Pelvic Floor PT- Awkward or Helpful?
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?! WHAT IS THAT? Don’t worry, I thought the same thing when I first heard of it. I immediately felt awkward, embarrassed, and nervous of what that would consist of when my doctor suggested it following my excision surgery. Unfortunately, us endo warriors can suffer from pain (all the time, but more specifically) during and after intercourse, routine pelvic exams at the doctor and OBGYN, and other every day routines. Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy (PT) is supposed to help with that pain and how the body manages pain in that area. I agreed to do the pelvic floor PT about 3-4 weeks after my surgery to see if it helped. I called and set up my first appointment with a highly recommended female (that’s just my preference) Physical Therapist. I actually started about 6 weeks post-op, and this is my experience.
My first appointment was meeting my (AMAZING) physical therapist. She thoroughly explained to me my diagnosis of pelvic floor dysfunction and how we would work toward making my pelvic floor fully functioning. She asked what my goals were by the end of the program, and she asked me to tell her my story and the surgery I had just gone through. She also had a model of the pelvic floor muscles and explained each of them to me, and told me that with illnesses such as endometriosis, the muscles in the pelvic area are always tight because they are always in “fight mode” to help with the other aches and pains that come with the illness. She then proceeded to get an overall feel for the muscle tone in my abdomen/pelvic area, and asked if she could do an internal examination. I was a little uncomfortable/nervous, but I said yes because I know that it is her job to help me.
Ladies, this is what I will tell you. I have heard from other people that there are different “types” and “levels” of this physical therapy. My experience is the working and massaging of my pelvic muscles both externally and internally. Yes, this physical therapist goes into my vagina and feels my muscles, explaining to me the muscles she is touching and what she is doing to help reduce my muscle “tone”. If the muscles have high tone, that means they are overworked, and it is her goal to get those muscles to relax. I get sent home with homework that includes leg bands, stretches, and dilators so that I can also understand the muscles in my body.
As my physical therapist is doing all the external and internal massaging throughout my appointment, she always asks me how I am doing and if I have any pain. I typically don’t; but today, I had some pain in the space between my two laparoscopy scars on my stomach. She rubbed it a little hard, and I just told her I was tender in that space, so she lightened her touch while going over that space. The first few appointments I had more pain during the internal massage portion (it could have also been nerves), but it has calmed down immensely from my first week of physical therapy. The therapist continues to tell me the muscles she is working with and the trigger point releases that she is doing. We have pleasant conversation throughout the whole appointment.
At the end of each appointment, I get heat treatment. I get one heating pad on my belly and one heating pad in between my legs. This is my favorite part usually, as I just lay there quietly and let the heat set into my muscles. I am the first appointment of the day, so it’s nice to get a chance to relax before heading into traffic to get to work. Also, the heat helps any other soreness I may be feeling due to post op symptoms or my period symptoms.
I understand that this is not for everyone. I also understand that this could potentially help someone who is on the fence about doing this. My physical therapist has made it clear to me AT EVERY APPOINTMENT that I don’t HAVE to do the internal massage/pelvic exam if it makes me uncomfortable. The way I see it, I would rather not feel so much pain all the time than to feel a little awkward for 20 minutes while she does what she is medically trained to do. I believe people could still receive treatment and forego the internal parts, but no matter what, pelvic physical therapy is an intimate appointment. There is no getting around it. So to answer the title, pelvic floor PT is both awkward and so helpful if you suffer from pelvic pain illness. To me, it is totally worth it and I would suggest it to anyone that asks.
As I have stated before and will continue to state- I am not a medical professional in any way. Any story I have posted so far is my personal experience and my variety of knowledge. I try to post sources on things which I don’t know much about, also to encourage anyone to do their own research and be their own advocate. What works for me may not work for other people, and I realize that. I am always here to listen to anyone who may be going through a hard time with this or other illnesses. As always, read, enjoy, like, share, comment! Until next week!