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I went to my first appointment with a pelvic floor therapist yesterday to try to help with my IC. I also do SR 2x a day as recommended. I really liked the therapist. She did what seemed like a thorough vaginal exam and found a bunch of tight areas. Also found that my vaginal tissues were a bit tender and thought it might be a bit of vulvodynia. Anyway, the thing she thought was most significant was that when she asked me to contract those muscles there was no difference from my regular state and when she asked me to relax, again no diference. It is almost as if I am in one middle state between tense and relaxed and have actually lost the ability to even control this when I am concentrating on it!! She found this so startling for someone my age that she wondered whether I had been sexually abused.
As a result she is having me insert an electrostim device vaginally which will help me learn what it feels like to contract. The alternative doctor I work with is very against any bodywork because she thinks it complicates her already complicated attempt to rebalance our bodies. I am worried about this and also that I will be making my muscles tenser. On the other hand, I really felt like this PT knew her stuff and I see that I need to learn to know what it feels like to contract before i can ever learn what it feels like to release. Does it sound like it is important for someone like me who has lost such control over these muscles to do the therapy in conjunction with SR. My main concern is to get better as efficiently as possible. If that is listening to my holistic doc and cutting out the PT and just doing SR to help out these muscles that is fine. If using the PT will be helpful to do in conjunction with everything else that is fine too. I just wanted to know what everyone thought because I am pretty confused.
I do feel a bit worse today but she was poking around in there for quite a while, and I was thinking maybe these exercises will make it worse for a little while but will have great payoffs in the end. Anyone else feel worse after their first couple pelvic PT sessions?
In Reply to: pelvic therapy posted by Needhelp on May 30, 2003 at 15:57:07:
Hi, I was a bit sore. I would give it two days and see how you feel. This sounds like a boundaries issue to me. What is it that feels right for you? I would trust your "gut" feeling on all of this... I have been down the road of disagreeing doctors many times and the most healing has come from my own empowerment to say, "This is what feels right and even if I fall on my face, that's what I am going to do." Listen to your feelings. That is my "advice".
Do you have pain with sex? What does she characterize as "vulvadynia"?
In Reply to: Re: pelvic therapy posted by Solace on May 30, 2003 at 16:26:10:
Thanks, Solace.
Yes, I do have pain with sex - a feeling like something in my pelvis is being hit against. By vulvadynia, I think she meant that I had some redness in my outer vaginal tissues and when she pressed on those tissues there was pain.
I know what you mean about not just listening to doctors. It is good advice. But I have so much respect for my holistic doctor and I know she would never do anything to intentionally set me back or keep me back. I am genuinely confused abotu what to do.
In Reply to: pelvic therapy posted by Needhelp on May 30, 2003 at 15:57:07:
Thanks, Need.
At this time of very rapidly developing knowledge about things like this you are bound to find differing opinions. You have to learn as much as you can and then do what works for YOU.
Let us know how you do. You are at least in the right room now.
Walt
In Reply to: pelvic therapy posted by Needhelp on May 30, 2003 at 15:57:07:
Hi,
Having gone through this same treatment with a holistic doc and a PT concurrently, I can say that they both helped greatly. I would definitely stick with the PT, though. It's very important to become aware of the muscles you're tensing. Your PT is the best person to help you learn this.
Hope this helps,
Daisy
In Reply to: Re: pelvic therapy posted by Needhelp on May 30, 2003 at 19:32:39:
What's your diet like and your digestion? We are here for you!!!!!!!!
In Reply to: Re: pelvic therapy posted by Solace on June 01, 2003 at 01:11:13:
My diet is whole foods/anticandida. Very very strict actually. I sometimes have a few days where I miss a bm which I know is significant. I try to eat lots and lots of veggies and that usually keeps me relatively regular. That is another thing I plan on working with with the PT if we continue.
In Reply to: Re: pelvic therapy posted by Daisy on May 31, 2003 at 18:44:35:
Daisy - yes that is very helpful. I appreciate your input.
In Reply to: Re: pelvic therapy posted by Needhelp on June 01, 2003 at 08:20:27:
How long have you been on that diet? Have you been cleansing recently? Do you have a significant amount of stress in your life?
In Reply to: Re: pelvic therapy posted by Solace on June 01, 2003 at 21:26:37:
Solace,
I have been on the diet almost 11 months. To tell you the truth though I do not even think about it very much at all anymore and if I felt better I would probably not modify it too much. I don't think I will ever go back to eating sugar as I have absolutely no cravings for it anymore.
I am not sure what you mean by cleansing? Can you clarify, sounds like something that might be up my alley.
I have an inordinate amount of stress in my life and also handle it very badly. I know this and I hope SR will help. Taking an antianxiety med has been suggested to me by many people not to mention doctors and I have seriously considered it but I HATE to fix a problem with medicine if it can POSSIBLY be fixed on its own. My bladder problems have clearly become a fixation though and that is worrying to me - not that it is all in my head but my head sometimes makes a bad situation much much worse. I also have OCD and hypochondriac tendencies
In Reply to: Re: pelvic therapy posted by Needhelp on June 03, 2003 at 17:36:08:
Amen, sister : )
Follow Ups:
Re: pelvic therapy
Posted by Needhelp on June 01, 2003 at 08:20:27:
Follow Ups:
Re: pelvic therapy
Posted by Needhelp on June 01, 2003 at 08:20:57:
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Re: pelvic therapy
Posted by Solace on June 01, 2003 at 21:26:37:
Follow Ups:
Re: pelvic therapy
Posted by Needhelp on June 03, 2003 at 17:36:08:
Follow Ups:
Re: pelvic therapy
Posted by Daisy on June 03, 2003 at 20:01:33:
I also have some OCD tendencies and I know what you mean by fixating. You might benefit from investigating some form of meditation for your SR. I used vipassana meditation and it helped alot with getting my mind off my back, so to speak : )
All my best,
Daisy
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