Easing Pelvic Floor and Lower Back Pain through Somatic Exercise and Mental Imagery

by Eric Franklin

Most people who live with pelvic floor tension or chronic lower back pain have tried the obvious things: They’ve strengthened their core. They’ve stretched. They’ve been told to “engage” or “activate” muscles that already feel overworked. But they still can’t seem to shift the discomfort.

What’s often missing from this approach isn’t more effort — it’s establishing a different kind of conversation between the brain and the body.

The Role of Fascia and the Nervous System

The evolution in pain science over the past two decades has shifted our understanding considerably. Pain is not simply a signal from damaged tissue, but an output of the nervous system shaped by context, expectation, emotional state as well as the brain’s interpretation of threat. This is especially relevant in the pelvis and lower back, where chronic tension often goes hand in hand with a nervous system that has learned to remain on guard.

Fascia plays a central role in this scenario. Because the pelvic floor nestles within a continuous fascial web connecting the spine, hips and organs, localized gripping in one area can restrict movement and sensation across the entire region. Crucially, fascial tone is directly influenced by the nervous system – and luckily, this works both ways. Integrating the nervous system in fascia release work can restore elasticity and ease in ways that stretching or strengthening alone often cannot.

Mental imagery works directly within this web of interdependency. When applied with precision – using accurate images of bones, organs and fascial relationships – imagery can help reduce protective muscle tone, restore coordination and shift pain perception, often with remarkable ease.

Coordination, Not Strength

One of the most common misconceptions about pelvic floor dysfunction is that it can be remedied with “more strength”. In reality, many people with pelvic pain or lower back discomfort have a pelvic floor that is over-active rather than weak — muscles and fascia in a constant state of low-grade bracing that never fully lets go. Adding more contraction to an already tense system rarely helps, and can sometimes make things worse.

That’s why the goal should be to enhance pelvic coordination, not pelvic strength. A coordinated pelvic floor can yield as well as support, working in step with the breath and lumbar spine rather than in isolation. By bringing gentle, curious attention to how the body is actually organized, we can pave the way for the nervous system to release its grip and find a more functional pattern.

A System Designed to Work as One

The breath, pelvic floor and lumbar spine were designed to function as a single coordinated whole. When this coordination breaks down – through habitual tension, injury or the accumulated stress of daily life – the system compensates. The lumbar spine may stiffen, breathing may get shallower, and movement patterns that should be effortless begin to feel like more of a strain.

Restoring this relationship doesn’t require special equipment or interventions. It starts with awareness, guided by the right images to return the nervous system to its natural state.

If this way of thinking about the body resonates, I’d love to dive deeper with you. Contact me for more information.