Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Treatment Options

 

This is a topic near and dear to my heart as I have been experiencing the effects of a dysfunctional pelvic floor for about a year. Luckily, I discovered fairly quickly just what the problem was and got an accurate diagnosis from my doctors. Treatment protocols began for me in January of 2020 and I am doing so much better. I even experienced 4 months completely free of symptoms. I am in a minor flare now, but I feel confident my healthcare team will get me back on the road to being pain free again soon. 

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) is a chronic pain syndrome that a patient will deal with most of their lives, however, you can manage it and have long periods without symptoms. Once you do have a flare, you know exactly what you need to do to get it under control. We recently had a 2 part livestream series on our Facebook page in which I first discussed what PFD is and my story. In part 2, I showed everyone all of the treatment options that have been available to me and what is working best for my situation. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction presents differently for everybody, but below are the things I specifically discussed in our livestream that I use regularly. 

I wanted to share this with you because so many people (women and men) suffer from this condition and often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. And the longer a person goes without treatment, the more challenging it is to get under control. If just one person reads this post and I can help them, that's all I need to consider this worth it. I highly encourage you to watch our livestreams on Pelvic Health on Facebook and to read my recent blog post on pelvic floor dysfunction. In the meantime, below are photos and links of the treatment I use that is helping me.

In brief, all of these treatments you will see are to either relax tight pelvic muscles and relieve pain. For a more detailed description, please watch our pelvic health livestream part 2! Here is the link for pelvic health livestream part 1.

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Out of all of the things you can do, pelvic floor therapy is first and foremost in recovery and management of your pain. This treatment is key to feeling better. Most people go weekly for periods of time and then it will taper down to monthly. Every person's situation is unique; some PFD patients need continual weekly treatment, and some may only need to go for a brief period of time or check in when flares occur. Depending on the therapist, facility, and patient needs, there is a mix of manual internal therapy, therapy with internal probes, and physical therapy on other regions of the body.

Trigger Point Injections

Trigger point injections can be done as need by a doctor. My urologist administers my injections. They can be done in office with a mild sedative or sometimes will be done under anesthesia. My trigger point injections contain lidocaine and a corticosteriod. They provide short term relief that can last from weeks to months for many patients.

Pelvic Stretches

Pelvic stretches are to be done daily. My opinion is to make this part of your routine even when you are not in a flare. I was given recommended stretches from pelvic floor therapist. I also purchased an amazing book written by pelvic physical therapist Amy Stein. Heal Pelvic Pain gives you some solid knowledge about the basics of your pelvic floor. They are pelvic stretches she provides that I do daily in addition to the stretches given to me by therapist. This book provides hope for those that do not have access to a pelvic therapist. She does go into detail about how you can manually release your own trigger points and discusses the use of  vaginal medical dilators. It is very unfortunate that because of  lack of access to medical care based on your geographic region or lack of insurance that people do not get the treatment they need. This book empowers patients to give them some relief.

Ice and Heat Therapy

Use daily as needed to provide relief as recommended by your doctors or physical therapist. I love this microwavable gel heat pad for vaginal discomfort and muscle pain. It's pictured below and I purchased at Target. I also use a traditional heating pad for low back, leg, and abdominal pain. Epsom salt baths are highly recommended. They provide relief and relax muscles. They are also a good way to de stress. Please use regular Epsom salt that is unscented. 

In reference to ice therapy, I use a trick my pelvic floor therapist taught me. You take a condom, fill it up with  water and tie it up like a water balloon. You then wrap it in a paper towel and put on the freezer. Lay on (NOT INSIDE) the vaginal and rectal area for pain. The cold therapy does a better job for nerve pain. Discuss with your doctor for how long and often to use ice and heat for pain relief.

Medications

Diazpam (valium) in pill form can be inserted in the vaginal area to relax muscles. The suppository form can be inserted vaginally or rectally. These must be approved and prescribed by your doctor. Typically this would be a urologist, gynecologist, or urogynecologist. 

Magnesium can also be used to relax muscles. I do not use magnesium citrate; that is for constipation. Instead I recommend Ionic Magnesium. This is not for constipation and it should not irritate your stomach. It is taken orally as a vitamin supplement. You can also spray magnesium on certain areas of your body like the legs, back, or buttocks to relieve pain. I use Ease Magnesium Spray These both should be discussed with your doctor or pelvic therapist.

Other Options

In addition here are a few other things I use to relieve muscle pain:

TENS 7000 machine unit to distract from muscle pain. This will be recommended by your physical therapist.

I love my foam roller. I use daily at home with the help of my husband. I use for upper leg pain. I do believe it helps to have someone assist you but you can use by yourself. Here is a video on 6 ways to use a foam roller. I do suggest please talk with your health care providers before beginning these exercises. 

I also have a very easy exercise I do on a daily basis. My pelvic therapist works weekly to keep my hips straight. She suggests taking a washcloth and rolling it up. You put under your back just at your lower back/tailbone area and lay down for about a minute. I do that 4 to 5 times a day.

I very much hope this helpful to anyone who suffers from pelvic pain or has pelvic floor dysfunction. Again, I cannot stress enough how important it is to discuss these treatment methods with your doctors first.

Non medical interventions such as a healthy diet, exercise, meditation, mental health therapy, and reducing stress are such important components to  managing your pain. Expect a blog post coming soon to discuss these in more detail. This will be helpful information for those suffering from other types chronic pain as well. These will also be helpful lifestyle reminders to assist in combating stress and reducing anxiety or depression.

I am wishing all of you a relaxed and pain free Friday! Stay well my friends.

- Alexis