In order to spread knowledge on the importance and help that pelvic floor therapy can provide, I want to feature a blog about it this week. You may be wondering what exactly pelvic floor therapy is and what conditions it can treat, how long it takes to work, or how much of a time and money investment it is. I'm here to shed some light on that for you just in case you may be one of the many people whose life with chronic pain can be improved with a little assistance from a physical therapy professional.
What is pelvic floor therapy? This type of therapy utilizes many different treatment plans, including manual therapy, personalized stretches, biofeedback, and tools you can take home to continue treatment on your own. So what does all of this mean? Manual therapy is the act of having the therapist insert a finger to assess any problem areas, such as trigger points, inside of your vagina or anus, depending on your condition. The goal is to stretch you enough and release the tension of the trigger points enough for her to be able to fit 2 fingers inside of you. This is unfortunately uncomfortable at first, but she will wear a glove and use non-irritating lubricant to ease into it. She will talk to you and guide you through the process to both comfort you and help you understand your body better. If you haven't already started using dilators or a pelvic floor wand, she can recommend some for you and direct you on how to use them properly. She will also teach you to Kegel correctly, and insert a sensor to have you Kegel around it and see how much control you have over your PC muscle. This sensor is connected to a biofeedback machine which will give you a number to rank your tightening and releasing. This will help you retrain your muscles and manage your brain's response to something coming in or out of the area.
What does pelvic floor therapy treat? It covers a wide range of conditions relating to the pelvic area. It can be beneficial for both women and men suffering from incontinence, Interstitial Cystitis, IBS, pelvic organ prolapse, Vaginismus, Vulvodynia, surgery recovery, post partum, and any other situation which causes tension or congestion in the pelvic floor. So, you are suffering from one of these conditions and are ready for physical intervention. What now? Please note that in the US you will need a referral from a dr, such as your gyno or urogyno, to get an appointment with a physical therapist. He or she should have multiple suggestions for you so you can find someone who is conveniently located and works with your schedule. I have seen a physical therapist at a women's hospital and a sports rehabilitation clinic, at 7 am before going into work, 5 pm after leaving work, and on Sat mornings at different points throughout my journey.
How often do I need to go? In order for physical therapy to be effective you must keep at it. This will depend on the severity of your condition, but pelvic floor therapists often suggest coming in for a session once a week. Cost was always an issue for me so I only went every 2 weeks, which did impede my progress. Also, keep in mind that if you are getting manual therapy done and don't feel comfortable doing internal work while menstruating, your therapist will work on you externally instead. Since my period is so irregular I would always end up being on it during one of my appointments of the month, so this also slowed my progress with stretching myself out.
How much does it cost and how long will it take me to recover? With a PPO or POS insurance plan the physical therapy cost should be your specialist copay, but there are times when it won't be and will thus go towards your deductible. Due to this, make sure to contact your insurance company to verify the amount before you go, because an uncovered appointment at a hospital is roughly $350. When I had an HMO, which doesn't cover it, I went to the sports rehab center because I could self pay for just $80. This is why it's so important to find the right place for you and your given situation. It's equally important to have a good connection with your physical therapist since you must trust her immensely to be in such a close physical place together. You won't hit it off with everyone and that's ok. You reserve the right to request a different therapist or change to a different location if you need to. Everyone's journey is different so the length of time for your recovery completely depends on the person. Some people show significant improvement in just a month while other more severe cases, like myself, can take years. Make sure to be clear with your therapist about what your end goal is so she can develop a plan to help you reach it in a reasonable amount of time. Make sure you do your stretches daily at home, usually for about 15 mins, because she will hold you accountable, too!
For examples of stretches you may be given by a physical therapist, you can read my blog on stretching. I recommend following some pelvic floor therapists on Instagram because they always post useful facts and/or stretches to try. My faves are @thepelvichealthladies, @thepelvicflorist, and @embodywellnesspt. I hope this blog was enlightening for you and allows you to make a good decision for your health.