Cramping After Orgasm
Written by Dr. Karah Charette, PT, DPT, RYT
Do you suffer from painful cramps after experiencing orgasm?
Cramping post orgasm is a common issue, yet it is rarely talked about.
It is important to address this concern because you deserve to experience sexual appreciation pain free.
This issue can also be indicative of pelvic floor dysfunction, and may connect to other areas of health include bowel and bladder health, even back, hip, and abdominal pain.
As a somatic pelvic floor physical therapist, I intend to offer insights and solutions in this blog to help you better understand this issue and what can be done about it.
Understanding Cramping After Orgasm
During orgasm, the pelvic floor muscles must be able to achieve full contraction and relaxation. This requires good elasticity, coordination, and blood flow at these specific muscles. When pelvic floor muscles, and even abdominal muscles, are already held too tightly from chronic tension patterns, nervous system dysregulation, and/or non optimal biomechanics, these muscles can have a hard time assisting in sexual function.
Muscles that are already tight are actually also weak. Tight muscles cannot generate force as efficiently and are more prone to spasm and strain. Tight muscles also have decreased blood flow and nerves love blood flow. Nerves play a big role in the felt experience of our body and if they are not in a happy fluid environment, they can contribute to feels of cramping or pain after orgasm as well.
The Role of the Pelvic Floor
There are specific muscles of the pelvic floor that contribute to clitoral orgasm. These muscles are known as the urogenital triangle. The role of these muscles is to actually physically help the clitoris be lifted and pressed against the pubic bone, which allows for stimulation. If these muscles are tight and overworked, they can have a hard to time helping with clitoral stimulation and can cramp afterwards.
This can also explain feelings of urethral discomfort or even urinary urgency after orgasm. You may not have a UTI (especially if your tests come back negative all the time). It is possible that your muscles are giving you a false sense of urgency or burning at the urethra when they are tight and overworked.
Urogenital Triangle Muscles
Possible Causes of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
It is important to note that though tight and uncoordinated pelvic floor muscles can contribute to a feeling of cramping after orgasm, the reason you have tight or uncoordinated muscles can be from many different factors.
Never learning to relax your pelvic floor. In this culture, we rarely talk about the pelvic floor and if we do it is often in the context of kegels and always contacting or lifting the pelvic floor up. It is not wrong to want to strength the pelvic floor muscles, but if you are not also balancing that work with proper relaxation techniques you will not have a healthy muscle. Only doing kegels is like only doing hamstring curls and never stretching your hamstring. Neither is helpful in the long run for your health.
Stress and nervous system dysregulation. Our brain and nervous system is wired to care a lot about our reproductive organs. Whether we are conscious of it or not, the pelvic floor can be one of the first places our bodies contracts when under any type of stress. This stress does not need to be directly related to the pelvis in order for this to occur. There are many ways we can learn to regulate these tension patterns, but the first step is always awareness and consciousness. It is very hard to regulate a part of your body you do not often think of or visualize in your day to day.
Dehydration and poor circulation. If you do not have proper levels of hydrations, you will not have healthy levels of elasticity in your tissues. Elasticity is key in the pelvic floor in order to have proper function. Proper blood flow is essential as well. In our current sedentary culture, constant sitting with poor posture can contribute to tension and lack of blood flow at the pelvic floor.
Hormonal changes. If you are currently on the pill or peri-menopausal, your levels of estrogen and testosterone will be lower. This is important because both estrogen and testosterone play a role in keeping the pelvic floor tissues healthy and hydrated. This can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction.
Sexual trauma. If you have experienced trauma specifically in this area of the body, this can create an understandable response from your nervous system to hold and protect more frequently. This is where a somatic approach can be extremely valuable so that your nervous system can relearn safety at a pace and in an environment that is supportive for your specific needs.
How To Manage and Prevent Cramping
Breathing.
There is an important connection of respiratory diaphragm and the pelvic floor. Diaphragmatic breathing can help the pelvic floor expand and relax when done correctly. One thing you can start to pay attention to is if you specifically breath hold during intercourse, particularly orgasm. If so, try doing breathing in the moment and afterwards to see if this can diminish some of the cramping feeling.
Pelvic Floor Stretches.
It is important to stretch the pelvic floor muscles in order to maintain a healthy length tension relationship. It is also important to stretch specifically at the moment of symptoms. One great pelvic floor stretch is Childs pose. You could try to do 10 breaths in this pose after orgasm to see if this can also decrease the amount of cramping you experience.
Drink Water!
We all know if is important to drink water. But if knowing it can help your sexual experiences improve helps- then let this be the persuader!
Take Breaks from Sitting.
If you have a job where you are constantly sitting, try not to sit in any one position for more than an hour. If you can, find 2-3 different positions you can work in and cycle between those. Your body and pelvic floor will thank you.
Somatic Practices.
If it feels available to you, see if you can find moments of pause to tune into your body’s sensations. This can be during the day when you might notice some pelvic floor tension, or perhaps even in the moment when you have cramps. Developing a relationship of curiosity with the sensations of your body can begin to change tension patterns and pain experiences overall.
When Should You See a Pelvic Physical Therapist?
If your symptoms are persistent and/or severe, it would be a good idea to seek a professional opinion. If you symptoms also include pain with sex, urinary dysfunction, or even bowel dysfunction, your pelvic floor may be involved. An assessment by a pelvic floor physical therapist can help to figure out what the best approach to treatment should be.
If you also suffer from extremely painful periods or suffer from endometriosis, it is important to work with both a pelvic floor specialist as well as an MD who specializes in care for endometriosis. The pelvic floor can get involved with endometriosis and pelvic floor therapy can make a difference in those symptoms with appropriate holistic care.
A somatic pelvic physical therapy can work with you to create an individualized treatment plan that addresses all the unique aspects of your story, beliefs, and symptoms. At Bodyful, we will work with you to ensure you understand how to connect to the pelvic floor, visualize it, and regulate it through a variety of integrative techniques and specific exercises to address the cramping after orgasm symptoms. Change is possible.
Cramping after orgasm may be common, but that does not mean it is normal. This type of sexual dysfunction is manageable with proper care from a pelvic floor specialist.
If you are interested in working with a pelvic physical therapist with a somatic approach, you can book a free 15 minute discovery call here, right now.
Bodyful Physical Therapy and Wellness is located in Oakland, CA and can help anyone in the Bay Area with an in person visit. Telehealth is a great option for those in the state of CA who cannot come in person. Virtual Somatic Wellness visits are available to folks both in and outside of CA.
