I’ve had a nagging cycling injury for the past two years. It all started as what I described to my doctor as low back pain. A pain in my “saddle” area while on the bike and some other discomfort and dysfunction “down there.” I saw my gynecologist, and an orthopedic doctor. I got an MRI and was told to take anti-inflammatory medication. These health care providers shrugged and said, “You are a forty-something mother of three, these things happen.”
More Than a Bike Fitting
When I reached out to my cycling girlfriends, they suggested that a professional bike fitting could help. I lugged my bike into a medical office where a Physical Therapist (also a mountain biker) set me up with all the right angles, seat height and forward lean. Although this was a helpful step, this therapist pointed out to me that my complaints on and off the bike were not normal.
She said, “You need to go see my friend Holly. She’s a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist.”
“A what?” I asked with surprise.
Pelvic Floor Therapy
As it turned out, recovery was not hopeless. The type and location of my discomfort required a specialty called Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy. I had vaguely heard of it, but I had no idea what it actually was.
What is Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?
(Disclaimer: This is not meant to be medical advice, but my own personal story of injury and discovery with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy. I encourage you to consult your physician for any health issues you may be having.)
After finally getting on her schedule (she was booked 6 weeks out!) I met Holly, my extremely knowledgeable Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist. Holly taught me that the pelvic floor itself is defined as “encompassing the muscles that form the floor or base of the pelvic girdle and extends all the way up to the top of the reproductive organs.”
For moms, this is that area of our lower abdomen where our bodies were completely stretched, kicked and punched by our growing babies. It’s that inside part that never quite returned to it’s pre-pregnancy place. That part of our bodies took some abuse to grow a human and release it into this world.
In her own words, Holly’s specialty in Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy “addresses pelvic pain, low back pain driven by the pelvis, bladder, bowel and sexual function. Most pelvic therapy specialists are trained to evaluate the pelvis both externally and internally as needed. We look at the pelvis as the center point of the body and see how it relates to everything above and below so we can see how to get everything working well together to fully treat the issue at hand while also being able to assess and treat internally as appropriate.”
Recovery
This is when I learned that Holly is a miracle worker. After careful evaluation, she was able to pinpoint and treat my affected areas. My recovery is a process, which I am still in the middle of, but Holly and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy has been a huge part of starting to feel better.
Three Things To Know About Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
- Through evaluation, your therapist may discover that internal therapy will help you, yes I said internal.
- Just like traditional Physical Therapy methods, you will have to do your part. There are exercises to be done on your own as well as regular therapy.
- According to Holly, the most common reasons women seek out pelvic floor PT are because they are leaking urine, feeling pelvic heaviness like something is about to fall out vaginally or sometimes rectally, pain or discomfort with sex, stretched and weak abdominals and general pelvic to low back pain.
A Surprise – Take a Deep Breath
One surprising part of my therapy was when Holly pointed out that I had some dysfunction with my breathing. She evaluated me carefully and noticed that I was not taking deep belly breaths, but rather using my chest and shoulder muscles. Whether it was stress related, or as a result of my injuries, I was definitely not breathing right. Breathing is automatic, but I apparently have developed a few bad habits.
I’ve always understood the connection between breath work and our central nervous system. By tapping into deep diaphragmatic breathing we can stimulate our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation.
What I didn’t understand was how it related to my pelvic floor. Smarty-pants Holly strikes again. Through her guidance and therapy, I have connected deep breathing and pelvic floor exercises to improve my discomfort. Now I slap my forehead because things are really starting to make sense.
Don’t Settle
Lastly, from this experience I have learned to create awareness in my body and what feels new or abnormal. At age forty-five, I have embraced my mom body, but that does not mean that I have to settle for “you’re just getting older”, or “that happens after having babies”. Holly and other Physical Therapists like her have come to find that mothers are highly “underserved” during the pregnancy and the postpartum healing process. We love our babies, but are not comforted by the large physical (not to mention emotional and mental) changes that we are left with. I had no idea when I set out on this path to look for a solution for my discomfort that Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy would help me more than all other treatments I tried. Through just a few months of treatment, it feels like a real solution instead of a band-aid.
A Note from Holly, my smart, caring Physical Therapist
There is so much women can do for themselves. I want more women to have access to the power of healing and helping themselves without even needing to leave home. I am in the process of starting women’s health coaching focused most on pregnancy care, postpartum recovery, full return to athletics, managing endometriosis and managing interstitial cystitis. ~Holly Moody, PT, PRPC
