Total Physical Therapy
May 24, 20173 min
Living with pelvic pain affects aspects of your life that are "private." Pelvic pain affects bowel, bladder, and sexual functions. Because these issues are viewed as "private" by many women, pelvic pain will often go
undiagnosed,
underappreciated,
and most fearful UNDERREPORTED!
Usually this trend continues until the condition has become debilitating. Chronic pelvic pain in many cases is treatable through coaching and training from a women's health physical therapy expert of musculoskeletal dysfunction.
In a recent conference and talk with Natalie Gaines, MD, of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, she spoke to Urology Times about the value of physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction. Her medical group conducted chart reviews of nearly 100 woman 18 to 80 years of age that received pelvic floor physical therapy for not only pain but also for urinary frequency, urinary urgency, constipation, and difficulty initiating urination.
Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pain
Urinary Frequency
Urinary Urgency
Constipation
Difficulty initiating Urination
What they found was that 82% of these females had implemented pain medication while 48% underwent women's pelvic floor physical therapy. Interestingly, of the 48% of women that implemented physical therapy they found larger reduction of both pain maximum intensity and the range of pain values. Arguably even more important, they also found a reduction in reported urinary complications as well as overall improvement in quality of life. This was in comparison to the group of pain medication alone.
Women's Health Physical Therapy led to a reduction of pain,
improved urinary complications, and improved quality of life
Often pelvic pain is a result of levator myalgia and simply treating with pain medications is a mere attempt to cover the symptoms as opposed to identifying and correcting the dysfunction. Relative to these types of conditions Dr. Gaines suggests, "Physical therapy rehabilitates at the source of the pain and is a more appropriate treatment.” Dr. Gaines also adds, “Patients with pelvic pain due to levator spasm are best treated with physical therapy; however, the presentation can be subtle. Because levator spasm can cause a myriad of symptoms, including constipation, urinary hesitancy from voiding against a tensed pelvic floor, symptoms of bladder overactivity due to inability to effectively empty from this same process, and sexual pain and dysfunction, it is important to query for these symptoms even in patients who seem to have bladder-centric pain on initial evaluation."
Treating levator myalgias with pain medication is merely a cover of symptoms. Physical Therapy is a more appropriate treatment
So now that you know that help exists for these "private" symptoms, let's forecast where you are going to be enjoying your time around town. When TPT has helped aide your road to recovery we recommend trying these great local Amarillo events.
Through the summer months get out and enjoy some great local music.
Amarillo College June Jazz Concert Series,
Botanical Garden Music in the Garden,
and try some fantastic local food with the likes of
Yellow City Street Food (YCSF),
after dinner wind down with some desert from
and finally enjoy some time with the kids or grandkids at
Total Physical Therapy is proud to be able to provide services for people like you. We understand that "private" matters are difficult to talk about and that is why Women's Health Physical Therapy requires an attentive practitioner. You'll find that care under our roof.
For more women's health related tips be sure to join the TPT Health Movement by joining our blog list located in the right hand column.