The pelvic floor muscles are the ones you tighten when you want to stop passing urine quickly. They can become tight, strong and painful.
Often there is an ache in the pelvis much of the time, sometimes with sudden crampy spasms. Intercourse, examinations, or using tampons are very painful and sometimes the pain lasts for hours or days afterwards. There may be sudden sharp or stabbing pains up the vagina or bowel when the muscles cramp. Pain is often worse with exercise and isn’t helped by normal pain medications.
You can check your pelvic muscles yourself by inserting one finger just inside the vagina. Push backwards towards the bowel with your finger, then push sideways towards your hip on each side. Does pushing these muscles cause the same pain you get with intercourse?