internal pelvic floor work

Submitted by jadeegg on April 7, 2011 - 2:17am
Body: 

hi, i'm new here. so glad to have fund you all!

i have a self diagnosed POP-- mild cystocele, moderate rectocele and my uterus is headed south as well. on top of this, i have extreme trouble reaching orgasm, so i am guessing there is some nerve damage as well from the last birth i had.

i been seeing someone for mayan abdominal massage, which helped almost immediately to pick up my uterus, and she recommended i go to a chiropractic doctor who specializes in the pelvic floor for an assessment.

the assessment was a very thorough exam-- external palpation of my vulva, labia, clitoris, urethra, and internally in the vagina as well as internally in the rectum. the chiro wants to see me 2x a week for 3 weeks for internal body work. he found a few very tender spots internally that i didn't even know existed. he thinks i should see improvement of my symptoms after 6 sessions, and if not, we can figure out other options. (for the record, i am terrified of surgery and want to avoid it at all costs, but desperation has had me thinking about it... so glad to have found this site to set me straight about the dangers of surgery!)

now i am wondering if this kind of body work is legitimate or if i will just be subjecting myself to humiliating and invasive treatments that may not help at all. does anyone here have any experience with this kind of internal pelvic floor (vaginal/rectal) myofascial bodywork? what are your opinions?
thanks so much!

louiseds

April 7, 2011 - 10:06am

Hi Jadeegg
It certainly sounds quite intense, and I can see why you are wondering about the legitimacy of it. You could look at the chiro's memberships, contact the professional organisation and ask them if it is legitimate.

I have had internal adjustments done by a Bowen therapist, who was very discreet, and explained everything she was doing and asked my permission. I think she felt a little uncomfortable doing it. It felt a bit strange to me as well, but I am a veteran of infertility treatment many years ago. It is pretty hard to shock me! When you think about it, rectal examinations are normal for prostate examination. Men get a bit thingy about that, but it is quite legitimate, and they do get used to it.

On the positive side, there is access to a lot of fascia through the the vagina and the rectum, so I can see why the chiro did it. There is also access to a lot of muscles that are on the inside of the pelvic bones. I wouldn't automatically assume that you have a sexually deviant chiropractor, but I wouldn't return for the same treatment without querying it with his professional organisation. If it is not legitimate, then you and they have a right to know what he is doing. If it is legitimate, then you can endure it, knowing that it is OK, and may potentially be helpful for you.

Louise

kiwigirl

April 7, 2011 - 9:18pm

Hi jadeegg, just popping in here , though not of much help sorry, to say I have never heard of this done by a chiro.My chiro(more than 1 in group) are pretty ahead in things they do but never this oops...personal. I've just told my chiro about my POP and lent him WW book and he's given me a site to look at in return. We both said we'd keep open minded about this.I'll be interested to see what he says.I have only had external points massaged, although once in the roof of my mouth.I'll be interested to see if it helps and if he checks out okay for you.
After saying I have had no pain recently,I did a silly thing this week and suffered badly yesterday. Felt totally unwell, spasms of lower ab pain and overall unwellness.A bath with oils and lots of sleep/rest feel heaps better today still bloated and tender.
Louise-I was being more careful this week with my chores too, and then this one thing I did, and poof, back came the discomfort and pain.,Too much baking and sampling for a family birthday!
Good luck jadeegg, looking forward to your feedback :-)

jadeegg

April 8, 2011 - 1:34am

i will certainly update here either way about how things go. i am leaning towards going in for the sessions. the chiro i am seeing is a member of the International Pelvic Pain Society (http://www.pelvicpain.org) and came recommended by my very well respected ND, so i am assuming it is a legitimate treatment plan. it does make sense when you think about all the tendons and muscles etc that can be reached from the inside, but yikes, i am feeling nervous about this.

louiseds

April 8, 2011 - 4:39am

That is pretty good credentials. Many practitioners would not take on this type of work, as it is so, umm, personal.

You sure will be nervous. He has no doubt experienced nervous clients before. It would be a pity to say no to something potentially worthwhile just cos you were uncomfortable and nervous about what will be done. I imagine that people undergoing brain surgery would feel slightly nervous too, but at least they are anaesthetised while it is happening. ;-)

Would you consider telling him about your nervousness and negotiate for him to stop if requested? He may even suggest this.

I do hope this treatment helps. I'll be thinking of you.

Louise

jadeegg

April 30, 2011 - 8:41pm

thought i'd come back and update since i have had 4 treatments now and things have improved a lot!
the treatments are a form of myofascial release techniques applied to the pelvic floor muscles that can best be reached from the inside. the chiro inserts 1 finger vaginally and 1 rectally and uses his other hand on the outside on the buttocks to find and hold the muscles while i do a series of movements with my leg in 3 different positions. after i got over my initial embarrassment and nervousness it is not that bad. one treatment also included ultrasound and muscle stim to the sphincter, which i have to admit felt very strange and awkward.

however, all that being said, in just 4 treatments the rectovaginal fascia has increased in thickness 3-fold! the rectocele is still there, but the skin feels much better. not as thin and delicate, and i feel much more confident that the fascia will come together and hold things in place more.

by session 2 the chiro had also cured, and i mean completely eliminated, my chronic lower back pain that i have had for years! he said the lower back ache is connected to the rectum and those muscles were super tight on me, so once they released a bit the back stopped aching. it has been amazing to wake up pain free in the morning after a night of nursing side lying.

the goal of the treatment is to balance out all the muscles in the pelvic bowl. the chiro explained that things can get disorganized after child birth and some muscles take over and become too tight while others remain weak. the goal is to activate the deactivated muscles and get things working in balance again. i am probably not explaining it well, but it made sense to me when he explained it.

i am also having Mayan abdominal massage from another practitioner 2x a month and that really has helped lift and position my uterus correctly. the chiro i am seeing 2x a week for 3 weeks, and will probably stop after those 6 visits since things are going so well.

there are a few other things i am also treating with nutritional supplements and dietary changes. i had a complete blood work done and found out i am anemic and have a few other issues that could be contributing the weak connective tissues.

anyway, i just wanted to share this experience. i am stoked to have found a NON SURGICAL holistic approach to my POP.

louiseds

May 2, 2011 - 8:56am

Thanks Jadeegg, it is good to hear the followup. It will be interesting to hear how you go in a few weeks. Louise

Marlajone

May 30, 2013 - 12:47pm

I know this thread is 2 years old, but would love an update on how you are doing, Jadeegg, with your holistic treatment of POP. I'm new to the world of POP and have been checking into some of the things you are talking about. Thanks for any new info!
Marla

louiseds

May 31, 2013 - 10:19am

Hey Marlajone, Jadeegg posted recently about her recent progress. Click on her username, and go to her profile, then click the Track tab and find her recent posts.