Pelvic Healing

 

Sexual/ Trauma Healing and Embodiment

Sex should never hurt. It is an embodying, pleasurable, playful practice. How do you define “sex?” The hetero-normative refers to sex as penis in vagina intercourse. This definition inherently devalues pleasure of people with vulvas and vaginas. Due to lack of accurate, accessible sex education, the pleasure, consent, autonomy and agency of women is often dismissed. Pelvic pain may be a direct result of obstetric, birth, sexual, physical, emotional macro and micro traumas. Common medical pelvic pain diagnoses include vaginismus (pain with penetration,) vulvodynia (unexplained vulvar pain,) dyspareunia (pain with sex or orgasm.)

If sex is painful for you, it is important to explore the tissues as well as their relationship to safety. If your emotional body is immobilized in an activated stress response (help, flight, fight, appease, submit, freeze), then your pelvic muscles may behave reactively rather than responsively. Your body is trying its best to protect you with the tools it has. In order to be attuned to the pleasure system in your pelvis, you must first feel safe. Healing the body involves listening to messages from the body. Modalities for healing includes physical therapy interventions such as yoga, breath work, manual therapy, behavioral/lifestyle modifications, therapeutic exercise, and vagal nerve stimulation for down regulation of the nervous system. I use Somatic Experiencing TM and Compassionate Inquiry TM as a basis to reorient and integrate the body’s ability to regulate and support appropriate responses in present-time.

Fertility/Family Planning

Tasha-89.jpg

Some causes for infertility include elevated levels of Fallopian Stimulating Hormone, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Premature Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis, blocked Fallopian Tubes, and unexplained infertility. Using conservative, gentle manual therapy my aim is to improve the mobility of soft tissue structures in the pelvis, including the reproductive organs.  Our intention is to improve circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid to aid in the treatment of both structural and hormonal causes of infertility. 

A recent study found that manual physical therapy was successful in supporting fertility in opening blocked ducts 61%, endometriosis 43%, polycystic ovaries 54%, pre-IVF treatment 56%.

Pregnancy Support

Throughout pregnancy, your body needs strength and support to hold the weight of your growing baby, while maintaining mobility necessary for expansion. Pregnancy does not equal pain. Common signs that you would benefit from additional support:

  • Pelvic Floor/Diaphragm Training

  • Back Pain

  • Pelvic Pain

  • Hip Pain 

  • Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (pain in the low back)

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

  • Mommy's Thumb (De Quervain's Syndrome)

  • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (numbness/radiating arm pain)

  • Rib Pain (Thoracic Neuralgia)

  • Numbness and Painful Thigh (Meralgia Paresthetica)

  • Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction (pain at the pubic bone)

  • Abdominal Rehabilitation to Treat/ Prevent Diastasis Recti

  • Postural Dysfunctions

  • Therapy for Bed Rest/ Activity Restrictions

  • Constipation/ Heartburn

Birth Preparation

In preparing for birth, we will review fetal and maternal positioning, optimal labor and birthing positions, laboring down, breathing techniques (avoiding “purple” or valsalva breathing), effective pushing and other strategies for reducing need for unwanted medical interventions. Using manual therapeutic techniques, we will assist with pelvic alignment, pelvic floor mobility, sacral and coccyx mobility, release of the sacral tuberous ligaments, and openness of the hip and trunk for optimal positioning for descent of your baby into your pelvis. This is a unique event and we want you to practice and prepare for it for your own empowerment. We believe in prevention as a first line of support.

Pelvic floor muscles and birth. This study shows that birthing people who squeezed their pelvic floor muscles while pushing, spent more time pushing (by about an hour). Ideally, the pelvic muscles should be both coordinated and mobile during pregnancy, and the birthing person will benefit from body awareness of the pelvis during birth.

This is an effective pushing strategy that creates a larger diameter for the baby to pass through the pelvic muscles.

This is an effective pushing strategy that creates a larger diameter for the baby to pass through the pelvic muscles.

This is a smaller diameter that is often seen with “purple pushing,” a strategy often implemented in the hospital setting.

This is a smaller diameter that is often seen with “purple pushing,” a strategy often implemented in the hospital setting.

Postpartum Recovery

You matter. Your well-being matters. Physical therapy is a gentle, nonsurgical approach to resolving leakage, pain, and prolapse of pelvic organs. Leaking is not a normal part of postpartum nor aging! We work consensually externally, and internally on the pelvic muscles, tissues, and organs. We encourage all postpartum persons to seek a pelvic physical therapy assessment following birth. Manual therapies may focus on releasing areas of tension, restoring mobility of the skeleton, fascia, or viscera (Uterus, bladder, rectum, ovaries). Interventions may include coordination, motor control, strength, and endurance training of the pelvic muscles. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends Physical Therapy as support for post-partum care. Common signs that you will benefit from support:

Tasha-22.jpg

  • Diastatsis Recti (Abdominal Muscle Separation/Lower Belly Bulge)

  • Accidental Bowel/Bladder Leakage (Urinary, Fecal, Gas Incontinence)

  • Urinary Frequency/Urgency

  • Rectal/Anal Pain

  • Rectal Dysfunction

    • often associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Constipation/Diarrhea

  • Pain with Intercourse/Penetration (Vaginismus, Vulvodynia, Dyspareunia)

  • Difficulty with Orgasm

  • Pain with Sitting (including but not limited to Pudendal Neuralgia)

  • Pelvic Floor/Diaphragm Training

  • Painful Tailbone (Coccydynia)

  • Painful Bladder Syndrome/ Interstitial Cystitis

  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse

  • Perineal Rehabilitation (post birth interventions including tearing, episiotomy, forceps, vaccum)

  • Cesarean Scar Rehabilitation

  • Pudendal Neuralgia

  • Clogged Milk Ducts

  • Baby Wearing

Menstrual Healing

Your children and babies are welcome to join you in session.

The 5th Vital Sign, as Lisa Hendrickson-Jack calls it, uses red and white flow as a vitality measurement. Ovary owners get a fresh batch of hormones (progesterone) monthly prior to menopause. These hormones have an impact on not just fertility, but also joint health, mood (anxiety/depression), libido (sex drive), digestion, weight changes, thyroid functioning, and even preventing some cancers!

PCOS, Endometriosis, Fibroids. Painful, heavy, irregular periods. Unfortunately, these are typically treated with hormonal birth control which minimizes the symptoms but does NOT heal the menstrual cycle. Surgery, often creates more scar tissue. Physical therapy is a conservative approach to improving functioning of the pelvic organs responsible for menstruation. Manual therapies are used to improve blood and lymph flow to the ovaries, uterus and surrounding tissues to regulate hormone functioning.

 Menopause Support

Menopause comes in different ways for many people— perhaps you are experiencing menopause post-surgery, post-cancer treatment, or as a timely transition of the wombspace. Common complaints such as painful vaginal tissues, difficulty with orgasms or a disconnect from the pelvis are all treatable with the modalities I offer. This transition is an opportunity for transformation of the Self in union with the pelvis. After treatments, I often hear my clients saying they feel their pelvis is confidant, strong, and connected. Your pleasure is most important and nothing about age-related, nor post-induced-menopause-related changes needs to diminish this. I look forward to supporting you in this process.