Pelvic Floor Therapy
Physical therapy is used to help repair muscles by teaching them new habits or teaching the muscles to relax. Physical Therapy is for many more rehabilitation purposes. It is very helpful to have a shorter recovery. It has been shown to improve the recovery process after a surgery.
The difference between normal PT is pelvic floor therapy is an internal therapy done with trigger point manual pressure to release the tension within the muscles. This is used to also help realign the pelvis as well as reduce pain and work to improve pelvic pain. Many of us with endo unfortunately will deal with pelvic pain or pelvic floor dysfunction. This PT can drastically change your life for the better.
Now here is what to know when starting the journey to pelvic floor therapy -
Make sure you read reviews and search up multiple in your area. Read about them and see what clients of theirs have said over the years. Find one that will best fit your needs. It is important you are going to feel comfortable walking into the appointment.
It is very uncomfortable at first. You have a stranger using their fingers internally to help release pain. The pelvic floor muscles can only be reached internally. They sit inside of the pelvic bone which is why it can be so hard to release tension. A good physical therapist is going to walk you through everything first and go from there.
It can be painful at times as they find muscles that can be pretty angry and inflamed. This is okay and over time the muscles will release without much pressure until they have learned to just relax in general.
They most likely will give you dilators to use at home. These are plastic simulators of different sizes to help stretch the muscles. This is just like stretching a quad muscle or shoulder. There is nothing dirty about it as it will help you. If you experience pain after sex with your partner, talk with your therapist about a specialized plan for you. The goal is to have a higher functioning pelvic floor instead of low functioning.
You may experience some smaller flare ups for the first few times. Take a breath, take some medication beforehand and plan your day accordingly. It will get better as your muscles become less traumatized by all the pain they feel daily.
Pelvic floor therapy can also help with being intimate with your partner. As it shouldn’t hurt to build an intimate relationship with your partner. Talk with your PT to see what you can do at home to make the experience better for you.
I am a big believer in this therapy as it has given me freedom back from clicky hips, piriformis syndrome and nerve damage. Most GYNO will give you a referral to a pelvic floor PT.
I wish you the absolute best beautiful souls
XO Rae