Pain in the WHAT? Shhhhhh…down there…
Have you ever had a concern about your pelvic region?
Whether that’s leaking (urine or fecal matter) from sneezing or being active, pain with intercourse or it feels like something is falling out of your womanly area (prolapse).
Perhaps your husband experiences pain with bowel movement or constipation. Maybe you or a family member have injured themselves on a hard fall onto the tailbone and now have difficulty with sitting for too long or sitting on a hard surface.
Maybe you are person (man or woman) who has experienced sexual truama and you feel like you have trouble being intimate with your partner because of pain or emotional disconnect in the pelvic area. This could cause issues with achieving or maintaining an erection or relaxing enough to climax.
Then there’s pelvic pain, which can vary among people. Causes of pelvic pain could be related to scarring, repetitive or high stress activities/sports, childbirth, and some of the examples described above.
People tend to shy away from talking about discomfort in their lower regions and because of this most people tend to suffer in silence. These are just some of the topics that many people are afraid to open up about, but are commonly heard by pelvic floor specialists and other providers.
We have to normalize discussing pelvic health and that starts by not being afraid to talk about it.
This suffering in silence could be because people with pelvic issues are often told:
- “It’s all in your head”
- “I couldn’t find anything, so it must be nothing serious”
- “Drink some wine and you’ll relax”
- “It happened so long ago and you went to therapy, so this can’t be what’s affecting your body”
- “Positive thoughts are the answer.”
- “You are too young to have pelvic floor problems”
- “This just happens with age, you’ll have to get used to it”
Receiving this kind of advice from a medical provider is something that can be discouraging, lead to being misdiagnosed, or even make you feel dismissed.
This can leave you feeling emotionally spent, feeling mistrust for the medical community and possibly becoming nervous or intimidated to even bring up your concerns. You could even start to question if maybe “IT IS all in your head”.
But guess what?
It’s NOT all in your head and you are not alone!
Pelvic floor dysfunction is more common than you think.
It affects both women and men and at any age, it does not discriminate.
Not sure if it is pelvic floor dysfunction you’re experiencing?
Check out this short screening quiz that can help you determine if what you are experiencing is a Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and if reaching out to a pelvic floor specialist is a good step for you.
It’s time to get rid of the stigma of talking about pelvic pain. This is not something you need to “tough it out” with.
If you do suspect you have a pelvic floor issue, find out what can be done about it by filling out this short form to Inquire About Our Services. We would love to answer your questions and help you find the relief you deserve.
If you want immediate help, check out this 7 minute pelvic pain meditation guided by our Pelvic Floor Specialist: Mary Hollenbeck, PTA.
Be sure to follow us on social media where we share even more tips and educational insight in a fun way with you!
