“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 30:17
During one of my sessions, my mental health therapist told me about how Pelvic Physical Therapy helped another client and how it might be beneficial for me too. As he further explained, I was thinking, Yeah right! Like I’m gonna do that after hearing all the morbid rumors about the medieval-like tools they use. I had seen photographs online of the wands and the other pieces of equipment used during Pelvic Physical Therapy. I also had heard some stories about how some women actually had turned around and left their appointments after seeing the equipment. After my conversation with my therapist that day, however, I researched Pelvic Physical Therapy more thoroughly and more fairly, and I decided to give it a shot.
Soon I was in the physical therapist’s office. As I sat there, holding onto my husband’s hand, I tried to distract myself with the music that was playing on the radio. Soon my Physical Therapist came and got me. My Physical Therapist was kind and listened very well. And she also understood that, like most patients on their first visit, I, too, was nervous. During our first appointment, we talked about my medical history, my period, the type of female products I used, the goals I wanted to achieve, and the trauma that I had experienced in the past. For those of you who don’t know my story, my now-deceased uncle sexually assaulted me nearly two decades ago. Even though I overcame my trauma, I later learned from my physical therapist that my body and nervous system still held onto the trauma. As a result, I had tight pelvic muscles.
She then grabbed a plastic model of the pelvis, which included the pelvic floor, and showed me how certain tissues connected to each other. After that, she gave me some information about food that can help with my stomach issues. We did our first informational card that had to deal with pain and the nervous system and how it is connected. I learned that my nervous system was ringing an alarm bell that had been ringing for far too long.
After that, she did an assessment of my general range of motion; and since I wasn’t ready for the internal assessment of my pelvic floor, I agreed to do an outer assessment. The assessment wasn’t painful. I just felt some pressure on the outside of my hips. After that, she gave me a massage to help my stomach, and we also went over breathing techniques that can help soothe the nervous system. Then we stretched my legs.
At the next appointment, we went through our informational cards again. That is when I learned that in time, with practice and patience, I could learn to lower and even turn off the alarm system. We then went through any questions I had about how to breathe, and then we did the massage which was helping my stomach. After that, I took a deep breath, and I was ready to do the internal assessment. The evaluation was a little uncomfortable, but bearable. She explained each area she was assessing; while we did the assessment, we chatted and I took deep breaths. We then came up with a plan to relax and stretch my muscles.
Each week I learned about calming the nervous system by using different stretches and breathing techniques. We would do internal and outer stretching. I learned that it’s normal to feel bloated before my cycle ; and even though it’s heavy, it is normal. She also showed me different ways to manage my period cramps besides taking medication.
Over the past several months, because of the hard work and insight from my physical therapist, I have experienced quite a bit of healing, both physically and emotionally. I took the skills I learned in Pelvic Physical Therapy and put them into practice at home. For instance, whenever I felt the anxiety of everyday life take hold, I took a breath and reminded myself that God was with me. My Physical Therapist suggested that I start lifting weights and find an exercise program I love. Besides walking, I started lifting weights and doing Pilates. So far, I’ve lost ten pounds; and even though I need to lose a few more pounds, I am starting to feel healthier and stronger. Matt helped me reach my goals too. He listened to me and learned more deeply about how the trauma impacted my body and soul.
Despite all the horror stories that so many women told about the “medieval-like” tools that were use, I’m glad I ignored the internet opinions and decided to give it a go. As a result, attending Pelvic Physical Therapy was one of the best decisions I had ever made. I can’t thank God enough for sending the right Physical Therapist my way. She has truly helped me grow, heal my body and my nervous system… I can finally start saying that “I am feeling like Amanda again.”
