Pelvic Pain: You are not alone.
Are you isolating yourself from family and friends because of pain? Do you feel like your pain is often difficult to describe or talk about with others, or even your medical provider? YOU ARE NOT ALONE and Shift Physical Therapy is here to help!
Approximately 1 in 7 women experience pelvic pain. Pelvic pain affects the quality of life for many women. In fact, it is common for women with pelvic pain to be bedridden for several days per month and limited in other daily activities. Obviously all of those changes in life can take an incredible toll on your emotional health in addition to your physical health.
Pelvic floor physical therapy is often underutilized for pelvic pain. Unfortunately, many women undergo surgical interventions due to their pelvic pain including laparoscopy or hysterectomy. It is reported that 12-16% of hysterectomies are performed due to pain. To make matters worse, removal of organs doesn’t always guarantee that the pain will also go away. While we don’t know how many of those surgical cases tried pelvic floor physical therapy prior to undergoing surgery, we do know that pelvic floor physical therapy can help. WE. CAN. HELP. Before we talk about how Shift Physical Therapy can help, let’s dive in to a little bit of education regarding pelvic pain.
Pelvic pain can often be difficult to talk about, but at Shift Physical Therapy we provide full hour long sessions with you to be able to fully understand your symptoms and how they are affecting your daily life. Pelvic pain is not always isolated to the pelvic region. You may experience symptoms of pelvic pain in these areas:
Pain in the lower abdomen
Vaginal pain or pain in areas surrounding the vagina
Pain near the anus
Tailbone pain
Low back pain
Many women report that their pelvic pain limits them as well as affects their quality of life. Some of these limitations reported include:
Difficulty urinating (pain, hesitancy, or increased frequency)
Difficulty with bowel movements (pain and/or constipation)
Pain with sexual intercourse (90% of women with chronic pelvic pain report this)
Limited sitting due to pain
Unable to wear tight clothing or jeans
Difficulty sleeping or disrupted sleep
So, now that you know a little bit more about pelvic pain, let’s chat about what physical therapy for pelvic pain looks like.
In order to fully understand your symptoms, we will ask your permission to discuss your history relating to childbirth, surgeries, pelvic trauma, or any other medical history that you may feel has caused your symptoms. After fully understanding your story, we will ask for your permission to further evaluate your pelvic region within your comfort level. Often women who are experiencing the symptoms above may be struggling with tightness or shortening of pelvic floor muscles, and surrounding areas. Each treatment plan will look different based on your individual needs but it is important that you know, at Shift Physical Therapy we will find the right combination of care to help you on your road to recovery from your symptoms. We can to help you feel more like YOU again!
If you have additional questions regarding pelvic pain or are experiencing symptoms, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help. Feel free to call, email, or complete the form for a free consultation.
Phone: (763) 645 - 1113
Email: info@shiftptwell.com
Free Consultation
Written by: Renee Hancock, Physical Therapist
