Electrotherapy

Body: 

Hello everyone....I'm the 67 year old cystocele who is in Arizona right now and had my first visit with the PT. Of course she recommended kegels, but in a less intense way than the PT back in my home in Wisconsin. She also recommended a "rice sock," a tube sock filled with rice, then heated in the microwave and applied between my legs, I assume to ease any strain on the muscles worked by the kegels? anyway, I have another appt with her on Monday, at which time she want to do electrotherapy in my perineal area, to stimulate the nerves, to relax or strengthen, not sure which, the weak muscles.

Does anyone have an opinion about electrotherapy? I'm not sure if this is going to help or make things worse. The PT says my pelvic floor muscles are weak and that why I feel downward pressure. Sounds pretty standard for what the rest of the world is offering, based on the WW principles I've been learning.

Thank you!

I'd recommend using the search box (above left) for the electro (include search term "e-stim"). You may find some useful information, but I didn't find anything that would make me want to try it!

Hi gfkspicoli,
your username intrigues me - but that aside! Yes I have had some experience with electrotherapy. When I was first diagnosed with a uterine prolapse and before I discovered whole woman, I felt pretty deperate and was naturally enough tried some of the treatments advised at the time. I bought myself an electro stimulator to stimulate the muscles inside the vaginal walls as I was told my pelvic floor muscles were a little weak "although not bad for may age!" (I hung on to straws!) The treatement was not unpleasant - although I did wonder how healthy it was to develop certain muscles so specifically. In any event the vaginal muscles did seem to enlarge and therefore my vaginal passage did seem narrower. However once I discovered WW I did not pursue this path and somewhere I still have an electrotherapy pelvic floor toner! However since working with ww I feel a whole lot better toning my whole body and working with the ww understanidn of the female anatomy and the logical treatment; posture, exercises. lifestyle choices etc that follows.
In the UK at least I think the majority of the medical establishment is working with the best of intentions within their sphere of knowledge and training and recommending the treatment that they genuinely think is the best available. I think it is only a matter of time that the ww way will prevail.
Good luck with your physio and medical appointments. I do hope you try the ww way before considering any medical interventions such as pessaries or surgery. With ww you can keep options open - and can try it and see with safety.
Best wihes, wholewomanuk

In the March 2012 issue of the Second Opinion newsletter, (which you can reference, with a paid subscription, at http://www.secondopinionnewsletter.com), Dr Rowen recommends a website
www.renuamedical.com, that sells NeuroCare's True Tesla device , phone number 877-885-1258. It is not cheap!
I'm just passing on this reference, i have no personal experience with it.

helianthus

Hi Helianthus

What Dr Rowan says may be true. It sounds very much like the TENS and ultrasound therapy I had from my physiotherapist on my bingled ankle yesterday and last week. These treatments have been around for a long time and are used in different ways for different parts of the body. I am sure the TENS therapy I had about 25 years ago to wake up my moribund pelvic floor, after a very difficult pregnancy, was the kick starter that got my pelvic floor muscles working again.

I must admit that reading this newsletter seemed a bit like the shopping channel on late night TV! I was waiting for the extra steak knives to come out!

However, I guess it is good to let people know about these things and make their own choice.

Louise