close for more insights, free movement videos, and tools to support your pelvic health journey.
If you’re looking for deeper education on pelvic floor health and integrative support, we also recommend exploring Pelvic Health Clubhouse — a thoughtful resource that helps individuals understand their bodies with clarity and care.