Everything You Need To Know About Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a non negotiable for new moms- but everyone, all genders included, can benefit from visceral therapy.
Imagine my dismay, at 25, never having been pregnant, and being a professional athlete, to start experiencing chronic hip pain. (Chronic pain is defined as pain lasting longer than 6 months- so let that be an alarm bell if you need one to stop ignoring your body!). A professional dancer and fitness instructor, I had grown so accustomed to living in pain, that I brushed it off and did what most people do- I ignored it until it became unignorable. Fast forward 2 years and that chronic hip pain had morphed into debilitating back pain, negatively impacted my sex life, and made me have to pee ALL. THE. TIME. Cue anxiety about not knowing if there would be anywhere to pee- road trips were not my friend.
As I transitioned to full time instructor and explored more in depth prenatal and postpartum certifications (I’m a certified Prenatal/Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, in case you didn’t know!) I discovered that pelvic floor dysfunction can happen to anyone, not just because of childbirth.
The fact that most pelvic floor PTs are not covered by insurance (gotta love the USA) and are NOT cheap, coupled with the whole “awkward” factor of having a stranger poking around up there, I put off seeing a specialist for years. Breathing exercises and releases had gotten me to a more manageable place, but it was still no way to live. Thankfully, a postpartum friend and client of mine mentioned that seeing a pelvic floor therapist had radically changed her recovery process and I was just too curious to put it off any longer.
Thank the universe I did- because I had forgotten what it was like to not be in pain, and at the ripe age of 29- that’s just unacceptable. Because of my experience and how drastically it improved my quality of life, I’m now the biggest cheerleader for visceral manipulation and a more holistic approach and can’t keep it to myself.
I interviewed my therapist, Michelle McGurk PT, WCS, PRPC, a board certified clinical specialist in women’s health and certified pelvic rehabilitation practitioner for Helen Phelan Studio because I figured if I, someone who works mainly with womxn and talks about pelvic floors all day long was apprehensive about getting a session, that average person is probably experiencing the same hangups!
I picked her brain on the following:
The training and schooling involved with becoming a pelvic floor therapist
What to look for in a therapist and what to expect on your first session (like- definitely wear underwear, and you can get treatment while on your period but you’ll have to remove your tampon/menstrual cup)
Who pelvic floor therapy is for (Spoiler: EVERYONE, yup, guys too!)
How early should you start seeing a specialist once you get pregnant for the most complication free experience (Spoiler 2: It’s never too early, but the start of your second trimester is sufficient- and getting in there at 6 weeks postpartum can really speed up recovery and feeling like yourself again!)
How trauma and childbirth can leave womxn disconnected from their entire core system
What your nervous and vascular systems have to do with pelvic floor dysfunction- it’s NOT just a muscle problem
Neural reeducation
The difference between a strong pelvic floor and pelvic floor with poor muscle tone
Visualizations for activating your pelvic floor
Symptoms and diagnoses she treats- (Vulvodynia, Vaginismus, Dyspareunia, Pain with intercourse, Endometriosis, Painful periods, Infertility, Prenatal and Postpartum pain, C-section recovery & Diastasis Recti, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Ovarian Cysts and Fibroids, Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD), PLUS Men’s health, bladder/bowel problems, musculoskeletal disorders, in short, chances are, you should’ve seen someone a while ago!
Michelle answers questions about incontinence and not feeling “the same down there” after baby and what she wishes everyone knew about treatment
Conclusion
Yes, pelvic floor rehab is expensive, and unfortunately not a lot of insurance provider’s cover it (I’m fortunate that mine covered at least a percentage) but my hope in conducting this interview is to bring it on to your radar as something incredibly ESSENTIAL to the well-being of womxn- nay, people, everywhere. (Did you know if France, womxn get universally prescribed 10 pelvic floor PT sessions post baby? Maybe that’s why the French are so much more comfortable with their sexuality- because it doesn’t hurt!). The more people talking about pelvic floor health and destigmatizing dysfunction, the better- and if it answers a few questions for you about your own body in the process, it’s time well spent!
You can find the full video interview on Helen Phelan Studio (free for 10 days if you’re not already a member!) under guest workshops and also in the Prenatal and Postpartum collection and if you’re local to NYC, you can find Michelle at her practice, Danu PT.