This is the kind of question you get upon entering the world of pelvic floor physical therapy. That is, if you're lucky enough to find out that the therapy even exists. Recently, I wrote about my experience suffering from pain during sex , and how I found relief from pelvic floor physical therapy, a little-known treatment that is often overlooked by doctors.
I got scores of comments from other women with similar problems — some who have lived with their pain for years. Like me, they'd never heard of pelvic floor PT, and they were thrilled to learn that there is an effective alternative to quietly enduring their extreme, often secret, discomfort.
Perhaps pelvic floor therapy might soon gain credibility: last week, a local physical therapist, Jessica McKinney, used my story as part of her Grand Rounds at Massachusetts General Hospital.
She spoke to about 16 obstetrician and gynecology residents and medical students. They listened intently to her hour-long talk edited and posted below and when it was done, one young man walked over and asked, "What's a Kegel? Pelvic floor PT is far more than Kegel exercises. So, in the spirit of enlightenment, here are a few more details maybe too many about my sessions at the Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Rehabilitation Services:.
After my physical therapist, Rachael Maiocco, talked about the anatomy of the pelvis and relevant organs, she asked many questions about the nature of my pain. Was it deep or superficial? How intense on a scale? She asked about my experience giving birth and other medical history.
